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…

The Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam is pleased to announce the publication of IAS Working Paper No 79: Covid-19 and Post-Covid Transitions: Case Material from the Lao People’s Democratic Republic in a Southeast Asian Context by Victor T. King.Please see below for details. Download the Working Paper Abstract: During the past two decades, the Southeast Asian region (ASEAN) has experienced a range of serious crises affecting the tourism industry and related services, including natural and environmental disasters, epidemics and pandemics, global financial slumps, terrorist actions and political and military conflict.The latest challenge has been the “Novel Coronavirus” (Covid-19/SARS-CoV-2)…

The Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam is pleased to announce the publication of IAS Working Paper No 78: Rolling Heritage: Gulintangan as Inalienable Gift in Brunei Darussalam by Mohammad Adi and Muhammad Arafat.Please see below for details. Download the Working Paper Abstract: This paper discusses the dynamics of gulintangan inheritance in Brunei Darussalam, especially among gulintangan-owning families. We closely examine the process of maintaining this traditional musical form by bringing to light the tangible and intangible aspects of gulintangan.We argue that the family contributes significantly to maintaining this cultural heritage. Our findings suggest that the family is…

The Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam is pleased to announce the publication of IAS Working Paper No 77: Precarity Matters: Conceptual Travails in Southeast Asia by Paul J. Carnegie.Please see below for details. Download the Working Paper Abstract: Marginality, vulnerability and disadvantage are key concerns of the social sciences. Nevertheless, state-business-investment agendas, policies, and practices in Southeast Asia regularly downplay these issues.This paper examines the applicability of a precarity framework for deciphering the forces, processes, and interests shaping contemporary forms of jeopardy in the region. Using a selection of illustrative examples, it demonstrates that conceptualising precarity enhances…

The Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam is pleased to announce the publication of IAS Working Paper No 76: Women as Agents of Patriarchy in The Girl from the Coast (1991) by Pramoedya Ananta Toer by Dk Nur Hazirah Pg Hassani.Please see below for details. Download the Working Paper Abstract: Pramoedya Ananta Toer’s The Girl from The Coast (1991) is a novel about women’s struggles under Javanese patriarchy, highlighting the controversial culture of polygamy and ‘practice wives’ in colonial Indonesia.Previous studies of the novel have situated the character of The Girl as the victimised female under the Bendoro’s…

The Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam is pleased to announce the publication of IAS Working Paper No 75: Identity Matters: Methodological Travails from Malaysia to Indonesia by Lian Kwen Fee.It is fitting that this landmark 75th working paper is written by Prof. Lian, as he has contributed extensively to the Institute since its founding just over a decade ago in 2012.Please see below for details. Download the Working Paper Abstract: The politics of identity is central to the study of race and ethnicity. This paper considers the utility of several methodological approaches relevant to making sense of…

The Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam is pleased to announce the publication of IAS Working Paper No 74: A Compendium of Armed Conflicts in Southeast Asia: In Search of Typology by Ooi Keat Gin.Please see below for details. Download the Working Paper Abstract:Wars, armed combat, and military occupations are as old as humanity with conflict arising over mates, food and subsequently territory and material resources and ultimately power, control, and domination. The weapons of conflict have also evolved in sophistication, efficacy, and destructiveness with little sign of abatement. There are presently scores of conflict hotspots (of varying…

The Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam is pleased to announce the publication of IAS Working Paper No 73: Revisiting the Chinese Sources on Early Southeast Asian History by Liam C. Kelley.Please see below for details. Download the Working Paper Abstract:Chinese sources have played a very important role in the writing of early Southeast Asian history. However, scholars have struggled to understand the information in those sources and over the past century, there have been countless different interpretations that have been put forward. In this paper, we revisit the Chinese sources on early Southeast Asian history and do…

The Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam is pleased to announce the publication of IAS Working Paper No 72: Speaking for the Spirits: A Reflection on Knowledge, Expertise, and Methodology in Ethnographic Fieldwork on Religion by Lisa Arensen. Please see below for details. Download the Working Paper Abstract: Our ways of representing the cosmological world are core issues in the reconfigured animism field in contemporary anthropology, as well as a recurring theme in the social sciences’ current interest in ontologies. This paper interrogates methodological questions of decisions regarding who to listen to as cosmological interlocuters in fieldwork, and…