Seminar on Exporting Japanese Legal Ideas to the Mekong Subregion of ASEAN

The Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam (IAS @ UBD) held a seminar on “Exporting Japanese Legal Ideas to the Mekong Subregion of ASEAN” by Assistant Professor Nobumichi Teramura (IAS).For more information, please see the flyer below.

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The Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Brunei

The Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam is pleased to announce the publication of the Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Brunei.Edited by Ooi Keat Gin (Professor, Academy of Brunei Studies, UBD and Honorary Professor, School of Humanities, Universiti Sains Malaysia) and Victor T. King (Distinguished Professor of Borneo Studies, Institute of Asian Studies), this volume presents an overview of significant themes, issues, and challenges pertinent to Brunei Darussalam in the twenty-first century.Multidisciplinary in coverage, the contributions cover topics relating to philology, history, religion, language and literature, geography, international relations, economics, politics and sociocultural traditions. The back-cover description of the…

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Seminar on Cultural Boundaries Among the Dusun of Brunei and the Patani Malays of Mecca

The Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam (IAS @ UBD) together with the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) at UBD held a joint seminar on “Why Do Cultural Boundaries Matter: Reflections on the Dusun of Brunei and the Patani Malays of Mecca” by Professor Lian Kwen Fee (IAS) and Dr. Muhammad Arafat bin Mohamad (FASS, UBD). For more information, please see the flyer below.

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New Articles on COVID-19 and Southeast Asia

Victor T. King, Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam (IAS @ UBD), has recently contributed to a special section in the journal, Suvannabhumi, on COVID-19 and Southeast Asia.In addition to writing an introduction to the special section, Dr. King also has an article entitled “Covid-19 and Transitions: Case Material from Southeast Asia,” in which he examines the question of whether the pandemic has created a “new normal” or if the availability of vaccines is leading to a return to the old normal with some modest adjustments.This special section also includes an article by…

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New IAS/Springer “Asia in Transition” Volume on Biocultural Diversity in Southeast Asia

The Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam (IAS @ UBD) is pleased to announce the publication of the latest volume in the IAS/Springer “Asia in Transition” Series, Case Studies in Biocultural Diversity from Southeast Asia: Traditional Ecological Calendars, Folk Medicine and Folk Names edited by F. Merlin Franco (IAS), Magne Knudsen (FASS and IAS), and Noor Hasharina Hassan (IAS).This book has been made open access through the generous support of Universiti Brunei Darussalam. Case Studies in Biocultural Diversity from Southeast Asia demonstrates the linkages between local languages, traditional knowledge, and biodiversity at the landscape level in Asia, providing…

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Working Paper on Public Service Motivation in an Ethnically Heterogeneous Society

The Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam is pleased to announce the publication of IAS Working Paper No 70: Public Service Motivation in an Ethnically Heterogeneous Society: Towards a New Conceptual Framework by Nadia H. Yashaiya and Abdillah Noh. Please see below for details. Download the Working Paper Abstract: This exploratory study seeks to detail propositions and a conceptual framework that factor ethnic heterogeneity and exclusive institutions in determining public service motivation (PSM). Drawing on scholarly work on PSM, heterogeneity and institutions, our paper suggests that in assessing an individual’s PSM and chances of joining the public service,…

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Working Paper on Japan’s Soft Power in Mainland Southeast Asia through Legal and Judicial Development Projects

The Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam is pleased to announce the publication of IAS Working Paper No 69: JICA and Regional Soft Power: Japan’s Legal and Judicial Development Project in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos since 1996 by Nobumichi Teramura. Please see below for details. Download the Working Paper Abstract: Due to geopolitical tensions, such as those brought about by COVID-19 and the US-China trade war, many multinationals have been closing factories in China and relocating to countries along the Mekong such as Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. As a result, these countries will inevitably experience more international commerce…

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New Article on a Kedayan Ecological Calendar

Assistant Professor F. Merlin Franco of the Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam has co-authored an article with Nurzahidah Bakar on “The Fading Popularity of a Local Ecological Calendar from Brunei Darussalam, Borneo.”Published in the Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, the article describes how the ecological calendar of the Kedayan people of Brunei Darussalam links skyscape and biodiversity with sociocultural aspirations to foster adaptive management of landscape, and provide an understanding of the transmission of calendric knowledge in the community.Click here to view the full article.Bakar, N., Franco, F. The fading popularity of a local ecological calendar from…

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Joint FASS-IAS Research Project: Who are the Dusun in Brunei?

The Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam (IAS @ UBD) is carrying out a research project on the Dusun in Brunei together with the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) at UBD.Funded by FASS, this B$23,000 research project is entitled “Making Sense of ‘Dusunness’: Representing and Deconstructing Ethnic Identity.” The project is led by Asiyah Kumpoh (FASS), and the team of collaborators includes Yabit Alas (Language Centre), Lian Kwen Fee (IAS), Tong Chee Kiong (UBD) , and Faizul Ibrahim (IAS/FASS).Since the 1950s and leading to independence in 1984, Brunei evolved into a Malay-Muslim monarchical state practicing assimilationist…

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Research Report from the 5th NACAI International Symposium

The Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam (IAS @ UBD) is pleased to share the report from the 5th Network of ASEAN-China Academic Institutes (NACAI) International Symposium.NACAI is a network for academic exchange and cooperation that was established in 2017. Its activities are coordinated by the Center for China’s Relations with Neighboring Countries at Fudan University (CCRNC-Fudan).As one of the founding members of NACAI, IAS hosted the 5th NACAI International Symposium on 16 October 2021 with the theme of “Trade Linkages and Supply Chains Resilience: Navigating the COVID-19 New Normal.”Please click below to read the report from the…

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