Webinar Series

In recent decades, people living in the Lower Mekong Region have witnessed major shifts from predominantly subsistence agriculture to industrializing economies, with attendant changes in migration, crop production systems, and major infrastructure (roads, dams, industrial estates).

Our webinars with academics and practitioners from the region and worldwide explore how communities in the region are experiencing the economic, social, and cultural dislocations of these transformations.

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decorative image of a boat on the Mekong River
2023-24 LuceSEA Webinar Collection

The first webinar of the Fall 2023 Southeast Asia in Transition series centers upon collaborative learning and research in the region, and the promotion of collaboration between Southeast Asia and Western counterparts to foster immersive learning through field work, qualitative research, and technological innovations such as ArcGIS story mapping. This webinar is conducted in a hybrid format, with UHCSEAS hosting the event in Mānoa while other attendees participated over zoom. The presenters for the webinar are Krisna Suryanata, a professor at the Department of Geography and Environment at UH Mānoa, and Olivia Meyer, a PhD candidate at the Department of Geography and Environment at UH Mānoa. The moderator is Jefferson Fox, a senior fellow at the East-West Center.

The second webinar in the Fall 2023 Southeast Asia in Transition series discusses the topic of collaboration; titled “Collaboration Is Dead, and How to Revive It: Getting Universities to More Meaningfully Work with Local Communities”. The webinar discussion centers around the fieldwork program and the challenges and opportunities of meaningful collaboration with local communities. The three panelists of this webinar are Sukanlaya Choenkwan, Assistant Professor & Assistant Dean for Academic Service, Faculty of Agriculture at Khon Kaen University; Muhammad Alif K. Sahide, Associate Professor and Head of Department at the Universitas Hasanuddin Faculty of Forestry, and Micah Fisher, a Research Fellow at the East-West Center. The webinar is moderated by Ming Li Yong, a Research Fellow at the East-West Center.

The final webinar of the fall 2023 Southeast Asia in Transition series, “Reflections on Cross-Cultural Research and Methodologies”, centers upon field schools and partnerships in Southeast Asia with partners at Hasanuddin University in Sulawesi and Khon Kaen University in Thailand. The panelists discuss pedagogy during cross-cultural projects in agrarian transition, rural livelihoods, and water resource management, and how to learn more equitably for future programs. The panelists are Anna Duerr, MA Student at the Department of Geography and Environment at University of Hawaiʻi Mānoa; Ariel Mota Alves, PhD student at the Department of Political Science at University of Hawaiʻi Mānoa; Pamula Mita Andary, Graduate Student at Hasanuddin University; and Dalilah Laidin, PhD candidate at the Department of Geography and Environment at University of Hawaiʻi Mānoa. The moderator is Micah Fisher, Research Fellow at the East-West Center.

This webinar, titled "Relearning Southeast Asia", is part of a four-part series on "Decolonizing Southeast Asian Studies" hosted by the University of Hawaii Center for Southeast Asian Studies. The webinar features graduate student panelists Dalilah Laidin (University of Hawaii, Geography), Sara Loh (University of Hawaii, Environmental Anthropology), and Ariel Mota Alves (University of Hawaii, Political Science), who reflect on how a recent field school experience in Southeast Asia has transformed their understanding of the region. The webinar is moderated by Dr. Ehito Kimura, a faculty member in the Department of Political Science at the University of Hawaii. 

The webinar "Reteaching Southeast Asia: Towards Critical Urban Pedagogy and Scholarship in Developing Southeast Asia" focuses on collaborative efforts by Ashok Das and Priyam Das from the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa to bolster critical urban planning and policy learning pedagogy and scholarship through summer-based experiential learning activities in Indonesia. The webinar aims to address the challenges of rapid urbanization in the Global South by reforming urban planning education and research to better engage with urban informality and empower marginalized communities. The discussants are Drs. Ashok Das and Priyam Das, both from the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, and the moderator is Dr. Miriam Stark, the director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the University of Hawai'i.

