The Ethnomusicology Program at the University of Hawaii at Mnoa has a long-standing reputation for excellence in the study of world music, especially the music of Asian and Pacific cultures. The program is distinctive for a number of reasons. It is situated in a unique geo-cultural environment known for its diverse population and great variety of active and vibrant music cultures. Hawaii's mid-Pacific location and proximity to Asia and Pacific Basin countries ensure frequent contact with musicians, scholars, and institutions from all over the region. The program is committed to close mentoring of students and helping students to develop a broad network of contacts.<br>Participation in musical activity is an integral part of the University of Hawaii program, as is the study of theoretical problems such as the relation of music to social change, globalization, identity, diaspora, politics, commerce, dance, and theater. The focus on socio-cultural formation and on musical practice is encouraged by the participatory approach the program offers.<br>Another distinctive feature of the University of Hawaii is that ethnomusicology is an integral partboth in organization, and in spiritof the Music Department. The department has a long record of promoting musical pluralism throughout the university music experience and at all levels of music education, as a basis for music composition, and as part of choral and instrumental performance.