IAS Research Associate and Assistant Professor Indra Alverdian from the Faculty of Military Studies participated in a seminar held by Universitas Satya Negara Indonesia (USNI) on September 22, 2026, in Jakarta, Indonesia. The theme of the seminar was “Indonesia at the Crossroads: Safeguarding Maritime Sovereignty in an Increasingly Contested Indo-Pacific.” During the event, Dr. Alverdian presented on “The Limits of Maritime Defense and Security Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and Developing Indonesia Area Denial (AD) Capabilities.” Throughout his presentation, he emphasized the significance of understanding the limitations of maritime defense and security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. He also highlighted Indonesia's need…

Assistant Professor Dr Goh Chun Sheng delivered a public lecture at "Projek Borneo Pulau Bersejarah Kali Ke-2 - Ceramah Sejarah Borneo Siri Ke-14", held on 27 June 2026 at Pusat Sejarah Brunei, organised by Pusat Pengkajian Borneo (penBORNEO).

Senior Assistant Professor and Director of the Institute of Asian Studies Koh Sin Yee was an invited speaker at the "Southeast Asia Forum" 2025 International Conference, held on 15-16 November 2025 in Guangzhou. The conference was organised by the Centre for Southeast Asian Studies, South China Normal University.Dr. Koh presented a paper entitled "Mainland Chinese Student Mobility to Southeast and East Asia Amidst Geopolitical Shifts". Read more about the conference here.

Assoc. Prof. Paul J. Carnegie recently co-authored an article with Halimah Dewi Irawan for the Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs on Indonesian Statecraft in the North Natuna Sea.Based on fieldwork interviews with key informants, the article offers an in-depth analysis of the domestic and institutional drivers behind Jakarta's strategic behaviour in the North Natuna Sea amid great power competition. It illustrates how Indonesian statecraft navigates complex internal dynamics and external maritime pressures in Southeast Asia.Halimah Dewi Irawan & Carnegie, P. J. (2025). Different Strokes: Indonesian Statecraft in the North Natuna Sea. Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs. https://doi.org/10.1177/18681034251347973

Senior Assistant Professor and Deputy Director of the Institute of Asian Studies Koh Sin Yee participated in the consultation on ‘Navigating Health and Work Challenges: Impact of COVID-19 on Women Migrants and Effective Coping Strategies’ at Monash University Malaysia on 13 March 2025. The consultation is part of the Women RISE WISH Project: Women Migrants’ Health and Work after COVID-19. Dr Koh moderated the second panel which featured representatives from the embassies and high commissions of migrant-sending countries to Malaysia. Read the fuller write-up on the consultation.

IAS Researcher Participates in End-of-Project Workshop Senior Assistant Professor and Deputy Director of the Institute of Asian Studies Koh Sin Yee participated in the Women RISE End-of-Project Meeting in Nairobi, Kenya on 3-5 February 2025. The research team presented preliminary findings from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC)-funded project entitled “Women Migrants’ Health and Work after COVID-19: An Intersectional and Comparative Study in Malaysia and Thailand” (WISH).

Assoc. Prof. Paul J. Carnegie recently published a paper in the renowned journal, Pacific Affairs on Contours of Precarity in Southeast Asia.Drawing on observations over several years, combined with a review of relevant literature and the use of illustrative examples, the paper details how and why the concept of precarity is particularly useful for understanding contemporary forms of jeopardy in Southeast Asia. This conceptual shift is arguably crucial for understanding and mitigating vulnerabilities. Rather than relying on limited frames of reference, a grounded and disaggregated precarity perspective can bring greater awareness to localized distress stemming from untrammelled accumulation, extractive activities,…

Senior Assistant Professor and Deputy Director of the Institute of Asian Studies Koh Sin Yee co-organised the Workshop on Research and Teaching on Migration Mobilities in Southeast Asia with Dr. Alice Nah (Durham University, UK) and Dr. Sharuna Verghis (Monash University Malaysia, Malaysia). The workshop was held on 27 November 2024 at Monash University Malaysia. The participants engaged in interdisciplinary discussions regarding the issues, challenges and possibilities of researching and teaching migration mobilities in Southeast Asia.

Senior Assistant Professor and Deputy Director of the Institute of Asian Studies Koh Sin Yee participated in the 8th Network of ASEAN-China Academic Institutes (NACAI) International Symposium on 14th November 2024 in Shanghai. The symposium was hosted by the Center for China’s Relations with Neighbouring Countries, Fudan University.

Senior Assistant Professor and Deputy Director of the Institute of Asian Studies Koh Sin Yee participated in the Belt and Road Initiative and Student-Mobilities in China-Southeast Asia (BRISM) Workshop Meeting held on 22-23 August 2024 at the Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore.Dr Koh is the Country Researcher for Malaysia in this two-year project funded by the Singapore Ministry of Education Academic Research Fund Tier 2. The project aims to document the ways China is shaping tertiary education spaces and new circuits of mobility among youths in Southeast Asia. The study employs a cross-disciplinary conceptual and methodological approach to study regional student mobility…