Network of South East Asian Studies

Founding meeting for Danish scholars working on Southeast Asia

The meeting is organized by Oscar Salemink, (Dept. of Anthropology and ADI, UCPH) and Steffen Jensen (Dignity Institute) as a first step towards building a Scandinavian Network of South East Asian Studies.

While a lot of good work is carried out on SE Asia in Scandinavia and in Denmark, there seems to be less conversation. Hence, this meeting is meant to consolidate a humanities and social science conversation in Denmark and in the rest of Scandinavia to complement some of the already existing networks and initiatives on the region.

This conversation is important for several reasons:  Firstly, as more and more focus is being lavished on India and China, it seems as though South-East Asia is being forgotten despite the fact that the region is growing in economic and demographic importance. Furthermore, the region is increasingly globalized through mass-migration, especially from Thailand and the Philippines, but also from the rest of the region. Hence, South East Asia is constantly and increasingly present also in Denmark and in Scandinavia. Finally, South East Asian Studies has always contributed with original conceptual developments that cannot be reduced to the study of China and India or the rest of the world.

The meeting will feature a keynote lecture by Nils Bubandt, Professor at the Department of Anthropology and Ethnography, Aarhus University, as well as research presentations by all participants.

Due to limited seating participation is by invitation only.