Current News
- Southeast Asian Films at Hawai’i International Film Festival (October 21 – Nov 5, 2026)
The Hawai’i International Film Festival presented by Halekulani is excited to bring you HIFF46. This year’s fall festival feature several major premiere of Southeast Asian films including 9 Temples to Heaven (Thailand), 2 Valid IDs and Filipiniana (Philippines), Fruit Gathering (Myanmmar), AH Girl and We are all strangers (Singapore). The festival will also bring 2… Read more: Southeast Asian Films at Hawai’i International Film Festival (October 21 – Nov 5, 2026) - Mama Sita’s Pinoy Food Stories: Philippine Artisanal Vinegars & The Art of Making Kinilaw
The Mama Sita Foundation (MSF) is a non-stock, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting Philippine culinary heritage and agricultural sustainability. Rooted in the vision and legacy of Filipino food icon Teresita “Mama Sita” Reyes, the Foundation carries forward her lifelong mission: to bring the flavors of the Philippine Islands to the world, and in doing so,… Read more: Mama Sita’s Pinoy Food Stories: Philippine Artisanal Vinegars & The Art of Making Kinilaw - Announcing LuceSEA Fall 2026 Webinar Series
Join us for three thought-provoking webinars this Fall, bringing together scholars and practitioners to explore critical issues shaping Southeast Asia today. LuceSEA Fall 2026 Webinar Series Schedule 1) Music and Theatrical Arts Traditions in the Southeast Asia and Diaspora 2) Tourism in Southeast Asia: Social and Environmental Challenges 3) Human Activities and Environmental Change in… Read more: Announcing LuceSEA Fall 2026 Webinar Series - 2026 Fall LuceSEA Webinar #1: Music & Theatrical Traditions in Southeast Asia & Diaspora
Wednesday, October 7, 2026, 3:00–4:00 PM (HST) | Registration: https://go.hawaii.edu/RQg Join us for the first webinar of the 2026 Fall LuceSEA Webinar Series on Music & Theatrical Traditions in Southeast Asia & Diaspora. This panel focuses on the rich diversity of music and theatrical traditions in Southeast Asia and Southeast Asia in western pedagogy. Traditional… Read more: 2026 Fall LuceSEA Webinar #1: Music & Theatrical Traditions in Southeast Asia & Diaspora - 2026 Fall LuceSEA Webinar #2: Tourism in Southeast Asia: Social & Environmental Challenges
Wednesday, November 4, 2026, 3:00–4:00 PM (HST) | Registration: https://go.hawaii.edu/RQw Join us for the second webinar of the 2026 Fall LuceSEA Webinar Series on Tourism in Southeast Asia: Social and Environmental Challenges. Tourism is a growing industry in Southeast Asia. Despite the growing economic impact, tourism enforces socio-environmental transformation. This webinar discusses how local communities… Read more: 2026 Fall LuceSEA Webinar #2: Tourism in Southeast Asia: Social & Environmental Challenges - CSEAS Welcomes New Director, Dr. Pia Arboleda
The Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS) is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Pia Arboleda as its new director, effective August 2026. About Dr. Arboleda Dr. Pia Arboleda is Professor of Filipino and Philippine Culture, Director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, and Chair of the School of Pacific and Asian Studies… Read more: CSEAS Welcomes New Director, Dr. Pia Arboleda - Meet Makana Kirkey, Our Newest Southeast Asian Studies Librarian and CSEAS Affiliate
Aloha and welcome to Makana Kirkey, our newest Southeast Asian Studies Librarian and CSEAS affiliate. He joined UH Mānoa in August 2026. Read his story here: Faculty Spotlight: Makana Kirkey Background Born and raised in Southern California, Makana is a descendant of Hawaiian sugar cane plantation workers who emigrated from the Philippines. He joined the… Read more: Meet Makana Kirkey, Our Newest Southeast Asian Studies Librarian and CSEAS Affiliate - “The Ocean That Remembers” physical exhibition at Hamilton Library featured on UH News
The Ocean That Remembers exhibition by CSEAS and its Asia-Pacific Museum Exchange (APME) Program is now on-display at the Bridge Gallery, UH Mānoa Hamilton Library until December 21, 2026. The exhibit features thirteen stories of cultural objects, history, and identity from across Southeast Asia and the Pacific. “Our goal was to bring the project full… Read more: “The Ocean That Remembers” physical exhibition at Hamilton Library featured on UH News - Annual Report 2024-2025The Center is pleased to announce the release of our annual report covering 2021-2022 academic year!
