Latest Update
- CSEAS Fall 2025 Events
The Center for Southeast Asian Studies is excited to share our Fall 2025 lineup of webinars, colloquia, book talks, film screenings, and community gatherings. Please see the flyers below for dates, times, and event details. September 2025 October 2025 November–December 2025 For the most up-to-date information and to subscribe to our newsletter: - From Transmission to Tradition: Noisy Hegemonies in Vietnamese Music History
Wednesday, September 10, 2025, 3:00 – 4:30 PM, Tokioka Room, Moore Hall 319 The Center for Southeast Asian Studies and the Ethnomusicology Program at UH Mānoa are pleased to host a talk by Professor Alexander M. Cannon (Professor of Ethnomusicology, University of Birmingham, UK). Synopsis: Tradition is enriching, perplexing, beautiful, and uncomfortable. In many ways,… Read more: From Transmission to Tradition: Noisy Hegemonies in Vietnamese Music History - Global Asia Working Group Talk
From Japanese pioneers to Igorot Nikkeijin pioneers: Tracing migration across generations Friday, September 12, 2025, 12:00–1:00 PM, Saunders Hall 624, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Speaker: Haruka Kei Waseda, Masters in Asian StudiesDiscussant: Dr. Ben Kerkvliet, Emeritus Professor, Australian National University This talk examines the histories and lived experiences of the Igorot Nikkeijin—descendants of Japanese… Read more: Global Asia Working Group Talk - Fall 2025 Southeast Asia Potluck Gathering: Mingle, Mix & Munch!
Friday, September 19, 2025, 5:00 – 7:30 PM Ethnomusicology Courtyard, UHM Music Department (near the Barbara B. Smith Amphitheatre), 2411 Dole Street Join us for our Fall 2025 CSEAS Gathering! This event brings together students, faculty, and researchers interested in the languages, cultural traditions, and communities of Southeast Asia. This semester, we’re excited to partner… Read more: Fall 2025 Southeast Asia Potluck Gathering: Mingle, Mix & Munch! - Meet Dr. Gillian Bogart, Our Newest Asian Studies Faculty and CSEAS Affiliate
Aloha and welcome to Dr. Gillian Bogart, our newest Asian Studies faculty member and CSEAS affiliate. She joined UH Mānoa in Fall 2025. Read her story here: Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Gillian Bogart Where she’s from Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Dr. Bogart most recently came to Hawaiʻi from Santa Cruz, California. She joined… Read more: Meet Dr. Gillian Bogart, Our Newest Asian Studies Faculty and CSEAS Affiliate - Environmental Biographies of Southeast Asia: Collaborative Learning in the Field
The Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS) is pleased to highlight a new exhibition, Environmental Biographies of Southeast Asia: Collaborative Learning in the Field. This exhibition brings together stories from forests, rivers, paddy fields, and fish ponds in Chiang Mai (Thailand) and South Sulawesi (Indonesia), created through collaborative fieldwork by undergraduate and graduate students from… Read more: Environmental Biographies of Southeast Asia: Collaborative Learning in the Field - APME Featured in UH NewsUH News features the Asia-Pacific Museum Exchange (APME) inaugural Face2Face Workshop at UH Mānoa, which brought together 13 museum and heritage professionals from across Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Read the full story on UH News
- APME Participant Gerry Apriryan Awarded British Library FundingWe are excited to share that Ignatius Gerry Apriryan, APME Participant from the Irama Nusantara Foundation, has been awarded funding by the British Library’s Endangered Archives Programme (EAP1749). His project, Surveying pre-independence Indonesia’s popular music archives in Haryadi Suadi’s collection (1900–1950s), will document magazines, shellac records, and music sheets from Indonesia’s pre-independence period. This important… Read more: APME Participant Gerry Apriryan Awarded British Library Funding
- APME Program Featured by U.S. EmbassiesThe Asia-Pacific Museum Professionals Exchange (APME) has recently been featured by two U.S. embassies, highlighting the program’s success in fostering cross-cultural collaboration and knowledge exchange. We are excited to see the program recognized internationally, and we look forward to continuing these conversations across Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
- Book Talk: He Who is Made Lord: Empire, Class and Race in Postwar Singapore
Wednesday, October 8, 2025, 3:00–4:30 PM HST | 8:00–9:30 PM EST | 9:00–10:30 AM SST (Oct 9) Moore Hall 258 and Online Register: https://go.hawaii.edu/rhr Join us for a conversation with Muhammad Suhail Mohamed Yazid, Fellow at the Harvard University Asia Center, as he discusses his latest book He Who is Made Lord: Empire, Class and… Read more: Book Talk: He Who is Made Lord: Empire, Class and Race in Postwar Singapore - Fall 2025 LuceSEA Webinar: Who Tells the War? – Sep. 3
