Welcome to Southeast Asian Studies @ NUS
Life isn't divided up into neat disciplinary boxes. Learning about the world shouldn't be boxed in either.
The Department of Southeast Asian Studies offers an ideal alternative to students who find disciplinary approaches to learning narrow or restrictive, and those who prefer a more subject-oriented curriculum. Our department aims to offer a truly inter-disciplinary approach to learning which draws on different perspectives and methodologies from the humanities and social sciences, all thoroughly informed by local experience and knowledge.
News
Punching Home Lessons about Southeast Asia through Martial Arts
From honing basic silat techniques to dabbling in the various styles of martial arts practised in Southeast Asia – such as kung fu and baguazhang from China as well as the Japanese sword-fighting art of kendo – students discover the region’s cultures and history in unconventional ways, in a course conducted by Dr Mohamed Effendy (NUS Southeast Asian Studies).
Notes from KL: The Chasm Between the Richest and the Poorest in Malaysia is Not as Far as the Comparison between Ethnic Groups
Column on Suria News Online by Dr Serina Rahman, Lecturer from NUS Southeast Asian Studies.
NEW PUBLICATION: Escaping Kakania Eastern European Travels in Colonial Southeast Asia
Escaping Kakania Eastern European Travels in Colonial Southeast Asia Escaping Kakania is about fascinating characters—soldiers, doctors, scientists, writers, painters—who traveled from their eastern European homelands to colonial Southeast Asia. Their stories are told by experts on different countries in the two regions, who bring diverse approaches into a conversation that crosses disciplinary and national borders. The 14 …
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Exploring Kendo: A Hands-On Journey into Japanese Martial Arts Culture in SE3233
SE3233: Martial Arts in Southeast Asia and the Dynamic World of Kendo! Today’s session in SE3233 saw students learning about Kendo, a Japanese martial art that has captivated Southeast Asia and the region’s communities since at least the 1950s (and possibly even earlier!). We explored the reasons behind its enduring popularity, discussing influences like movies …
Exploring Kendo: A Hands-On Journey into Japanese Martial Arts Culture in SE3233 Read More »
Claiming the Right to Nasi Lemak, Laksa and now Roti Kaya
Op-Ed by Dr Serina Rahman, Lecturer from NUS Southeast Asian Studies.
Dr Faizah Zakaria Receives John A. Lent Prize for Exceptional Scholarly Paper at AAS 2024 Conference
Dr Faizah Zakaria has received the esteemed John A. Lent Prize at the Association for Asian Studies AAS 2024 Annual Conference in Seattle, Washington! Awarded by the Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei (MSB) Studies Group, this prestigious accolade celebrates Dr. Zakaria’s exceptional paper presented at last year’s Association for Asian Studies meeting. Her scholarly contribution stood …