75th Gala Dinner

Since its establishment in 1949 as one of the first institutes in the United States dedicated to the advanced training of East Asian specialists, the Weatherhead East Asian Institute (WEAI) has been at the forefront of research and teaching about the region.

For 75 years, the Institute has pushed the boundaries of East Asian regional studies, branching out from its early focus on China and Japan to encompass work on Korea, Inner Asia, and—most recently—Southeast Asia. Expanding on its foundation in the social sciences, the Institute is a dynamic hub for interdisciplinary and multinational scholarship and is actively engaged across the academy supporting research and programming in the humanities, professional schools, and social sciences. Founded as the East Asian Institute, the Institute was renamed in 2003 in recognition of the generosity of the Weatherhead Foundation.

In 2024, WEAI celebrates its 75th Anniversary. To launch a year of special programming and festivities, the Institute hosted a Gala Dinner on Thursday, February 1, 2024 in Columbia University’s Low Memorial Library. The Gala was a major gathering of scholars, students, and luminaries whose work has enriched the study of East, Inner, and Southeast Asia.

Thank you for helping us celebrate this milestone!