Registration: https://go.hawaii.edu/r4n CSEAS invites you to the first event in our Fall 2025 LuceSEA Webinar Series, exploring the theme Southeast Asia in Transition: Memory, Governance, and Regional Challenges in a Turbulent World. This session brings together distinguished scholars and practitioners to discuss how community narratives shape the memory and ongoing legacies of the Vietnam War.… Read more: Fall 2025 LuceSEA Webinar: Who Tells the War? – Sep. 3 - Announcing the 2025 Fall LuceSEA Webinar SeriesTheme: Southeast Asia in Transition: Memory, Governance, and Regional Challenges in a Turbulent World Join us for four thought-provoking webinars this fall, bringing together scholars and practitioners to explore critical issues shaping Southeast Asia today. Fall 2025 Schedule Times vary by region – see flyer for details.Free & open to the public.Registration: A registration link… Read more: Announcing the 2025 Fall LuceSEA Webinar Series
- 11th International Conference on Southeast Asia (ICONSEA2025): 50 Years of Southeast Asian Studies – Regional Contour, Global TrajectoriesDecember 11–12, 2025, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia The Department of Southeast Asian Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Universiti Malaya will host the 11th International Conference on Southeast Asia (ICONSEA2025) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from December 11 to 12, 2025. In conjunction with the 50th anniversary of Southeast Asian Studies at Universiti Malaya,… Read more: 11th International Conference on Southeast Asia (ICONSEA2025): 50 Years of Southeast Asian Studies – Regional Contour, Global Trajectories
- New Publication Announcement: Cambodian: An Essential Grammar by Dr. Chhany Sak-Humphry
We are pleased to share the release of Cambodian: An Essential Grammar (Routledge, 2025), authored by Dr. Chhany Sak-Humphry, Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Khmer Language/Culture Program at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. This accessible and comprehensive guide introduces key grammatical structures of the Cambodian (Khmer) language across 14 chapters, drawing on real-world… Read more: New Publication Announcement: Cambodian: An Essential Grammar by Dr. Chhany Sak-Humphry - Student Spotlight: Chinoko Shirakura , Graduate Student, Curriculum Studies, Department of Education and the current Thai Language Lecturer, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Our third student spotlight in 2025 is Chinoko Shirakura , Graduate Student, Curriculum Studies, Department of Education and the current Thai Language Lecturer. Read Chinoko’s story here: About Chinoko Chinoko Shirakura was born and raised in Thailand to a Thai mother and Japanese father, in a household where language was not just a means of communication,… Read more: Student Spotlight: Chinoko Shirakura , Graduate Student, Curriculum Studies, Department of Education and the current Thai Language Lecturer, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa - Now Available: Recordings of Southeast Asian Children’s Literature Workshop Series
Missed our full-day workshop series on Southeast Asian children’s literature? Recordings of all three engaging sessions are now available on our YouTube channel! The “Enlivening Southeast Asian Children’s Literature” series brought together storytellers and artists to explore creative, culturally rich ways to bring Southeast Asian stories into K–12 classrooms through shadow puppetry, comic book creation,… Read more: Now Available: Recordings of Southeast Asian Children’s Literature Workshop Series - CSEAS NRC grant funded the purchase of Rare 1478 Southeast Asia Map for SEA Collection in Hamilton Library
The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS) NRC grant funded the purchase of a rare and historically significant 1478 map—one of the earliest printed representations of Southeast Asia. The map, from a Rome edition of Cosmographia by Claudius Ptolemy and engraved by pioneering printer Konrad Sweynheim, was acquired with funding… Read more: CSEAS NRC grant funded the purchase of Rare 1478 Southeast Asia Map for SEA Collection in Hamilton Library - Graduate Certificate Program in Southeast Asian Studies
Graduate Certificate Overview A Graduate Certificate in Southeast Asian Studies enables students to gain (and demonstrate evidence of) cutting-edge knowledge of the Southeast Asian region in Asia. A Graduate Certificate can serve as a valuable tool in career development for graduate students in discipline-based programs (e.g., PhD or MA students in sociology, political science, music,… Read more: Graduate Certificate Program in Southeast Asian Studies - Highlight on UH Mānoa’s New Thai Language Lecturer, Chinoko ShirakuraUH News recently featured Chinoko Shirakura, the university’s new Thai language lecturer, whose work is grounded in a deep passion for identity, heritage, and connection. A current graduate student in the Multicultural Education Program at UH Mānoa, Chinoko began teaching in January 2025 when the Thai language program officially launched. This fall, Shirakura’s students are… Read more: Highlight on UH Mānoa’s New Thai Language Lecturer, Chinoko Shirakura
- Faculty Spotlight: Congratulations to Dr. Ashok Das on his promotion to Full Professor in the College of Social Sciences!
