This transdisciplinary edited book explores new developments and perspectives on global Vietnam, touching on aspects of history, identity, transnational mobilities, heritage, belonging, civil society, linguistics, education, ethnicity, and worship practices.

The chapters in Vietnam at the Vanguard were first presented at Engaging With Vietnam: An Interdisciplinary Dialogue (EWV), an annual conference series co-organized by IAS Research Associate Phan Le Ha, Senior Professor in the Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Institute of Education (SHBIE) at UBD, and IAS staff member Associate Professor Liam C. Kelley.

Professors Phan and Kelley serve as editors of this volume together with their colleague and EWV collaborator Jamie Gillen, Senior Lecturer and Director of Global Studies Programme at the University of Auckland.

Vietnam at the Vanguard presents new scholarship and also represents new ways of knowing global Vietnam.

Over the past 10 years, knowledge production about Vietnam has diversified in various ways as globalization, the internationalization of higher education, and the digital revolution have transformed the world, as well as Vietnam. Whereas as late as a decade ago, knowledge about Vietnam was still largely the preserve of scholars in Vietnam and a coterie of related experts outside of the country at a select few universities, today we find scholars working on Vietnam in myriad contexts.

This transformation has introduced new voices and new perspectives, which this book champions. A critical text engaging a range of historical and contemporary debates about Vietnam, this book is an indispensable volume for the Southeast Asian Studies student and scholar in the humanities and social sciences.

To view the table of contents of this volume, please visit the Springer/IAS “Asia in Transition” Series website.