Senior Assistant Professor Merlin F. Franco of the Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam presented a TEDx Talk on “The Beauty of Local Plants and Animal Names.”In this engaging talk, Dr. Franco explains that although there are scientific names for plant and animal species, local names provide us with important insights and should be conserved as they are condensed forms of local knowledge and are a cultural heritage of immense relevance in contemporary times.Dr. Franco has been collaborating with various local communities in Brunei, India, Indonesia and Malaysia on research projects related to local ecological calendars, cultural landscapes,…

Senior Assistant Professor and Deputy Director of the Institute of Asian Studies Koh Sin Yee participated in the Asia Regional Learning Workshop held on 26-27 July 2023 at Monash University Malaysia.The workshop is part of the Women RISE Initiative, a Canadian initiative launched in March 2022 by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), in partnership with the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council SSHRC), to address the impacts of COVID-19.The workshop, co-organised by the Women RISE initiative, the Health Population Research Organization (HPRO) and Monash University Malaysia, aimed at encouraging knowledge exchange,…

IAS would like to congratulate Dr Chang-Yau Hoon’s promotion to Professor with effect from 03 December 2022. Professor Hoon joined IAS on 26 June 2016 as Associate Professor of Anthropology.Professor Hoon was the Director of Centre for Advanced Research from 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2022. He is currently also a Visiting Senior Fellow at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute and Adjunct Research Fellow at the University of Western Australia.Dr. Hoon has held visiting positions at Nordic Institute of Asian Studies, Copehagen (2008), Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Jakarta (2003 & 2010), Fudan University, Shanghai (2017), Guangxi University for Nationalities,…

The Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam (IAS @ UBD) is now accepting applications for the January 2024 intake to its MA and PhD in Asian Studies by research programs. For more information about these programs and for links to the application and scholarship information, please visit the IAS Graduate Studies web page. The deadline for submission is 31 July 2023.

The Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam (IAS @ UBD) recently invited Professor Luke Nottage of the University of Sydney Law School to UBD from 28 May until 2 June 2023 as an Eminent Visiting Professor.While at UBD, Professor Nottage presented a keynote lecture at an international symposium on “Academic Perspectives on Corruption and Foreign Direct Investment in the Asia-Pacific Region” that was co-hosted by IAS and the School of Business and Economics (SBE) at UBD.  Professor Nottage also gave lectures at the Brunei Darussalam Arbitration Centre (BDAC) and the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC).On 30 May 2023, Professor…

University Brunei Darussalam (UBD) is offering postdoctoral fellowships. Applicants must apply to collaborate with a unit at UBD. The Institute of Asian Studies (IAS) welcomes such collaboration. Please find below the official announcement from UBD."We are delighted to announce an open call for postdoctoral applications at Universiti Brunei Darussalam. As a leading research University, we are seeking highly qualified researchers who are dedicated to making a significant impact in their chosen field.In order to be eligible, applicants must demonstrate a track record of publishing high-quality research papers in reputable academic journals. This is essential as we expect our scholars to…

Southeast Asia is a region with diverse cultures and languages. Scholars based in Southeast Asia are relatively well-published in local journals in English and local languages. However, internationally recognised published research by Southeast Asian social science scholars who are based in the region is still limited. This is even more so for early career researchers (ECRs) who may lack the experience, exposure and confidence to disseminate their work to an international scholarly audience. At the same time, Southeast Asian ECRs based outside the region may also face challenges in publishing in internationally recognised journals due to language barriers. Moreover, the…

The Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam (IAS @ UBD) is advertising for the position of Assistant Professor in Transregional Studies.For more information, please visit this website (https://ubd.edu.bn/about/career-opportunities/academic-positions/) and then click on “Institute of Asian Studies.”The deadline to apply is 21 February 2023.

Distinguished Professor Victor T. King of the Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam (IAS @ UBD) presented the inaugural lecture in the Academy of Brunei Studies Distinguished Lecture Series.Entitled “Making the Malay World: Region-Formation in Interdisciplinary Perspective,” the talk was a reflection on Borneo and Borneo Studies in the Malay World.For more information, please see the flyer below.

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…