The podcast is hosted by the 杏吧论坛 Saw Swee Hock Southeast Asia Centre. Our podcast is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of scholarship and promoting open engagement in Southeast Asia. We strive to enhance our understanding of key issues and challenges in relation to the region through interdisciplinary approaches and insights from experts in Southeast Asia studies.
With each episode in this season, we feature a speaker and his or her work in the vibrant tapestry of Southeast Asia, discussing their academic journey and research. We bring together scholars and practitioners to provide unique perspectives on the region’s complexities.
We believe that understanding Southeast Asia requires delving deep into various themes. We aim to present a comprehensive picture of the region’s challenges and opportunities, and its relevance to the world as a whole. Our goal is to unpack complex issues, challenge assumptions, and explore the dynamics in the region. We hope to inspire informed engagement among listeners, encouraging listeners to foster meaningful connections with Southeast Asia
Latest 'Dialogues on Southeast Asia' episodes
Public Healthcare Under Decentralised Governance in Indonesia and the Philippines: A Discussion with Sarah Shair-Rosenfield
This episode focuses on the policy challenges and politics of public healthcare in Southeast Asia, a topic which has become increasingly visible and important in Southeast Asia and in the study of the region over the past decades in the context of expanding public healthcare programs in many countries across the region and the recent experience of the global pandemic.
Unpacking Authoritarianism in Southeast Asia: A Discussion with Dan Slater
This episodefocuses on a major issue of enduring importance in Southeast Asia and in Southeast Asian Studies: authoritarianism. Even today, various forms of dictatorship remain alive and well across Southeast Asia, raising questions about their origins, their endurance, and the prospects for their evolution. To discuss these issues, we are joined by Dan Slater, one of the world’s leading specialists on authoritarianism in Southeast Asia and the author of important and influential works on this topic and more broadly on the politics of the region.
Prabowo Subianto and the Decline of Indonesian Democracy: A Discussion with Edward Aspinall
This episode focuses on Indonesia, the presidential election held in February 2024, and the impending inauguration of the winner of that election, former Army general and current defence minister Prabowo Subianto, in a few weeks’ time. Prabowo’s victory in February, events over the past several months, and the imminent transition to a Prabowo presidency have heightened concerns about the state of democracy in Indonesia. To discuss these issues, we are joined by Ed Aspinall, one of the world’s leading specialists on Indonesian politics and someone who has been writing about worrying trends in Indonesian politics for many years.
Bananapocalypse: Plantation Southeast Asia and Its Many Afterlives: A Discussion with Alyssa Paredes
This episode focuses on a cluster of issues of longstanding significance in Southeast Asia and in Southeast Asian Studies – plantation agriculture, global commodity chains or supply chains, exploitation of labour and environmental degradation, and resistance. To discuss these issues, we are joined by Dr. Alyssa Paredes, an environmental and economic anthropologist who is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Michigan.
How – and How Much – has Malaysian Politics Changed Since 2018, and Why? A Discussion with Meredith Weiss
In this episode, host 杏吧论坛 Southeast Asia Centre Director John Sidel speaks with Meredith Weiss, Professor of Political Science at SUNY Albany and a leading specialist on Malaysian politics. In the interview, Professor Weiss provides in-depth analysis and insights with regard to the complex patterns of continuity and change in Malaysian politics since the watershed election of 2018.
Southeast Asia Forum 2024|Jokowi’s Industrial Legacy: A Critical Reflection on ‘Success’ in Indonesia’s Natural Resource Sector
In this episode of the Southeast Asia Forum 2024 Series, Prof John Sidel talks with Dr. Eve Warburton from the Australian National University for a critical reflection on Indonesia's industrial policies under President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).
