UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
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From Left to Right: Consul General J. Susana V. Paez and U-M Vice President for Development Tom Baird.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT
PHILIPPINE STUDIES AT MICHIGAN
PHILIPPINE STUDIES AT MICHIGAN
The Philippine Studies Program at the University of Michigan was significantly bolstered in November 2022 by a 5 Million Philippine Peso grant endowed by the Philippine government through the advocacy of Senator Loren Legarda. Hosted within the Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS) and the University of Michigan Library, the program is uniquely focused on Reparative Stewardship.
Michigan is the guardian of the Dean C. Worcester Collection, one of the largest colonial-era archives of the Philippines in the world. The current program aims to decolonize these archives, funding research, student scholarships, and visiting faculty to ensure that these historical materials are studied through a modern, Filipino-led lens.
RECENT EVENTS
RECENT EVENTS
A defining recent milestone was the residency of renowned Filipino historian Ambeth Ocampo, who joined UMich as a visiting professor to teach specialized courses on 19th-century Philippine history. The program also powers the groundbreaking "ReConnect/ReCollect" project, which facilitates dialogues between indigenous cultural bearers and the university’s curators.
In 2024 and early 2025, this project hosted workshops where descendants of those photographed in the Worcester collection were invited to Ann Arbor to provide their own narratives for the archive. These events are complemented by the Philippine Study Group (PSG), which hosts regular "Gatherings" and "Drinks" events to foster community among Filipino-American students and faculty.
ABOUT
ABOUT
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
Founded in 1817, the University of Michigan is a premier public research university known for its rigorous academic standards and its deep historical ties to the Philippines.
During the American colonial period, UMich became the "training ground" for colonial officials, which led to the massive accumulation of Philippine artifacts and biological specimens now housed in the Bentley Historical Library and the Museum of Anthropological Archaeology.
Today, the university utilizes its world-class facilities to lead the "Philippine Studies Goes Global" initiative in the Midwest, transforming its colonial legacy into a platform for contemporary cultural diplomacy and academic innovation.
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