This webinar discusses "Researching Southeast Asia: Positionality and Fieldwork", in which panelists share their diverse perspectives on academic positionality and emphasize the importance of flexibility in their research methodologies during fieldwork in Southeast Asia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, and Thailand, where they worked with marginalized communities. The speakers are Sarou Long (PhD student, Australian National University), Wiwik Dharmiasih (PhD student, University of Hawaii at Manoa), Dr. Hilary Faxon (Assistant Professor, University of Montana), and Dr. Apisom Intralawan (Assistant Professor, Mae Fah Luang University), moderated by Dr. Udomluck Hoontrakul (Lecturer, Thammasat University).

This webinar, titled "Rewriting Southeast Asia: Data and Publication", investigates the challenges posed by data complexity and publication in this context.  It features four early-career researchers - Dr. Maggie Jack (NYU), Dr. Soksamphoas Im (Michigan State University), Dr. Chen Nien Yuan (Singapore University of Technology and Design), and Dr. Try Thuon (Royal University of Phnom Penh) - who discuss the challenges of conducting research and publishing in Southeast Asia, particularly the issues of knowledge production, language dominance, and the legacy of colonialism. The webinar is moderated by Dr. Sopheak Chann, a visiting fellow at Michigan State University.

2022-23 LuceSEA Webinar Collection

This webinar explores the complexities and consequences of development from various perspectives. The presenters are Sopheak Chann, Mekong Culture WELL Fellow at Michigan State University and Professor at Royal University of Phnom Penh; Sophie Chao, Discovery Early Career Research Award Fellow and Lecturer in Anthropology at University of Sydney; Amy Weismann, Deputy Regional Director of FHI 360; and Medialin Elrna Anak Mukan, Iban community representative for Minority Report. Courtney Work, Associate Professor at National Chengchi University, serves as moderator. 

This webinar extends the development discussion of the series with a focus on roads and lands. Featured panelists are Mike Dwyer, Assistant Professor of Geography at Indiana University; Lisa Arensen, Assistant Professor at the Institute for Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam; Chi Suwichan Phatthanaphraiwan, Professor of Geo-Cultural Management at Srinakharinwirot University; and Gabriel Yong Yit Vui, Lecturer in Geography, Environment, and Development at Universiti Brunei Darussalam. Alyssa Paredes, Assistant Professor of Anthropology at University of Michigan, serves as moderator.

This webinar focuses on development of rivers and waterscapes. Featured panelists are Ming Li Yong, Research Fellow at East-West Center; Akarath Soukhapon, PhD Candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Geography; Van Pham Dang Tri, Director at the Research Institute for Climate Change at Can Tho University; and Hadi Sham Abdullah, Ecotourism operator at Temburong National Park Brunei. Lisa Arensen, Assistant Professor at the Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam, serves as moderator.

This webinar focuses on the impacts of development on forests, vegetal landscapes, and agriculture. Panelists are Carl Grundy-Warr, Senior Lecturer of Geography at the National University of Singapore; Walker DePuy, Visiting fellow in the Southeast Asian Program at Cornell University; Armand Camhol, PhD Candidate in International Doctoral Program in Asia-Pacific Studies at National Chengchi University; and EK Sovanna, Kratie Representative of the Prey Lang Community Network, Cambodia. Sopheak Chann, Mekong NexGen Fellow and Mekong Culture WELL Visiting Fellow in James Madison College at Michigan State University & Lecturer at Faculty of Development Studies at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, serves as moderator.

