Biological and Cultural Diversity in Malaysia and Thailand

TACOMA, Wash. – Scholars of Southeast Asia, student researchers who visited the region, and a prominent marine conservation expert will be among those who gather at the University of Puget Sound this fall for the 2nd annual LIASE Southeast Asia Symposium.

The symposium, open to students and academics, including those from the Northwest Five Consortium of Liberal Arts Colleges, will extend the important conversation about Southeast Asia's environment and biodiversity. The economically and politically influential Asian region—where the well-being of the local people, flora and fauna, business, culture, and ecosystem too often clash—will be discussed over two days of presentations, round-table discussions cultural events.

The public is also invited to a free performance of Thai music and dance by the Chaopraya Ensemble on the final night of the symposium. The evening will include lively folk dances and stylish court dances performed in theatrical costumes to music from traditional Thai instruments. The free event will be held at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, in Rasmussen Rotunda, Wheelock Student Center. A map of the campus is below, and everyone is welcome.

The LIASE Southeast Asia Symposium will be held on the evening of Friday, Oct. 23, and all day on Saturday, Oct. 24. The event is one of many activities at Puget Sound supported by the Luce Initiative on Asian Studies and the Environment (LIASE). Through the Henry Luce Foundation's generous support, LIASE makes grants to universities and colleges around the country to promote a deeper understanding of Asian cultural, linguistic, and environmental topics among students and faculty.

“This tremendously important region gets very little attention here in the U.S., particularly at smaller colleges and universities—we are trying to change that,” said Gareth Barkin, symposium director and Puget Sound professor of anthropology and Muslim societies in Southeast Asia. “Between our field courses bringing students to Southeast Asia, our new Asian language offerings, and this symposium, where we’ll bring together scholars and students who’ve researched in the region, we hope to promote Southeast Asian studies and raise awareness throughout the Northwest of the area’s environmental challenges.”

Philip Dearden, professor of geography at the University of Victoria, British Columbia, will be the keynote speaker, giving a talk titled “Highlands to Islands: Insights on Conservation and Culture from Thailand.”  Dearden is an esteemed scholar of marine conservation in Southeast Asia and a leader in working with communities to generate local benefits from conservation efforts. His research interests include marine mammals, seagrass ecology, coral reef monitoring, community-based governance, shark watching, and scuba diver management in Southeast Asia.

University of Puget Sound students who conducted overseas research, either as part of the 2014–15 nine-month Pacific Rim/Asia Study Travel Program or the LIASE-sponsored field school course in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo, led by Professor Peter Wimberger, will present their findings. The research spans a wide range of issues, including invasive species, the illicit wildlife trade, hydropower development, sociolinguistics, and multicultural perceptions of nature. It represents fieldwork conducted in Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand.

A faculty round table will promote a wide-ranging discussion about how better to integrate Southeast Asian studies into the liberal arts curriculum and how regional colleges and universities can collaborate to promote professional development for students' faculty and study abroad opportunities. The round table will be moderated by Gareth Barkin, Maryann Bylander, from Lewis & Clark College, and Greg Felker, from Willamette University.    

Southeast by Northwest, an association of faculty focused on Southeast Asia from smaller Northwest institutions will hold a business meeting to further foster professional connections and build a collaborative culture. The discussion will focus on resource sharing and integrating Southeast Asia into the curriculum.

In addition, Puget Sound Professor of International Political Economy Nick Kontogeorgopoulos will discuss his upcoming LIASE field school course, which will include an overview of the political, economic, social, and cultural processes shaping Southeast Asia, as well as three weeks in Thailand, in Chiang Mai province, studying ecological challenges through a cultural lens. Students interested in taking the course are encouraged to attend.

Symposium attendees will enjoy a Thai banquet dinner on Saturday night, allowing them to meet others and continue the event’s conversations.

Each year the LIASE Southeast Asia Symposium attracts scholars, students, and faculty who share their learning with the campus and wider community. The symposium draws together the disparate elements of the LIASE program at Puget Sound, including the Southeast Asian field schools, faculty research and initiatives, and the school’s new language programs, currently including Thai, with plans for courses in Indonesian and Malay.

For more about the symposium and a program, visit: pugetsound.edu/liase/2015-symposium

For directions and a map of the University of Puget Sound campus: pugetsound.edu/directions
For accessibility information, please contact accessibility@pugetsound.edu or 253.879.3236, or visit pugetsound.edu/accessibility.

Press photos of students on the 2015 LIASE field school trip in Borneo are available upon request.
Photos on page: Top Right: Puget Sound students in 2015 SE Asian Field School in Malaysian Sumatra on Borneo, with Professor Peter Wimberger; From the top of the story: Chaopraya Ensemble; Students in Borneo; Philip Dearden; Orangutang in Borneo; Professor Nick Kontogeorgopolous in Thailand.

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