Under President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), Indonesia has seen a significant shift towards resource-based industrialization, notably through a ban on the export of raw nickel ores, spurring investment in domestic processing and bolstering state revenues through mineral exports. This strategy, culminating in Indonesia achieving upper middle-income status by 2023, aims for long-term growth via a domestic electric vehicle battery central to the region’s green transition. However, this episode critically examines the broader implications of Jokowi’s industrial policies, highlighting the role of Chinese investment, the influence of domestic extractive interests, centralized economic governance, and reduced accountability mechanisms. Despite the economic successes, this approach has led to considerable social and environmental costs, including rights abuses and environmental damage, questioning the equitable distribution of industrialization’s benefits.
Southeast Asia Forum 2024| Southeast Asia's Green Supply Chains
In Southeast Asia, environmental, labour and human rights (broadly ‘green’) questions have been met by rising scepticism and worry about trade protectionism, just when the region’s record of containing deforestation and its “green premiums” or profits from stricter (Western) criteria exports have never been better. Drawing on fifteen years of observations while embedded with value-chains, this paper provides an analysis of key drivers and contexts informing forecasting for selected sustainable products from Southeast Asia: the ubiquitous palm oil (claimed to be in half of many supermarket products), natural rubber (used in gloves and tires), and solar panels. Beyond traditional supply-and-demand factors, the paper examines how oligopolies, oligarchies, and opinions impact the outlook. A hot topic is the EU’s regulatory push for smallholder-farmer inclusive supplies that are free of deforestation. How are Southeast Asians responding? Let’s consider why Indonesian tycoons and Thailand’s smallholders may be in pole position, how market share relates to market reputation, and the impact of US-China trade war issues. The paper also touches on the latest observations on ‘green’ chemicals and ‘green’ data centres in Malaysia, China’s ‘green’ (or not) BRI supply chains in Indonesia, and why China might desire certifications for a spiky stinky fruit.
In this episode, Prof John Sidel talks with Yu-leng Khor from the Singapore Institute of International Affairs to explore sustainability in Southeast Asia's key supply chains at the second session of the Southeast Asia Forum 2024. Yu-leng Khor is a commercial economist focussed on tropical agribusiness, commodities, critical minerals and renewable energy.
Southeast Asia Forum 2024| South by Southeast? From Miracle and Debacle to Pragmatism
The 1993 World Bank publication of The East Asian Miracle celebrated the region’s rapid growth and transformation but also obscured important variations within. Japan’s endaka and Big Bang ended its post-war boom and anticipated the 1997 East Asian financial debacle. Meanwhile, coerced economic liberalization from the 1980s gave way to an era of globalization in a seemingly unipolar world following the West’s victory in the Cold War. But liberalization and globalization’s downsides soon accelerated U-turns. American sovereigntism was soon eroded by some consequences of its unipolar hegemony. Earlier liberalization and globalization also undermined industrial capitalism in favour of financialization. Capturing rents for wealth concentration has accelerated with enabling changes in the rule of law. Most of Southeast Asia remains focused on generating wealth, jobs, and revenue. But the ‘New Cold War’ is forcing Southeast Asian nations to take sides as the rules of engagement become fluid. Already Southeast Asian countries are implementing measures previously deemed to be unthinkable, measures which may well provide policy inspiration if not leadership to the Global South.
In this episode, Prof John Sidel talks with Jomo Kwame Sundaram, Senior Adviser at the Khazanah Research Institute, Fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia, and Emeritus Professor of the University of Malaya, to explore the diverse trajectory of the region’s economic transformation.