This webinar centers on smallholder definitions, present conditions, and futures across Southeast Asia. Panelists discuss smallholder agriculture and aquaculture, and how the term “smallholder” is used in academic and policy discussions, often without critical reflections on its origins, meanings, and political interpretations. The panelists are Sango Mahanty, PhD candidate at Australian National University, Somvilay Chanthalounnavong, Professor at the National University of Laos, and Nurhady Sirimorok, PhD Candidate of Hasanuddin University. The moderator is Wolfram Dressler, Professor at the University of Melbourne

This webinar discusses the intersection of migration, labor, and smallholder livelihoods in the context of economic, agrarian and social transformations across Southeast Asia. Migration, in particular, is examined as a phenomenon linked to ruptures and changes in livelihoods and landscapes. Dr. Christina Griffin of University of Melbourne, Dr. Nasrullah of University of Mulawarman and Dr. Amanda Flaim of Michigan State University are panelists, Dr. Micah Fisher of the East-West Center serves as moderator.

This webinar centers on human-animal conflict, particularly in relation to conservation dynamics and smallholder farming practices across Southeast Asia. Panelists examine how human-animal interactions are evolving in relation to environmental changes, conservation, and development strategies, in particular. The panelists are Dr. Wisa Wisesjindawat of Michigan State University, Professor Daniel Ahlquist of Michigan State University, and Dr. Megan English from the School for Field Studies in Cambodia. The webinar is moderated by Dr. Ming Li Yong of the East-West Center

This webinar focuses on disease, zoonosis, and related threats to smallholder livelihoods across Southeast Asia. As human-animal interactions are essential to many communities, zoonosis is an inherent threat to smallholder wellbeing, yet largely overlooked by social scientists and area studies specialists. The panelists featured are Dr. Siddharth Chandra of Michigan State University, Dr. Ramjee Ghmire of Michigan State University Veterinary Medicine, and Dr. Nguyen Minh Quang of Can Tho University. The webinar discussion is moderated by Dr. Sumeet Saksena of the East-West Center.

2021-22 LuceSEA Webinar Collection

This webinar focuses on markets for Mekong commodities, exploring the drivers, challenges, and geopolitical implications of commodity production in Southeast Asia. The discussion is important as it provides insights into the changing agricultural landscape, socio-economic impacts on farmers, and the influence of regional powers like China on commodity markets. The panelists include Dr. Ian Baird from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Dr. Ben Belton from Michigan State University, Dr. Nathan Green from the National University of Singapore, and Patrick Slack from McGill University, with Dr. Jefferson Fox from the East-West Center moderating the discussion.

This webinar discusses the topics of migration, mobility, and the Mekong River region, which are important due to the significant labor migration, development-induced displacement, and cultural impacts occurring in this area. The panelists include Dr. Phanwin Yokying of the East-West Center, Dr. Nga Dao of York University, Ore Huiying who is an Independent Photographer, and Dr. Heather Peters of Ophidian Research Institute, who provide expertise on the economic, social, and cultural dimensions of these issues. The webinar is moderated by Dr. Amanda Flaim of Michigan State University.

This webinar discusses the "Spirits and Spiritual Life of the Mekong", exploring the interconnections between commodity chains, household livelihoods, migration, and cultural dislocations in the Mekong region. The panelists - Hieu Phung (University of Michigan), Holly High (University of Sydney), Benjamin Baumann (Heidelberg University), and Andrew Johnson (UC Berkeley) - shed light on the life-giving elements of water and land, and the social relationships people establish with them. The webinar is moderated by Courtney Work from the National Chengchi University. 

This webinar discusses the "Debates and Politics of Evidence for the Mekong Dams", which is important as the Mekong River is a vital resource for millions in Southeast Asia. The panelists include Dr. Brian Eyler from the Stimson Center, Dr. Carl Middleton from Chulalongkorn University, Dr. Nguyen Huong Thuy Phan from the Graduate Institute Geneva, Dr. Pon Souvannaseng from Bentley University, and Apichai Sunchindah as an independent development specialist, moderated by Wisa Wisesjindawat Fink from Michigan State University.