Dr. Ashok Das, — Professor, College of Social Sciences, Department of Urban and Regional Planning (DURP), College of Social Sciences Congratulations, Dr. Das! The Center for Southeast Asian Studies congratulates Dr. Ashok Das on his promotion to Full Professor at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. This promotion recognizes his deep commitment to teaching, research,… Read more: Faculty Spotlight: Congratulations to Dr. Ashok Das on his promotion to Full Professor in the College of Social Sciences! - Webinar Recording Now Available: “Revitalizing Traditional Arts: Innovations & Agency in Response to Environmental Change”
Final Session – LuceSEA Spring 2025 Webinar Series In Southeast Asia, the intersection of the arts and environmental change is a lived reality for many communities whose cultural practices rely on natural resources. Climate change, migration, and environmental degradation are transforming the way traditional arts are practiced, preserved, and passed on. This webinar brings together… Read more: Webinar Recording Now Available: “Revitalizing Traditional Arts: Innovations & Agency in Response to Environmental Change” - Online Series Continues: Southeast Asian Children’s Literature Workshops
Following the in-person workshops held earlier this summer, this five-part online workshop series invites K–12 educators to explore Southeast Asian children’s literature through new and returning sessions. Each workshop features a different book and offers creative strategies for integrating Southeast Asian cultures, languages, and themes into classroom teaching. This series is co-organized by the Cornell… Read more: Online Series Continues: Southeast Asian Children’s Literature Workshops - Join Us to Explore and Celebrate Philippine Language, Literature, and Culture!
May 23, 2025, Friday / Click Here to Register Mark your calendars for the Pamana ng Lahi Teacher Training Seminar brought to you by the UH Mānoa Center for Southeast Asian Studies and the Filipino Language and Culture Program. Designed for educators passionate about Philippine language, literature, and culture, this event brings together renowned experts… Read more: Join Us to Explore and Celebrate Philippine Language, Literature, and Culture! - Enlivening Southeast Asian Children’s Literature: A Full-Day Workshop Series for Educators
Workshop #1 – 3: Saturday, June 14, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM (HST), Moore Hall 319, Tokioka Room, Hybrid Event Workshop #4: Thursday, June 19, 2025, 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM (HST) Online Workshop #5: Thursday, June 26, 2025, 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM (HST) Online Join us for a full day of workshops… Read more: Enlivening Southeast Asian Children’s Literature: A Full-Day Workshop Series for Educators - Cambodian American Experiences: Summer 2025 Professional Development Course for K-12 Educators
Application Deadline: May 30, 2025, Apply Here Dates: June 24-26, 2025Location: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities CampusApplication Deadline: May 30, 2025Apply: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd8uoweitKM7UysUT8keq2rSbrlKsuj6nFXECzGMx281FzG-g/viewform This course is developed to support teachers in understanding their Cambodian students and communities. Participants will explore Cambodian history and culture through this engaging in-person course. In it, you will learn how to integrate… Read more: Cambodian American Experiences: Summer 2025 Professional Development Course for K-12 Educators - Student Spotlight: Sara Loh, Ph.D. Student, Department of Anthropology
Our second student spotlight of Spring 2025 is Sara Loh, Ph.D. student at the Department of Anthropology, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Read Sara’s story here: Research Focus For her PhD research, Sara conducted ethnographic fieldwork with a peri-urban Temuan Orang Asli community, a subgroup of the original Indigenous peoples of Peninsular Malaysia, with support… Read more: Student Spotlight: Sara Loh, Ph.D. Student, Department of Anthropology - Luce SEA 2024 Fall Webinar Recording Now Available: “Promoting Community-Centric Tourism Economy in Southeast Asia”
Tourism has long been a key driver of economic growth in Southeast Asia, but how can we ensure that this growth benefits local communities rather than displacing them? This webinar brings together leading experts in tourism governance, community-based tourism, and economic development to explore ways to create a more equitable and sustainable tourism economy. Watch… Read more: Luce SEA 2024 Fall Webinar Recording Now Available: “Promoting Community-Centric Tourism Economy in Southeast Asia” - Book Talk Recording Now Available: “Emplacing East Timor: Regime Change and Knowledge Production, 1860–2010”
The recording of the webinar “Emplacing East Timor: Regime Change and Knowledge Production, 1860–2010” is now available! This virtual book talk features a recent publication (May 2024) by Dr. Kisho Tsuchiya, in which he examines the relationship between regime change and knowledge production in East Timor, offering an alternative framework for understanding its history from… Read more: Book Talk Recording Now Available: “Emplacing East Timor: Regime Change and Knowledge Production, 1860–2010” - Join SHAFR and Unlock Graduate Student Opportunities!
The Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations (SHAFR) offers a wide range of support and resources for students and scholars in the field of American foreign relations. However, membership is required to access these benefits — and the membership application will close within the next two weeks. At a low student membership rate of… Read more: Join SHAFR and Unlock Graduate Student Opportunities! - Panel Discussion: James C. Scott’s Scholarship on Southeast Asia and Beyond
Date: Monday, May 5, 2025 / 3:00 – 4:30 PM HSTVenue: Moore Hall 258, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa The Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS) and the Asia Working Group invite you to a special panel discussion honoring the intellectual legacy of Professor James C. Scott (1936–2024). Scott made profound contributions to the study… Read more: Panel Discussion: James C. Scott’s Scholarship on Southeast Asia and Beyond