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 deep-seated legacy for IAS. We would like to take this opportunity to salute his achievements and extend our warmest wishes on his retiral.

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 and the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.Inaugurated in 2022, the VTK Prize recognises the best final-year undergraduate essay on a research topic related to Borneo Studies.The awardees are as follows:Aida Syahmina binti Haji Abdul Murad, Award Winner 2023/2024Nur Hayati binti Mohd Yusof, Award Winner…

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 Arts and Social Sciences.Participants gained insightful guidance on thesis examination procedures and engaged in a lively Q&A session, raising questions on topics such as the suitability of thesis titles, effective academic writing styles, and the role of AI in the drafting process. It was a…

Institute of Asian Studies PhD student Duong Van Bien successfully passed his Qualifying Assessment. Bien defended his dissertation proposal before two outside assessors, Senior Professor Phan Le Ha (SHBIE/ICE) and Assistant Professor Lisa Arensen (IAS), his co-chairs, Associate Professors Liam C. Kelley and Hoon Chang Yau (IAS), and the graduate chair of IAS, Senior Assistant Prof, Koh Sin Yee. Congratulations Bien and best of luck in completing the dissertation!! For more information about Bien and some of the other graduate students at IAS, please see the section on graduate students in the latest IAS Newsletter (December 2022).