Return to Work at the East-West Center

In experiencing the Asia-Pacific Leadership Program (APLP) as participants or fellows, the academic-world part of it was only half the East-West Center experience. We were only on a “stage” performing a lot shows (APLP activities), and we received applause and congratulations from the audience (friends and family members) for our successful completion of the shows (graduation from APLP). Have we ever imagined how much work the program team did to make our APLP a successful performance? Having been a part of the education program team this semester, I have experienced amazing work behind the scenes accomplished by a program team that has made such a program success.

That said, it is not only how I feel about the APLP but also some other programs that I have been directly involved in such as the MARA Leadership Transition Program and ProSPER.Net Leadership Program.

The EWC education program has carried out the MARA Leadership Transition Program in collaboration with and funding by the Government of Malaysia, fostering leadership skills and advancing entrepreneurship and a doing business mind-set for Malaysian government leaders, whereas the ProSPER.Net (Promotion of Sustainability in Postgraduate Education and Research Network) was implemented in alliance and support by the United Nations University to develop practical leadership skills and enabling participants from various stakeholders, informed policy-thinking and decision-making, new ways of managing knowledge, and implementing research solutions.

Those are not all initiative and innovative leadership activities at the EWC. The program team consists of the same human resources, as you know, that have been managing many other programs. For example, the Century Leadership Program (CLP), the Pacific Islands Leadership Program (PILP), the Pacific Islands Women in Leadership Program (WIL). In the summer, there is the SUSHI and Brunei program as well.

I have been fortunate to be able to participate in some of those programs’ key sessions as part of their training activities that merged with the MARA (in September) and ProSPER.Net groups (in November). The merging sessions were of a similar format that our APLP class experienced with the Brunei group last year.

 Round table discussion - merged activities between MARA and APLP, September 2013

My workday normally starts at 8:00am and ends at 5:30 or 6:00pm.Sometimes I leave much later and work during the weekend, mostly facilitating outdoor activities or site visits with the fellows - for example joining the fellows to visit Pearl Harbor or hiking to the top of Diamond Head. Working and having fun with them is just fantastic! It always brings back nice memories, many of them, of my time as a fellow with all of you with the APLP program last year.

Hiking to Diamond Dead with ProSPER.Net fellows, November 2013

In short, my main role is training operations and facilitation. They considered me as a “glue” to help everything come together, putting all parts of the puzzle in the right place. The puzzle picture is the training program that has been designed. The puzzle pieces are international fellows, guest speakers, training venues, site visits, transportation, training materials, best photo collection, etc. The job requires the ability to handle many different tasks at the same time, requires special attention to detail, and especially to be on time. Sometimes, in order to accomplish multi-assignments, I run around like crazy, resulting in my rarely being in high heels! Hence, I guess my long legs and quick reaction and adaptation have helped a lot to perform this job :-)

Although I consider 6pm late for me, I always see Lori still sitting at her desk, and many times with a tired expression on her face. I don’t know how she can manage such a range of backdrop tasks supporting different programs while still also active in her Hula training activities which, I believe, is her talent and passion. She can even find a time to teach a weekly Hula class at Burns Hall for a group of fellows. Although working in such busy environment, everyone can hear and enjoy her really inspiring laugh. That is an amazing lady. I wish I could have her laugh!

Likewise and it is no surprise that Nina is often in her office late afternoon. Additionally, I bet if you access the APLP hub, you can see her online late in the evening. One of the MARA fellows told me that he was surprised and seriously impressed that one day he had an emergency request by his management in Kuala Lumpur resulting in his needing to talk to program management, and he could come to Burns Hall that day to talk to Nina around 10pm!  The issue was resolved quickly the next day thanks to that late meeting. I have seen Nina involved in teaching an APLP class as well. Wow! Further, she concurrently still effectively manages, coordinates resources and inputs of all programs.

Last Wednesday (before the Thanksgiving), I asked Nina whether I should work on Friday. “It’s calm time for family. I would try not to work this day” – her response really touches me. And yes – I have been enjoying more time with my beautiful children. Do I have time for family? Absolutely this is the right time!

After shopping with my kids on Black Friday, 26 Nov 2013

In the recent staff meeting, I heard Scott mentioned that Nina was going to give a shocking news. I wonder what that was. The answer was that she is going to take off three weeks for her annual leave! :-) She has been working and working so hard, and I guess that she is only taking the leave for Christmas to visit her family in the mainland.  

With Christina at the Waikiki Yacht Club, September 2013

Working with Christina to support the above programs has been the best part of my working and learning experience at the Education Department. I have picked her brain for its reservoir of innovativeness and flexibility in designing and handling crisis, especially last minute decision-making that is sometime very important for the program to adapt to new situations and fit with a specific group of fellows and the funders’ requirements.

Thank-you card from Christina. What a beautiful culture of Thank-you expression!

The members of the Leadership Program, I have found, are of marvellously unique characters from whom I really enjoy learning. It seems that everyone involved in running the programs work at their highest capacity. I wish the EWC would be able to raise more funding so that will allow the Leadership Program to operate with more resources.

Making sure the fellows meet their study objectives, ensuring their leadership skills are enhanced, and bringing them together through many in-class and outdoor activities is a big part of the program’s success. An example of bringing fellows from different parts of the world together is that I have been able to help connect many of them on Facebook. Just a simple click to Add, Like and Comment, that can bring peoples closer – a big difference, isn’t it? We learn that even those who come from the same countries did not know each other before.

I would also like to share my general view of the Leadership Program based on my perspective as an alumnus and a colleague after working with the program team this semester. Having a business-development background, my view is that everything is similar to doing business. One of the successful criteria of a business establishment is the ability to earn benefit by delivering the right and good-quality services and products that meet the right investors and customers satisfaction. My observation though many training programs is that the EWC Education Program has been highly accomplishing their mission. The program’s customers are international fellows, the investors are the funders, and the products and services are many diversified long-term and short-term leadership programs at the EWC.

What more? Oh yes - working and supporting different programs, I am so glad that I have been able to learn from different perspectives and insights from new fellows. The greatest part is that I can learn from their special country perspective related to politics, economy, culture, etc without travelling around the Asia-Pacific. Of course, it is always good to experience in person what is going on in the reality. I believe that working with the leadership program has been enabling me to focus on my academic and career development in international affairs.

Author: Loan Le