The Ateneo Zamboanga University American Corner and the Public Affairs Office of the US Embassy signed a Memorandum of Understanding on April 3 2014. The MoU seeks to jointly establish an information center, known as the Ateneo de Zamboanga University American Corner, for another three years. Fr Marlito G Ocon SJ, Assistant to the President for Administration and Princess Grace Wooden, Deputy Director, Thomas Jefferson Info center/American Corners US Embassy, Manila Philippines represented the two institutions during the ceremony.
After the signing of MoU, Deputy Director Princess Grace Wooden conducted a presentation on American Spaces, its goals and mission, which guide the Fr. Jose T. Bacatan SJ Library staff on the use of the E- library USA online databases.
The American Corner (AC) at Ateneo de Zamboanga University (ADZU) was established to pursue intellectual, scholarly, and cultural activities through a broad spectrum of subjects, such as history, culture and its artifacts, law, literature, etc. AC offers to its clientele a multi-media collection of the best representative of American culture. The collection ranges from books, periodicals to film, videocassettes, CDs and online journals, and other electronic sources.
The American Corner periodically sponsors lectures in American studies by Filipino and American scholars. It also services the public in many ways. One way is the development of relevant material in Philippine courses which have American content, such as law, history, sociology, literature, culture, education, technology, and science. Private individuals interested in the mechanism of American society, institutions, and values or its egalitarian principles are invited to use this special service.
The Center was formally opened on February 7, 1987, through the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement between Frank L. Jenista, Director, Thomas Jefferson Information Center, and Fr. Ernesto A. Carretero, SJ, President of Ateneo de Zamboanga University. Its first Area Director was Dr. Gloria Chiu-Yap, who had a Ph.D. in American Studies from Bowling Green State University, Ohio, USA.
