The Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS) at the American University of Phnom Penh (AUPP) is pleased to announce its inclusion in the Consortium for Southeast Asian Studies in Asia (SEASIA). CSEAS’s addition to the Consortium is an important step in strengthening CSEAS’ research-focused mission and a reflection of the calibre of scholarship supported at AUPP. Although still a young university, AUPP is honored to be included among long-standing and prestigious institutions in Asia, such as Kyoto University (Japan), Chulalongkorn University (Thailand), and National University of Singapore, among others.

The Consortium will hold the 4th SEASIA Biennial Conference in Jakarta, Indonesia, on 9-11 June 2022. Focusing on the theme ‘Managing Disruption, Developing Resilience for A Better Southeast Asia’, the conference will convene scholars from throughout the region to examine how Southeast Asia can emerge stronger and better in a post-pandemic world. Like the Consortium, the conference is cross-disciplinary, and will include topics relevant to economics, politics, the social sciences, and arts and humanities.

Created in 2017, the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the American University of Phnom Penh aims to be a center of excellence in promoting Southeast Asian studies through research, teaching, immersion, and exchange. SEASIA would be a tremendous chance for stepping up and contributing to Cambodia’s Human Resources Development. The Consortium for Southeast Asian Studies in Asia (SEASIA, pronounced “see-Asia”) was established in 2013 by 10 of the leading area studies institutions in Northeast and Southeast Asia. CSEAS works with scholarly institutions around the world in advancing the Consortium’s mandate of linking the leading area studies institutions in the region through academic meetings, seminars, workshops, and symposia.

For more information, visit: https://www.aupp.edu.kh/cseas/

A very honorable congratulations to Dr. Helen Jarvis, for receiving the 2021 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD for scholarly excellence in the field of Genocide Studies by The International Association of Genocide Scholars.  Though the award was conferred in July 2021 at the IAGS virtual biennial conference, the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the American University of Phnom Penh (AUPP) hosted a gathering of friends and colleagues from across the globe, by Zoom and in person, to present Dr. Jarvis with the physical certificate on November 11, 2021. It was an opportunity to recognize her many contributions to Cambodia and the world across decades of engagement in a myriad of sectors.

On November 21st, 2019 Cambodia Living Arts generously provided CSEAS students with tickets to see their production of “Bangsokol: A Requiem for Cambodia”. The students described the event as very moving, heartbreaking yet beautiful, and an insightful look into Cambodia’s cultural traditions surrounding burial. The performance marked the 4oth anniversary of the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime and commemorated the victims. The composition fused music (composed by Him Sophy), voice, movement, and visuals (arranged by filmmaker Rithy Panh) encapsulating nearly 20 years of work in the field of arts for transformation and healing.

AUPP’s CSEAS hosted a university visit by the University Pembangunan National “Veteran” Jakarta (UPNVJ) from Indonesia. Students attended lectures on “Transitional Justice and Democracy in Cambodia and Indonesia” given by Dr. Sri Wahyuningroem and Dr. Jose Mora. UPNVJ students also delivered a presentation highlighting their recent activities involving public demonstrations to call attention to issues of climate change in Indonesia. After the formal talks, students broke into smaller groups to engage in international cultural exchange and to talk about the ideas raised in the presentations, university life, and to share their own experiences with each other.

AUPP’s CSEAS joined many other scholars in Taipei, Taiwan at the SEAsia biennial 2019 conference in Taipei, Taiwan. This was the 3rd biennial conference organized by the Consortium for Southeast Asian Studies which emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach to Southeast Asian Scholarship. It was attended by academics from around the world.  The overall theme of the conference was “Change and Resistance – Future Directions of Southeast Asia” and the  keynote speaker was Dr. Cheng-Hwa Tseng, a professor of archaeology at Academia Sinica in Taiwan, who described  physical evidence he unearthed a sites in Taiwan that show historical interactions between Taiwan and Southeast Asia. The conference hosted many presentations on a diverse set of topics ranging from inclusive economic growth, regional  cooperation, human rights, ethnicity and gender, and urbanization (among others). The 3 day conference provides a great opportunity for Southeast Asian scholars to get feedback about their academic work, netowrk with related scholars from other institutions, and see the newest developments in the respective fields of inquiry.

AUPP CSEAS students attended the second Asia Pacific summit at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh.The event was hosted by the Universal Peace Federation and included talks by many prominent current and former political figures. The goal of the summit was to provide innovative solutions to many of the critical challenges of our time. Some of the challenges highlighted were poverty, food security, climate change, forced displacement, and natural disasters. The organizers and speakers emphasized the role of parliaments and civil society actors in achieving solutions beneficial to all actors in society. CSEAS students were also able to attend seminars that focused on more specific issues like economic development and human rights