The National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA), funded by the Freeman Foundation, is a multi-year initiative to encourage and facilitate teaching and learning about East Asia in elementary and secondary schools nationwide. NCTA is a premier provider of professional development on East Asia.

From July 6 to 9, 2026, SPICE Teacher Professional Development Manager Naomi Funahashi and Event Coordinator Sabrina Ishimatsu hosted a summer institute for middle school teachers, most of whom are teaching in California. Fifteen teachers enrolled. SPICE was so grateful for their active participation and for sharing their reflections and insights on subject matter content and pedagogical content knowledge.

The first three days featured subject matter content lectures on topics commonly taught at the middle school level in California. These included lectures on “Chinese Dynasties” and “The Silk Road” by Dr. Clayton Dube, Senior Fellow at the USC U.S.-China Institute, and “Tokugawa Japan” by Professor Ethan Segal, Michigan State University, who received his PhD from Stanford. SPICE is a partner site of the USC U.S.-China Institute, one of seven National Coordinating Sites of the NCTA. Dr. Clayton Dube is Director Emeritus of the USC U.S.-China Institute, and SPICE now works with Glenn Osaki, Director, and Crystal Hsia, Program Specialist, of the USC U.S.-China Institute. 

I have been very inspired by all the interactive meetings. Each truly serves as a model for creating engaging lessons for our students… There were so many interesting and relevant topics such as the different dynasties, the role and expectations of women, and cultural exchange!—Elena Giron, Elizabeth Learning Center, Cudahy, California

As a K–8 Mandarin teacher, I’m always looking for meaningful ways to help my students understand how Chinese language and culture have influenced other parts of East Asia. After today’s session, I began thinking about how I might incorporate elements of Japanese history, culture, or art into my Mandarin curriculum while still keeping Chinese language learning at the center.—Shu-Chen Lin, San Domenico School, San Anselmo, California

The first three days also featured demonstrations of SPICE curricula that focused on pedagogical content knowledge. These included demonstrations of Japanese Art in the Edo Period, by Karen Tiegel, Middle School Division Head at The Nueva School and a former SPICE Curriculum Writer; Along the Silk Road, by Rylan Sekiguchi, SPICE Manager of Curriculum and Instructional Design; and Angel Island, Chinese American Voices, the Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project, and What Does It Mean to Be an American?, by Jonas Edman, SPICE Instructional Designer. 

I will definitely incorporate the SPICE Silk Road curriculum into my teaching. I especially appreciate the interactive nature of its online resources, which make the content more engaging and accessible for students. The curriculum provides meaningful opportunities for students to actively explore the history, geography, and cultural exchanges of the Silk Road rather than simply learning through lectures or textbooks. I can see these resources helping my middle school students build a deeper understanding of the topic while keeping them motivated and engaged.—Jenn Wu, Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, San Francisco, California

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On day four, three authors of young adult novels (from top to bottom in image above)—Van Hoang, Judy I. Lin, Waka T. Brown—were featured on a panel titled, “Incorporating Asian American Literature and Voices into Middle School Curricula.” Including the Asian American experience in SPICE/NCTA seminars has been requested by many teachers and also supports the NCTA as it “strives to develop global citizenship based on the principles of cross-cultural understanding, equality, and justice.” 

I loved being part of the summer cohort with SPICE… I was really inspired by the authors’ panel, as I had never heard from authors, especially ones who are so relatable. I love how they intertwine their identity and history and can create such cool stories.—Morgan Johnson, Kenmore School, Arlington, Virginia

Following the institute, each teacher will develop and share an original lesson plan inspired by the knowledge and resources gained throughout the seminar. Some of the themes and concepts that were shared by the lecturers, authors, teachers, and SPICE staff included diaspora, cultural relevance, the master narrative of history, diverse perspectives, and empathy; and SPICE hopes that one or more of these themes will be incorporated into their lessons. 

SPICE is especially grateful to President Graeme Freeman and Vice President Shereen Goto of the Freeman Foundation for their support of the NCTA since 1998 and to Crystal Hsia of the USC U.S.-China Institute for her unwavering support and collaboration. 

