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:This paper provides a re-evaluation of the first general sole-authored text on the sociology of Southeast Asia and the wider field of Southeast Asian Studies (The Sociology of South-East Asia: Transformations in a Developing Region (King 2008a). Other region-wide volumes have been usually edited or co-edited projects…

The Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam is pleased to announce the publication of IAS Working Paper No. 88: Mobility, Inequality, and Identity among the Lun Bawang in the Sarawak-North Kalimantan Borderland by Chun Sheng Goh. Please see below for details. Download the Working Paper Abstract: In the Heart of Borneo, the Lun Bawang people are divided by the Malaysia–Indonesia boundary, resulting in distinct but interconnected migration patterns. This note discusses how internal migration within Malaysian Sarawak and cross-border movement from Indonesian North Kalimantan intersect to shape inequality and identity. Rural depopulation in Sarawak’s uplands has left aging communities…

The Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam is pleased to announce the publication of IAS Working Paper No. 87: Brunei and Thailand Halal Industry Cooperation and the implications for Wawasan 2035 by Nurul Jannah Kosor and Paul J. Carnegie. Please see below for details. Download the Working Paper Abstract:The global demand for halal products has surged in recent years, driven by increasing consumer awareness of food safety, hygiene, and quality standards. As part of its Wawasan 2035 strategy for economic diversification, Brunei has placed an emphasis on halal industry development. While it has introduced stringent halal certification standards and…

The Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam is pleased to announce the publication of IAS Working Paper No 86: Ong Sum Ping and the Early History of Borneo in Chinese Sources by Lee Cheuk Yin.Please see below for details. Download the Working Paper Abstract: Many years ago, I went to Nanjing regularly to do fieldwork on Muslim communities and mosques in Nanjing. I had the opportunity to visit the tombs of Zheng He and the King of Borneo. At that time, I believed that the person lying in the tomb was the King of Borneo. It was recorded on…

The Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam is pleased to announce the publication of IAS Working Paper No 85: Urang versus Orang: The frequency of Bruneian students’ use of Standard and Brunei Malay by Ili Arina Zainal.Please see below for details. Download the Working Paper Abstract: Despite the various research done about the languages and many linguistic aspects in Brunei Darussalam, little is known regarding the current frequency and perception towards the official language, Standard Malay, as the majority of Bruneians prefer to speak in English and Brunei Malay. This paper investigates how frequent students use Standard Malay within…

The Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam is pleased to announce the publication of IAS Working Paper No 84: Doing Fieldwork on Indonesian Chinese Migrant Workers in Brunei Darussalam by Westly Lo Siong Wei.Please see below for details. Download the Working Paper Abstract: This paper makes the case for a more spontaneous approach to collecting data from the field in qualitative studies of labour migration rather than an overly planned one. It shows the benefit of this supplemental method in fine-grained investigations by illustrating how my own fieldwork in a circle of the Indonesian Chinese migrant workers transitioned from…

The Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam is pleased to announce the publication of IAS Working Paper No 83: Living with Landslide Risk in Penanjong, Tutong by Hjh Nur Hazirah Hj Awang Hamdani.Please see below for details. Download the Working Paper Abstract:  Landslides have been a concern for many residents in the Penanjong area of Tutong District. This is due largely to the proximity of their homes to the steep slope of sandstone ridges in the area. Affected residents have adapted to the condition as there is no landslide risk management for the area. The paper therefore aims…

The Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam is pleased to announce the publication of IAS Working Paper No 82: University Graduates and Online Food Entrepreneurship in Brunei Darussalam by Siti Nurfarina Hasriana and Dr Sin Yee Koh (IAS). Please see below for details. Download the Working Paper Abstract:  This paper explores the experiences of degree graduates in Brunei who engaged in online food entrepreneurship – an emerging yet understudied area in relation to youth unemployment in the country. Through semi-structured interviews with 10 such entrepreneurs conducted in 2023-2024, this paper examines their motivations and challenges in choosing this career…

The Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam is pleased to announce the publication of IAS Working Paper No 81: Wisdom of the East:Zheng He and his Maritime Expeditions by Senior Professor Lee Cheuk Yin (IAS).Please see below for details. Download the Working Paper Abstract: About 600 years ago, a huge fleet with more than 27,000 men set sail from the Liujia harbour in Nanjing to begin China’s first-ever large-scale oceanic journey, marking a brilliant chapter in the maritime history of mankind. The Zheng He expeditions were the largest naval expedition during that period as it comprised of as…

The Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam is pleased to celebrate the milestone of IAS Working Paper No. 80: Polygamy in Brunei: Examining the Family Structure and Experiences of Half-Siblings by the inaugural Victor T. King Prize Winner, Amirah Japar.Please see below for details. Download the Working Paper Abstract:This paper explores the unique experiences of individuals within polygamous families, specifically from the lens of the offspring – a viewpoint not commonly considered before making decisions to enter this arrangement. Drawing on interviews with eight Malay Muslim Bruneians, this study provides insight into the significance of family cohesion on the lives of…