- Fall 2026: CSEAS Merchandise
Our new CSEAS merch is now available for purchase at Moore Hall 405. 🛍 Note: In-person purchase only. Cash is preferred. Unfortunately, we do not offer domestic and international shipping. Thank you for your support! - Exhibition: Environmental Biographies of Southeast Asia & Morocco: Field-Based Research on Land, Water and Power
The Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS) is pleased to highlight a new exhibition, Environmental Biographies of Southeast Asia & Morocco: Field-Based Research on Land, Water, and Power. This exhibition brings together stories of land relations, forest transitions, and the livelihoods in rural Sulawesi, and Morocco’s Rif Coast, created through collaborative fieldwork by undergraduate and… Read more: Exhibition: Environmental Biographies of Southeast Asia & Morocco: Field-Based Research on Land, Water and Power - 2026 Fall Colloquium: ‘The General: Vietnam in the age of To Lam’ documentary by Laura-Bickman (In-person)
Thursday, September 17th, 2026, 12:00–1:30 PM (HST) | Hamilton Library Room 306 - Annual Report 2025-2026The Center is pleased to announce the release of our annual report covering 2021-2022 academic year!
- Fall 2026 Southeast Asia Potluck Gathering: Mingle, Mix & Munch!
Friday, September 11, 2026, 6:00 – 8:00 PM | Ethnomusicology Courtyard RSVP for headcount:https://go.hawaii.edu/Ri4 Join us for our Fall 2026 CSEAS Gathering! This event brings together students, faculty, and researchers interested in the languages, cultural traditions, and communities of Southeast Asia. CSEAS will contribute special Southeast Asian dishes. Please bring a potluck dish to share… Read more: Fall 2026 Southeast Asia Potluck Gathering: Mingle, Mix & Munch! - Call For Abstracts: 26th Annual East-West Center’s International Graduate Student Conference
11-13 Feb 2027 | Abstract Submission | Deadline: September 30th, 2026 The East-West Center International Graduate Student Conference (IGSC) offers a collaborative and supportive space for graduate students to share their work, receive thoughtful feedback, and build conversations across fields and regions. The IGSC 2027 theme is Weaving Knowledge for Shared Indo-Pacific Prosperity. We welcome proposals for presentations in… Read more: Call For Abstracts: 26th Annual East-West Center’s International Graduate Student Conference - UH Mānoa Students Participate in a Three-Week Cross-Cultural Field School in Indonesia
The Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is proud to highlight the recent participation of thirteen UH Mānoa students in a three-week field school program in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. This unique program, funded by the Henry Luce Foundation, is part of an initiative to train the next generation… Read more: UH Mānoa Students Participate in a Three-Week Cross-Cultural Field School in Indonesia - New Student Orientation: Asian Studies & Music Ensembles Workshops (Aug 19)
This August 19, UHM Ethnomusicology will host an Asian Studies & Music Ensembles Workshops, featuring sound traditions from Hawai’i and across Asia. The workshop will feature Hawai’ian choral traditions, Javanese Gamelan, Japanese court music, Kulintang, and Thai folk-style music. No music experience needed. All are welcomed! Date: August 19, 2026 Time: 12:00 – 3:00 PM… Read more: New Student Orientation: Asian Studies & Music Ensembles Workshops (Aug 19) - “The Ocean That Remembers” digital exhibition featured on UH NewsThe Ocean That Remembers digital exhibit by CSEAS and its Asia-Pacific Museum Exchange (APME) Program is now available on APME new website, and in-person at the Bridge Gallery, UH Mānoa Hamilton Library. From Egyptian Roman Glass to a mural art ‘Wisdom of the East’, the digital exhibition features objects that reveal how history lives not… Read more: “The Ocean That Remembers” digital exhibition featured on UH News
- UH Mānoa Student receives a Fulbright to study ecological resilience in Ecuador
This August, UH Mānoa graduate candidate Ernest Bethe IV will embark on a research fieldwork in the Galápagos Islands under the Fulbright U.S Student Program scholarship for the 2026 – 2027 academic year. He will be hosted by the Charles Darwin Foundation and the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador for 10 months to study the… Read more: UH Mānoa Student receives a Fulbright to study ecological resilience in Ecuador - Call for Application｜Indonesia Summer Workshop City & Energy: Towards Sustainability, Resilience, Equity (Application Deadline: July 10)