This webinar discusses the issue of plastic pollution in Southeast Asia, which is a major environmental challenge in the region, exploring innovative community-based solutions and policy advocacy efforts to address the plastic crisis in countries like Indonesia, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. The panelists include Tiza Mafira, the Co-founder & Executive Director of Indonesia Plastic Bag Diet Movement, Doug Woodring from Ocean Recovery Alliance, Marian Ledesma from Greenpeace Southeast Asia, and Quach Thi Xuan from Pacific Environment. The moderator is Jennifer Turner from the Woodrow Wilson Center's China Environment Forum. 

This webinar focuses on the transformations in the lives and livelihoods of people living in Southeast Asia, particularly the growth of fisheries and aquaculture in the Mekong region. The panelists include Brian Szuster (University of Hawai'i at Mānoa), Senglong Youk (Fisheries Action Coalition Team), Wisa Wisesjindawat-Fink (Michigan State University), Aaron Koning (University of Nevada, Reno), and the moderator is Amanda Flaim (Michigan State University).

This webinar discusses the social and environmental impacts of the expansion of oil palm and rubber plantations in Southeast Asia, particularly in Cambodia, Laos, and Indonesia, which are important issues given the significant transformations these plantations have brought to local communities. The panelists include Dr. Andina de Sita Ecaputri (University of Hawaii), Dr. Lisa Kelly (University of Colorado Denver), Dr. Jean-Christophe Diepart (University of Liège), and Dr. Lao Wen (University of Bern), and the session is moderated by Dr. Philip Hirsch (University of Sydney).

This webinar discusses the "Politics of Conservation and Heritage in Southeast Asia", exploring how urban transitions and economic development impact the conservation of cultural heritage sites like Georgetown, Malaysia, the Baroque churches in the Philippines, and Borobudur, Indonesia. the speakers examine the challenges and strategies for balancing development and heritage preservation in these diverse Southeast Asian contexts. The panelists include Dr. Ming Chee Ang (Georgetown Heritage Incorporated), Dr. Ana Labrador (former Deputy Director General, National Museum of the Philippines), Dr. Masanori Nagaoka (UNESCO), and Dr. Giarappa Predeepradit (Chiang Mai University), and it is moderated by Dr. Miriam Stark (University of Hawai'i at Mānoa). 

The webinar discusses the complex relationships between people and forests in Southeast Asia, focusing on issues of land grabs, land tenure, access, and conflict. This topic is important as the region has seen rapid transformation of forest landscapes due to industrial agriculture, conservation efforts, and other factors, impacting local communities. The panelists include Dr. Courtney Work (National Chung Cheng University), Ahmad Dhiaulhaq (Research Institute for Humanity and Nature), No Bé Thé Law (civil society background), Dr. Micah Fisher (East-West Center), and the moderator is Dr. Daniel Alquist (Michigan State University).

The webinar discusses the changing social and ecological lives of rivers in Southeast Asia, which is an important topic as rivers are central to the livelihoods, cultures, and environments of communities in the region. The panelists include Anthony Medrano (Yale-NUS University), Rita Padawangi (Singapore University of Social Sciences), Keith Barney (Australian National University), and Ming Li Yong (East-West Center), and the webinar is moderated by Dr. Jefferson Fox (East-West Center).

This webinar, titled "Chronicling Transitions: Documentarians and Writers", explores how storytellers and artists in Southeast Asia are challenging mainstream narratives about development, deforestation, and displacement through their work. The panelists include Kalyanee Mam, a Cambodian storyteller and documentary filmmaker; Tosca Santoso, an Indonesian journalist, novelist, and coffee farmer; and Emily Hong, a Korean-American filmmaker and visual anthropologist at Haverford College. The webinar is moderated by Kelsey Merreck Wagner, a PhD candidate in Anthropology at Michigan State University.

The webinar discusses the film "Mekong 2030", a collection of five short films set in the future of the Mekong region, which is an important environmental and economic resource for over 60 million people. The discussants include the directors of the film Anysay Keola and Kulikar Soto, and producers Alex Curran-Cardarelli and Sean Chadwell. The webinar is moderated by anthropologist Courtney Work from National Chengchi University.