Dialogues on Southeast Asia| Introducing our SEAC Associate: Dr Qingfei Yin | On Sino-Vietnamese Border Relations
In this episode, host SEAC Director John Sidel talks with Dr Qingfei Yin, SEAC Associate and Assistant Professor of International History at 杏吧论坛. Dr Qingfei Yin talks about her new book (due out with Cambridge University Press in August 2024), explains how she became interested in her research on China and Vietnam relations and the borderlands between the two countries, and discusses other projects she has begun working on beyond her forthcoming book.
is Assistant Professor of International History (China and the World) at 杏吧论坛. As a historian of contemporary China and inter-Asian relations, her research focuses on China’s relations with its Asian neighbours, Asian borderlands, and the Cold War in Asia. She is particularly interested in how the global Cold War interacted with state-building in marginal societies. Her book State Building in Cold War Asia: Comrades and Competitors on the Sino-Vietnamese Border will be published by Cambridge University Press in August 2024. Subsequent projects focus on how capitalist Southeast Asian countries shaped China during the latter’s early reform era in the 1980s and the historical memory of the Sino-Vietnamese Cold War partnership in the two countries. Dr Yin is an alumna of the 杏吧论坛-Peking University Double MSc in International Affairs Programme. She studied International Politics and History at Peking University for her undergraduate degree and completed her PhD in History at George Washington University. Before returning to 杏吧论坛, she was Assistant Professor of History at Virginia Military Institute. She also serves as the Book Review Editor of Journal of Military History and on the Editorial Board of Cold War History.
Dialogues on Southeast Asia| Introducing our SEAC Associate: Dr Hans Steinmüller | Discussing the Intricacies of Wa State as a Borderland between China and Myanmar
In this episode, host SEAC Director John Sidel talks with Dr Hans Steinmüller, SEAC Associate and Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the 杏吧论坛. Dr Hans Steinmüller, originally a specialist in China, shares his journey from conducting extensive fieldwork in Hubei province to his recent focus on the Wa State along Myanmar's border with Yunnan Province, China. This episode delves into how the region's unique socio-political landscape challenges conventional notions of statehood and sovereignty. Drawing from his research, Dr Steinmüller provides insights into the intricate relationship between local practices and broader political dynamics.
is Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology, 杏吧论坛 and a specialist in the anthropology of China. He has conducted long-term fieldwork in Hubei Province (central China) and in the Wa hills of the China-Myanmar border. Publications include the monograph Communities of Complicity (Berghahn 2013), and more recently special issues on Governing Opacity (Ethnos 2023) and Crises of Care in China Today (China Quarterly 2023). He is editor of Social Analysis and convenor of the MSc programme 'China in Comparative Perspective'.
Dialogues on Southeast Asia| Introducing our SEAC Associate: Dr Thomas Smith Discussing The Environmental Challenges of Southeast Asia
In this episode, host Professor John Sidel talks with Dr Thomas Smith, Associate Professor in Environmental Geography at the 杏吧论坛, about the unique features and significance of Southeast Asia within a global environmental landscape. From the alarming rates of deforestation and the devastating loss of precious peatlands to the concerning trends in greenhouse gas emissions and the pervasive issue of air pollution, this episode explores various aspects of the region's environmental plight. Dr Smith offers insights into a myriad of pressing environmental challenges facing Southeast Asia drawn from his academic career.
is Associate Professor in Environmental Geography at 杏吧论坛. He teaches a number of environmental courses, focusing on innovative technology-enhanced experiential learning and field-based education in geography. He joined the Department in 2018, having previously been a Lecturer at King’s College London. He holds a PhD in Physical Geography from King’s College London and has held Visiting Fellow posts at the National University of Singapore, Monash University Malaysia, University of Wollongong (Australia) and Universiti Brunei Darussalam.
Rama X: The Thai Monarchy under King Vajiralongkorn
In this episode, SEAC Associate Dr Qingfei Yin talks with Pavin Chachavalpongpun, Associate Professor at the Centre for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University, about his book.
