Philippine Studies Annual Lecture

The Philippine Studies Annual Lecture was established at the University of Alberta in August, 2023, through a generous endowment by the government of the Republic of the Philippines. The Department gratefully acknowledges the support and advocacy of Senator Loren Legarda, as well as then-Consul General Zaldy Patron and the rest of the Calgary consular officials and staff.

The purpose of this marquee annual lecture is to educate our campus, Alberta’s Filipino community, and the general public about the rich cultural history of the Philippines, as well as the critically important place of that nation, and the Filipino diaspora, in the world today. In the coming years, we anticipate that the lecture will feature a mix of scholars, activists, artists, politicians, and writers who can talk about the Philippines and the Filipino diaspora from a wide array of disciplinary and political perspectives. The Department of East Asian Studies does not hold any political viewpoint regarding the Philippines; we do encourage the free and respectful expression of all viewpoints in conversation with our speakers.

Over time, and with the help of our many supportive partners in the community, we hope that this annual lecture can become the core of a larger Philippine Studies program of research and education at the University of Alberta.