The East Asia Summer Institute for Middle School Teachers is one of several free teacher professional development opportunities offered by SPICE.

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Sagan has served as the co-director of the Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC) from 2021 to 2026, though his legacy and influence at CISAC extends well beyond the last five years. He previously served as CISAC co-director from 1998 to 2012. In 2021, he returned for another term of leadership service alongside Rodney Ewing, a geologist whose multidisciplinary research led to the development of techniques to predict the long-term behavior of materials used in radioactive waste disposal. Sagan and Ewing led the center together until Ewing’s passing in 2024.

CISAC’s co-director leadership structure has been in place since its founding in 1983, and reflects the belief that it takes scholars from different disciplines with different experiences, ideas, strengths, and interests to solve the most pressing security problems.

“We’re in a new global era where security, technology, geopolitics, and policy are more interconnected than ever before,” said Colin Kahl, director of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies. “CISAC is crucial to understanding that intersectionality and producing the knowledge we need to create a safer and more secure world. Scott has led this center with incredible vision, and I am fully confident that Jim, with his unique talents and expertise, will lead CISAC and its community into its next era of growth and world class research.”

CISAC’s mission is to produce policy-relevant research on international security problems, teach and train the next generation of security specialists, and inform policymaking in international security.
 

Under Ewing’s and Sagan’s leadership, CISAC has expanded to include new programs and initiatives such as the Indo-Pacific Policy Lab, led by Oriana Skylar Mastro, whose mission is to disseminate leading academic knowledge on Indo-Pacific security issues to policymakers and build connections between scholars and industry that promote innovation and strengthen regional security and prosperity. Similarly, the new India-U.S. Security Studies Fellowship allows engineers, scientists, historians, and social scientists the opportunity to focus on issues related to Indian and U.S. security issues in collaboration with the CISAC community.

Other initiatives, such as CISAC’s longstanding program on Biosecurity and Global Health, the program on Geopolitics, Technology, and Governance, the initiative on Existential Risks, and their evolving agenda on Cyber Policy and Security, continue to have relevance and reach as global threats and politics evolve.

“It's not clear how the U.S. and global partners can best deal with the complex security dilemmas emerging on the horizon,” said Sagan. “But that’s the role of independent thinking inside a university. We’re independent from bureaucratic inertia. We’re nonpartisan. We’re free to figure out what policies and strategies will lead to a more secure and peaceful world. That’s the goal.”

CISAC’s fellowship and teaching programs are instrumental in training the next generation of security studies specialists.

“CISAC showed me how to be a rigorous and curious academic committed to building community,” said Luis Rodriguez, a former CISAC fellow now teaching at George Mason University.

Ethan Lee (BS, ‘23) feels similarly. Currently an associate in the Defense, Emerging Technology, and Strategy Program at Harvard’s Belfer Center for International Affairs, Lee is an alum of CISAC’s undergraduate honors program, which was established in 2000 as a way of providing Stanford seniors from all disciplines the opportunity to conduct rigorous, scholarly research on international security issues.

“As a student, I felt both challenged and supported at CISAC,” recalled Lee. After graduation, Lee and Sagan co-authored an article on U.S. public opinion, law, and the use of military force against Iran, which is forthcoming in the journal Security Studies. “I have benefited tremendously from Scott’s generosity, and I know I'm just one of many students who have.”

Alumni of CISAC’s undergraduate honors program and fellowships go on from Stanford to create a global network of policymakers.

“When I take students to the Pentagon or to think tanks in Washington, you meet our former fellows and honors students,” says Sagan. “In major universities across the country, the political science departments and the international security research centers are populated with scholars who came through Stanford. That's a legacy about which all the directors at CISAC should be very proud.”

Looking to the future, incoming co-director James Fearon acknowledges that while there are very real challenges ahead in international relations, there are also increased opportunities for scholars at places like CISAC to make an impact for good.