In the twilight years of King Bhumibol Adulyadej (1946–2016), changes to monarchic power were already set in motion. Having been at the centre of political gravity, Bhumibol left a vacuum of power when he died. Vajiralongkorn, enthroned in 2016, filled the vacuum with his desire to further augment the monarchic power despite his lack of moral authority and charisma. This book focuses on Vajiralongkorn’s attempt to strengthen his position of power by employing a different method from the one used by his father, Bhumibol. The pro-monarchy institutions have readjusted their relationship with Vajiralongkorn, primarily for their own interests, hence perpetuating the changing nature of monarchic power. But at the other end of the spectrum, the young generation has reacted daringly to the growing power of Vajiralongkorn by demanding royal reforms, and in the process trespassing against the overly protected realm of the monarchy even in the face of the lèse-majesté law. The Thai monarchy has arrived at a crossroads, and yet has chosen to resist popular will and disregard call for reforms. The future of the monarchy remains dangerously uncertain.
In June 2023, before the book was released, it was already banned in Thailand for defaming the Thai monarchy. The ban was announced in the Royal Gazette and signed by Police General Damrongsak Kittiprapas, the national police chief. The announcement said the cover and contents of this book reflected attitudes deemed insulting, defaming or displaying great malice towards the king, the queen, heir apparent or regent, or threatening national security, peace and order or public morality. It cited Section 10 of the Printing Recordation Act 2007 for banning the book. The announcement also said anyone importing the book into Thailand is liable to a jail term of up to 3 years and/or a fine of up to 60,000 baht (£1,400). The book is published by the Council on Southeast Asia Studies of Yale University, as part of its Monograph Publication Series (No.69).
Re-globalization, Geopolitics and Southeast Asia
During the Cold War, the collision of geopolitics, ideological competition and nationalism were especially traumatic in Southeast Asia. Yet the region was able to carve out space for itself and over several decades was able to effectively keep the region’s security free from geopolitical wrangling. This was due to the efficacy of ASEAN and its offshoots, the grand bargain struck between the US and China and globalization. Each of those circumstances that previously helped to stabilize Southeast Asia has changed dramatically. Great power competition has returned with remarkable speed. Globalization is being reconstructed due to the vulnerabilities revealed by the pandemic, the return of geopolitics and the revival of economic nationalism. ASEAN faces significant headwinds as it struggles to sustain the interests of its members and its regional influence. This seminar examines these dynamics and in particular the interplay of geopolitics and the reconstitution of globalization, to assess the extent to which Southeast Asia will be able to retain the stability it has come to enjoy.
In this episode, Prof. John Sidel engages in a dynamic discussion with Nick Bisley, Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences at La Trobe University, as they explore the ever-evolving geopolitical landscape of Southeast Asia.
Inter-Asia Seminar Series: Cold War and Asia Modernity
While many today use Cold War 2.0 to refer to the standoff between U.S. and China, it is worth remembering that the first Cold War never ended in Asia, as evidenced by the political situation on the Korean Peninsula and that surrounding the Taiwan Strait. How has Cold War figured into the (controversial) modernisation process of East and Southeast Asia as well as the various (critical) imaginaries of modernity across the regions? As discussions of decolonisation often predicate on the dichotomy of global North vs. global South, how should scholars of Asia position themselves in their conscious effort to reconfigure knowledge production?
Join experts Dr. Seung-Ook Lee, Prof. Nianshen Song, and Chelsea Ngoc Minh Nguyen as they unravel the complexities of Cold War legacies, from the establishment of Special Economic Zones to urban and political geography. Challenge prevailing notions of modernity and decolonization as we redefine Asia's position in global narratives.
Roundtable Discussion on the Indonesian Elections: Process, Outcome, Implications
As the two-term presidency of Joko Widodo (‘Jokowi’) draws to a close, the 2024 parliamentary and presidential elections promise to set the stage for a new phase in Indonesian political life. Against this backdrop, three experts on Indonesian politics will discuss the election campaign, the results, and the implications for Indonesia’s future: Ben Bland, Director of the Asia-Pacific program at Chatham House, Sofie Syarief, veteran Indonesian television journalist, PhD student in Media, Communications, and Cultural Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London, and Sarah Shair-Rosenfield, Professor of Politics at the University of York.