The Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam (IAS @ UBD) recently held a seminar on “The Myth of Homogeneity: Asian Values and the Cultural Limits of the “Global South”” by Prof. Chang-Yau Hoon, Visiting Professor at IAS, Universiti Brunei Darussalam; Professor and Director of the International Office at Singapore University of Social Sciences.
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The Institute of Asian Studies
The Institute of Asian Studies (IAS) at Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) is a research institute dedicated to producing and disseminating cutting-edge knowledge about the (1) regionalism and internationalisation, (2) urbanisation, sustainability and precarity and (3) people, environment and culture of the Asian region. With a core staff and affiliated researchers producing multidisciplinary scholarship, and located at the heart of Asia on the beautiful and ecologically diverse island of Borneo, the IAS serves Brunei as well as the global community in elevating our understanding of this dynamic region of the world.
News & Events
Seminar on Colonial Photography: Hendrik Tillema in Search of the Exotic and the Ethical
The Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam (IAS @ UBD) recently held a seminar on “Colonial Photography: hendrik Tillema in Search of the Exotic and the Ethical” by Prof. Victor T. King, IAS, Universiti Brunei Darussalam.
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Farewell to Prof. Lian Kwen Fee
IAS said an emotional farewell to its longest serving member Prof. Lian Kwen Fee. He has contributed immeasurably to IAS since its founding, not only as an exceptional colleague and mentor but a major driver of our academic endeavours. His scholarly dedication and collegiality have left a lasting impact on all of us and a […]
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Victor T. King Prize in Borneo Studies
On 11th November 2025, the recipients of the Victor T. King (VTK) Prize in Borneo Studies for the academic years 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 were officially announced. A prize-giving ceremony was held at the Institute of Asian Studies Meeting Room, attended by Deans, Directors and Programme Leaders from various faculties, including the Academy of Brunei Studies […]
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Victor King’s Postgraduate Workshop
On 20th November 2025, a postgraduate workshop entitled “What is a Research Thesis in the Humanities and Social Sciences?” was conducted by IAS Visiting Professor Victor T. King. The workshop provided a valuable platform for sharing and discussion among MA and PhD students from both the Institute of Asian Studies (IAS) and the Faculty of […]
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From the Sociology of the ‘Social’ to the Sociology of the ‘Cultural’ in Conceptions of Southeast Asia: A ‘State-of-the-Art’ Essay
The Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam is pleased to announce the publication of IAS Working Paper No. 89: From the Sociology of the ‘Social’ to the Sociology of the ‘Cultural’ in Conceptions of Southeast Asia: A ‘State-of-the-Art’ Essay by Victor T. King. Please see below for details. Download the Working Paper Abstract: […]
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The staff of IAS consists of researchers in the Institute and research fellows from across the University. While the main focus of the IAS staff is on conducting research and publishing, IAS researchers also regularly teach modules for such majors as Anthropology & Sociology and History & International Relations in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS), as well as supervise graduate students in IAS, and both graduate and undergraduate students studying in programs in other faculties.
Scholarship
The core mission of the IAS staff is to engage in research and to publish.
These are some recent representative publications.
B. Jetin (2018). “Production Networks of the Asian Automobile Industry: Regional or Global?”. International Journal of Automobile Technology and Management, 18 (4), pp. 302-328. DOI: 10.1504/IJATM.2018.097346
Franco, F.M. and Minggu, M.J. (2019). “When the Seeds Sprout, the Hornbills Hatch: Understanding the Traditional Ecological Knowledge of the Ibans of Brunei Darussalam on Hornbills”. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 15 (46). DOI: 10.1186/s13002-019-0325-0
Victor T. King (2019). “Truth’s Fool: Derek Freeman and the War over Cultural Anthropology”, International Journal of Asia Pacific Studies, 15 (1), pp. 183-197. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/aman.13063
Paul J. Carnegie (2019). “National Imaginary, Ethnic Plurality, and State Formation in Indonesia,” in Ratuva S. (eds), The Palgrave Handbook of Ethnicity. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0242-8_165-2
Chang-Yau Hoon and Esther Kuntjara (2019). “The Politics of Mandarin Fever in Contemporary Indonesia: Resinicization, Economic Impetus, and China’s Soft Power”, Asian Survey, 59(3): 573-594. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1525/as.2019.59.3.573
Liam C. Kelley (2020). “The Centrality of ‘Fringe History’: Diaspora, The Internet and a New Version of Vietnamese Prehistory,” International Journal of Asia Pacific Studies, 16 (1): 71–104. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21315/ijaps2020.16.1.3
Seminar Series
To exchange ideas with other members of the University community and the public, the IAS holds a regular seminar series.
Working Paper Series
The Institute also maintains a working paper series to highlight and disseminate the cutting-edge work of IAS researchers, UBD faculty, and other scholars working in and on the region.
Book Series
The Institute maintains a book series with academic publisher Springer on “Asia in Transition.”
Video Interviews
The Institute creates video interviews with IAS staff members, IAS research associates, UBD lecturers who research about Asia, and visitors to IAS who share their knowledge on topics ranging from the Belt and Road Initiative to Hornbills in Brunei.
Conferences
The Institute maintains productive relations with numerous international scholars and scholarly organizations.
Global Engagement
The Institute maintains productive relations with numerous international scholars and scholarly organizations.