“Things are changing frighteningly fast in international security affairs, in alarming ways that are often linked with effects of rapid technological change,” Fearon acknowledges. “But CISAC has long been the place for high-quality research at the intersection of science, technology, and the politics of international security. I am excited by the opportunity and am greatly looking forward to working with a fantastic set of scholars building on this tradition in a new international context.”

To learn more about Fearon’s research and how geopolitics and technology are intersecting across borders, listen to the latest episode of the World Class podcast, hosted by FSI Director Colin Kahl.

Fearon’s co-director will be announced in November 2026.

The following reflection is a guest post written by Sunny Park, a Fall 2020 alumna of Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan, which is currently accepting applications for Fall 2026.

A “smart” high school student is often defined by strong grades, perhaps alongside a few extracurricular activities to strengthen university applications. Before encountering Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan (SeEJ), that was largely how I viewed myself. 

I came across SeEJ during the COVID-19 pandemic through a Facebook advertisement. Like many students at the time, I was looking for something more engaging beyond school. I didn’t expect how much it would reshape the way I think about learning, ambition, and possibility. 

What made SeEJ distinct was its focus on people rather than definitions. Each session featured entrepreneurs from different industries, sharing not just what they built, but how they navigated uncertainty, failure, and personal ambition. Seeing such varied paths made me realize that entrepreneurship isn’t a fixed route; it’s a way of thinking. And that was probably the moment when things shifted for me. Until then, I had always thought of my future in fairly narrow terms: choose a subject, go to university, and follow a path that already exists. SeEJ made me realize that there are far more ways to build a life, and that entrepreneurship is less about starting a company and more about taking ownership of what you want to pursue. 

Since then, I’ve found myself saying yes to things I would have hesitated to try before. I’m now in my final year of studying Biology at Imperial College London, and I co-founded a biotech startup called Eidolon Therapeutics. At Eidolon, we’re pioneering microbial protein combinations to combat immunotherapy resistance and inflammation-driven toxicity in cancer. It was through my Year-in-Research program where I met my Co-Founders (i.e., my professor and post-doc supervisor), and I was so fascinated by the research they were conducting I couldn’t help but impatiently suggest building a company out of it. Since then, we’ve been working incredibly hard on making Eidolon real, including joining accelerator programs such as the Cancer Tech Accelerator, Venture Catalyst Challenge, and Conception X. Through building an early-stage startup, I’ve had the chance to meet people I once found intimidating, pitch ideas in front of large audiences, and build relationships that started from simple conversations. 

I don’t think any of that came from a single moment of confidence. If anything, it came from gradually becoming more comfortable with not knowing exactly what I’m doing… and trying it anyway. Based on my journey so far, here are a few reflections for students exploring a similar path:

1. Be intentional about the opportunities you choose.

There are so many opportunities available as a student! SeEJ, in particular, showed me the value of learning environments where you actively engage with ideas and people. There are many programs available, but depth matters more than quantity. Choose opportunities where you can contribute, ask questions, and grow. 

2. Focus on genuine connections!

One of the most valuable parts of SeEJ was the access to people with diverse experiences. What I learned is that meaningful connections come from curiosity and sincerity, not from trying to impress. When you approach people with a willingness to learn, they are often more open than you expect. 

3. Stay engaged beyond the program.

The real impact of SeEJ extended beyond the sessions themselves. Following up with people, continuing conversations, and sharing your own progress helps turn short-term interactions into long-term relationships. Small, consistent effort makes a difference!

4. Reflect as you go. 

Exploring entrepreneurship alongside academics can be exciting but also overwhelming. Taking time to reflect on what you enjoy, what challenges you, and what kind of path you want to build helps you stay grounded and intentional.

Looking back, SeEJ was a turning point not because it provided a single opportunity, but because it changed how I see opportunities altogether. It reminded me that there isn’t one path to follow, but many that you can create. 

Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan is currently accepting applications for Fall 2026. Apply at https://forms.gle/5gkHrhm3X4sycZGG8.

Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan is one of several online courses offered by SPICE.

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