Application deadline: July 10, 2026 - Call for Fellowship｜’Cohesion Under Crisis’ Research Fellowship (Application Deadline: June 15)
Submission deadline: June 15, 2026 - Fall 2026 Southeast Asia Focused Course| ASAN – MUS Ensemble Courses
UH Mānoa offers a wide range of Fall 2026 courses that center on the Southeast Asian region, ranging from history and politics to languages, art, dance, and more. MUS 311M: Register for MUS 311M to build and play your own musical instruments from repurposed rubbish. A chance to get involved in a local sustainability initiative… Read more: Fall 2026 Southeast Asia Focused Course| ASAN – MUS Ensemble Courses - “Kani Ka ʻŌpala: Take a Sad Song & Make it Better” exhibition featured on UH News
Available through August 10, the “Kani Ka ʻŌpala: Take a Sad Song & Make it Better” exhibit by ethnomusicology lecturer Benjamin Fairfield combines ecomusicology with place-based learning and encourages examination of consumptive habits. “The idea of accepting a label of trash as worthless primes us to see things as having no further utility and value,” said… Read more: “Kani Ka ʻŌpala: Take a Sad Song & Make it Better” exhibition featured on UH News - Annual Report 2023-2024The Center is pleased to announce the release of our annual report covering 2021-2022 academic year!
- 2026 Spring LuceSEA Webinar #4: Imagining Borders: Nationality, Mobility and Belonging in Southeast Asia
Wednesday, April 29, 2026, 3:00–4:30 PM (HST) | Registration: https://go.hawaii.edu/7AD Join us for the second webinar of the 2026 Spring LuceSEA Webinar Series on Imagining Borders: Nationality, Mobility and Belonging in Southeast Asia. The webinar discusses how Southeast Asian borderlands live, negotiate, and challenge national boundaries. From disputes to statelessness. By discussing Stateless populations, informal… Read more: 2026 Spring LuceSEA Webinar #4: Imagining Borders: Nationality, Mobility and Belonging in Southeast Asia - UH Mānoa Students and Faculty highlight Southeast Asia Research at the 2026 Association for Asian Studies Conference
Last March, the 2026 Association for Asian Studies (AAS) Conference was held in Vancouver, Canada. The CSEAS is delighted to share the participation of two UH Mānoa students, Areerat Worawongwasu and Xiaoyun Neo, who joined others to present Southeast Asian research at the AAS. In Summer 2025, the pair joined a group of students from… Read more: UH Mānoa Students and Faculty highlight Southeast Asia Research at the 2026 Association for Asian Studies Conference - 2026 Spring Colloquium on ‘Operation Babylift’ featured on UH News
On March 3, CSEAS hosted a colloquium on Operation Babylift, a U.S-led effort to evacuate children from Vietnam at the end of the war. Devaki Murch, a Vietnam War adoptee and raised in Hawai’i shared how this experience have shaped how history of Vietnam War is remembered. Drawing from her work building the Operation Babylift… Read more: 2026 Spring Colloquium on ‘Operation Babylift’ featured on UH News - 2026 Teacher Training Program: Pamana Ng Lahi
Join us for the 2026 Pamana Ng Lahi Teacher Training Program hosted by Markee Angelo Micu and Pia Arboleda. This program is a collaboration among UH Mānoa Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Pamana ng Lahi Project, Mindanao State University General Santos Departamento ng Filipino, and the UH Mānoa Filipino and Philippine Culture Program. Register for… Read more: 2026 Teacher Training Program: Pamana Ng Lahi - 2026 Spring Colloquium: ‘Exiled!’ documentary by Pollie Bith-Melander(In-person)
Friday, April 17th, 2026, 12:00–1:30 PM (HST) | Hamilton Library Room 306 - Javanese Gamelan Ensemble in Concert at UH Mānoa
Join us for an evening of Javanese gamelan music performed on Gamelan Kyai Gandrung, presented by Javanese Gamelan Ensemble at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Date: Saturday, April 25, 2024Time: 7:30 PMVenue: Barbara Smith Amphitheater, UH Mānoa Music DepartmentTickets: $15 | $10 | Students Free (Bring Student ID) Don’t miss this unique opportunity to… Read more: Javanese Gamelan Ensemble in Concert at UH Mānoa