Fourth Annual Southeast Asia Symposium
Culture & Sustainability in Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia
October 6-7, 2017


The 4th annual LIASE Southeast Asia Symposium focuses on the intersections of culture and sustainability in Indonesia and throughout Southeast Asia, additionally highlighting Malaysia and Thailand, our other field school destinations. The Symposium features participants and Southeast Asianist scholars from universities around the Northwest, regional cuisine, a Thai music and dance performance, as well as talks from students who have conducted research as part of the LIASE sponsored field school and course of spring and summer of 2017. Our keynote speaker is Abidin Kusno from the Faculty of Environmental Studies at York University.

Symposium Schedule

Time Day 1: FRIDAY 10/6/17
10am LIASE / 'Loggers Keep Learning' Faculty Talk: Professor Peter Wimberger
"Experiencing Different Conservation Models in Malaysian Borneo, a Biodiversity Hotspot" in Rausch Auditorium, McIntyre Hall
2pm LIASE / 'Loggers Keep Learning' Faculty Talk: Professor Nick Kontogeorgopoulos
"Living Here Like a Local": The Pursuit of Home and Away Among Short-Term Volunteers in Thailand" in Rausch Auditorium, McIntyre Hall
5pm Southeast Asia 'street food' banquet and culture faire in Upper Marshall Hall, Wheelock Student Center.
5:30pm Public performance of traditional and contemporary Thai music: Chaopraya Ensemble, PongLaang RuamJai, and The Wayside. In Upper Marshall Hall, Wheelock Student Center.
Time Day 2: SATURDAY 10/7/17
9:30am SE/NW Faculty Meeting in Murray Boardroom
10am Batik Workshop in Room K202 Kittredge Hall
12pm Light Lunch for Participants in Murray Boardroom
12:30pm Student Research Panel 1 in Murray Boardroom
1:45pm 15 minute break
2pm Student Research Panel 2 & LGBT Issues Forum in Murray Boardroom
3:45pm 15 minute break and pre-Keynote reception in Murray Boardroom
4pm Keynote Talk: Abidin Kusno
"Leaky City: Political Culture of Flooding in Indonesia" in Murray Boardroom
5pm Closing remarks

Keynote Presentation


Abidin Kusno is a Professor in the Faculty of Environmental Studies at York University. His research interests include global cities, urban/suburbanism, politics and culture, history and theory of architecture, urban design and planning, nationalism, colonialism and post-colonialism, and Asian studies. He holds a Canada Research Chair in Asian Urbanism and Culture Tier II and also serves as co-director of the Centre for Southeast Asian Research. Previously he served as Academic Advisor of the MA in Asian Pacific Policy Studies (MAAPPS) Program. Kusno is the author of several books in English and Indonesian, the most recent of which include, After the New Order: Space, Politics and Jakarta and The Appearances of Memory: Mnemonic Practices of Architecture and Urban Form in Indonesia.

His talk it titled, "Leaky City: Political Culture of Flooding in Indonesia" and explores the intersections of environmental and political cultures. "How have different actors imagined what is causing flooding in a place like Jakarta? How do people place the 'agency' of flooding differently in diverse moments on humans, the supernatural, the infrastructure, or the environment, and with what social and political effects? This talk seeks to demonstrates how there is a 'culture' around flooding that pulls people together as well as divide them, and how such culture is connected to neoliberal politics of time."

Southeast by Northwest Meeting

Southeast by Northwest (SE/NW) is a collaborative association of faculty at smaller Northwest institutions whose research or teaching focuses on Southeast Asia. Its broad goal is to improve Southeast Asian studies in the region by fostering collaboration and the sharing of ideas, connections, and resources. The group was founded with a Mellon Foundation grant via the Northwest Five Colleges in 2013, and is currently administrated by Gareth Barkin from the University of Puget Sound and Greg Felker from Willamette University.

This meeting, which is open to all interested faculty and staff, is focused on continued discussion of SE/NW's goals and priorities, and allowing Southeast Asianists in the region the opportunity to discuss potential collaboration and the sharing of institutional resources. The discussion will focus on resource sharing and collaborations in the areas of professional development, pedagogy, and study abroad.

Batik Workshop


Batik is method of producing textiles and fine art on fabric, originally from Java, Indonesia, using wax relief and natural plant dyes. To make a batik, selected areas of the cloth are blocked out by brushing or drawing hot wax over them, and the cloth is then dyed. The parts covered in wax resist the dye and remain the original color. This process of waxing and dying can be repeated to create more elaborate and vivid designs.

Led by Indonesian instructor Lely Shim, we will conduct a two hour workshop for students and other members of the campus community interested in learning to make their own batik artwork. Participants will create a simple batik on cotton in only two hours using the batik tulis method (hand drawn).

Registration is required due to limited space and materials: sign up at this link.

Student Research Panel 1


Our student research panels feature presentations from undergraduates involved in our 2017 LIASE field school, who studied and conducted research on issues related to a variety of topics, including culture, nationalism, religion, and the environment. Their projects involved a semester of study on our campus, with anthropology professor Gareth Barkin, as well as a three week field program in Indonesia.
Lizz Marks Indonesian Attitudes Towards the Environment and the Question of Western Influence
Jackie Dierdorff Outdoor Recreation and Social Class in Indonesia
Abigail Jackson Trash in Indonesia
Maxx Cohn Sustainability In Islamic Indonesia Through Religious Scriptures And The Green Islam Movement
Ali O'Daffer Perceptions and Management of Personal Wellness in Indonesia

 

Student Research Panel 2

Austin Colburn Nationalizing the Other: Indonesian nationalism in the context of Othering and inequality
Margo Gislain Perception of Minority Religions in Indonesia
Jessica Dyck Governmental and Sociocultural Influences in Choosing Healthcare Options: A Study of Individuals Choice of Biomedical and Nonbiomedical Healing Systems in Indonesia
Margot Brose A Search for Indonesian Narratives of Bali
Nicholas Navin Language and Identity Shift in Indonesia
Ali O'Daffer & Maxx Cohn LGBT Issues & Experiences in Indonesia: Insights from the Field

Southeast Asian 'Street Food' Banquet and Culture Faire

This will be an open buffet banquet for all participants and attendees of the symposium, folks who are interested in attending, and attendees of the Chaopraya Ensemble opening performance, which will take place concurrently in Upper Marshall Hall, within the Wheelock Student Union. It will also feature tables from local Southeast Asian cultural associations, displaying arts and material culture from different countries in the region.

Thai Music Groups - Public Performance

We are honored to welcome the members of Chaopraya Ensemble to our campus for a performance of Thai music and dance, as well as two accompanying groups, PongLaang RuamJai, and The Wayside. Chaopraya Ensemble was formed in the spring of 2001 with the intent to provide opportunity for the children of Thai immigrants in the Puget Sound area to keep alive and learn about their ancestor’s cultural heritage, especially in music and dance. Some of its members have, however, been performing together in the Puget Sound region since 1976. The ensemble performs Thai classical and folk music on traditional Thai instruments as well as a wide range of dances, from lively regional folk dances to the graceful and stylish court dances. PongLaang RuamJai and The Wayside will further offer regional and contemporary approaches to Thai music.

This performance is open to the whole campus community and the public -- please join us, and grab some Southeast Asian street food while you're at it!