The Charles Morrison era as president of the East-West Center will end on Jan. 2. For 18 years, Morrison has been at the helm of one of the most important education and diplomatic institutions in the world whose primary mission is to promote peace and prosperity in Asia-Pacific region, which is the hub of the world’s economic growth and home of the three largest economies.

The important work of the East-West Center cannot be overestimated. It is a Hawaii treasure with more than 60,000 alumni who are leaders in politics, government, business, education and journalism throughout Asia.

The programs developed over the past 18 years have been crucially important in fostering a greater understanding between the United States and Asia. Morrison has continued and strengthened the East-West Center’s student exchange program, which is unique because each year over 100 graduate degree students from the U.S. and Asia live, eat and fraternalize together at the center. Hundreds more come to participate in the many leadership programs. An entire generation of young Asian-Pacific and American leaders in government, business, education and journalism have graduated from these programs. Among them are at least six presidents and prime ministers of major Asian nations, including a recent president of India and an Australian prime minister. Such programs, many of which sprung from Morrison’s fertile intellect, include the Asia Pacific Leadership Program, which gathers young leaders for training, education and networking on the most important issues of the day such as disaster planning, conflict management and public health.

The longstanding Jefferson Fellowship Program is considered the most important journalism program in the Asia/Pacific area.

It brings cadres of journalists from around the world to the East-West Center to study and learn from each other and bring greater knowledge, objectivity and critical thinking to the world’s media. Biannually the East-West Center presents its signature International Media Conference, which is the most important gathering of journalists in Asia. With over 500 participants, it was held in September 2016 in Delhi, India, and in 2014, in Yangon where Myanmar’s leader Aung Sun Soo Chi was the keynote speaker.

The importance of women leadership in the development and democratization of Asian nations has been another key emphasis. The East-West Center’s “Changing Faces Women’s Leadership Seminar” presented in partnership with UH-Manoa’s Shidler College of Business pairs some of Hawaii’s foremost women leaders with young women leaders from all over Asia and the United States.

Morrison also has brought the East-West Center front and center on the world stage. In 2012 it organized the landmark APEC Conference in Honolulu, which was attended by President Barack Obama and the presidents and prime ministers of the Philippines, Japan, Malaysia and other major nations.

In September 2016, the center hosted the Pacific Island Leadership Forum, where Obama was the keynote speaker before an audience that included more than 10 presidents and prime ministers of Pacific Island Nations. During the last seven years, Secretaries of State John Kerry and Hillary Clinton gave major addresses at the center.

When Morrison retires as president with our thanks — he will continue as a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the center — he will leave it in very good shape for his successor, Dr. Richard Vuylsteke, outgoing president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. The beautiful and iconic East-West Center in Manoa will continue its role as a Hawaii treasure bringing peace, prosperity and good will to the United States and its Asian partner nations.

Richard Turbin is a Honolulu attorney and chairman of the East-West Center board of governors.