N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E

C E N T E R F O R S O U T H E A S T A S I A N S T U D I E S

SPRING -SUMMER 2013

VOL 2013:1

MONSOONMONSOON

IN THIS ISSUE:

Director’s Message 2

SEAS Graduates 3

Student Updates 4

Faculty News 6

Spotlight on:

Malaysian Studies 8

Thai Studies 9

Khmer Studies 10

CSEAS Events 11

Language Updates 12

All About Alumni 13

Study Abroad in Singapore

16

SEAS Photo Contest winners

18

Director’s Message As this issue of Monsoon goes to press, Athens is in the throes of spring. Trees and flowers are blos-soming, the sun is shining, and all are relishing the temperate weather. Those of us who have been in Athens for a while, however, know that there are few things less un-predictable than our weather. In what seems like an instant, the sunniest of skies can become over-cast, with temperatures dropping down to winter thirties and forties. Within a 24-hour time frame hence, it may become sunny and warm again. It’s best to always be prepared for change. Yamada House and the Southeast Asian Studies program have experienced many changes this aca-demic year. First, the Center for International Studies (CIS) acquired a new Interim Executive Director, Dr. Ming Li. Replacing Dr. Dan Weiner, Dr. Li joined CIS after having served as Director of the School of Recreation and Sport Sciences in the College of Health and Human Ser-vice from 2002-2010, and Chair of the Depart-ment of Sports Administration following its move to the College of Business from 2010-12. Second, the entire university adopted a semester calendar beginning in fall 2012. Students and in-structors alike had to adjust their schedules, and endure some related growing pains. Third, the undergraduate program in Global Stud-ies, which includes majors in Global Studies Africa, - Asia, -Europe, and - Latin America, and War and Peace, has moved under the umbrella of CIS. This move will encourage more interaction between graduate and undergraduate students interested in global and international affairs through joint events and programming. Fourth, the master’s program in Southeast Asian Studies was broadened and revised to become a master’s program in Asian Studies, with Dr. Takaaki Suzuki named as director. Within the Asian Studies major, students may concentrate in East Asia, Southeast Asia, or Transnational Asia.

PAGE 2

Graduate certificates in East Asian Studies and Southeast Asian Studies have also been added to allow students in other majors to partake of these offerings. Finally, the Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS) was formalized and continues to serve as a hub for developing mutually-beneficial partnerships with individuals and institutional counterparts in the region, coordinating and implementing Southeast Asia-related events and conferences, securing and administering grants, supporting affiliated faculty, developing new and expanding existing courses, and advising students in the Southeast Asia track of the Asian Studies major. I will continue to serve as direc-tor of CSEAS, and am committed to upholding Ohio University’s 40-year history of coopera-tion and collaboration with faculty, colleagues, students, and others not only in Southeast Asia, but in other Centers of Southeast Asian Studies throughout the United States and Australia, with whom we often share common goals. CSEAS will continue to develop connections and rapport with new partners, broadening the OHIO family. As you will see in this issue of Monsoon, CSEAS faculty and students have been very active both on and off campus, and together we have weathered the many changes and emerged rela-tively unscathed. There are undoubtedly more to come, and we will ride those out as well. It is indeed best to be prepared for change, to the extent possible; as I like to say, “In life, we must be flexible, like bamboo.” Thank you for the opportuni-

ty to serve as the CSEAS di-

rector in 2012-2013, and

here’s to an equally exciting

and productive 2013-2014.

Christine Su, PhD, is the Director of the

Center for Southeast Asian Studies

The Center for Southeast Asian Studies is located in Yamada International House (above).

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MONSOON VOL 2013:1

CONGRATUL ATIONS, Gradu ates !

The Center for Southeast Asian Studies is very pleased to announce that six students completed their capstone requirements for the Master of Arts degree and will have graduated at the end of spring semes-ter 2013: Abdul Hakim (Maros, South Sulawesi, Indonesia) presented his professional project, entitled

Exploring Iko Iko: Traditional Storytelling Originating in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia, among the Bajau Community. Following his graduation, Hakim plans to return to Southeast Sulawesi to continue his work with the Bajau, in-cluding training teachers in curriculum development that includes Iko Iko and other traditional storytelling and art forms. He will also travel to East Halmahera (a small island between Sulawesi and Papua) to conduct a project with the Buli Society on community development and preservation of tradition and culture. Committee chair: Dr. Richard McGinn (Emeritus), Linguistics

Scott Bentley (Ohio, USA) successfully defended his master’s thesis, entitled Southeast Asia Responds to

China’s Maritime Law Enforcement Strategy: Balancing a Perceived Threat by Responding in Kind. Following his gradua-tion, Scott plans to attend the University of New South Wales at the Australian Defence Force Academy (UNSW@ADFA) beginning in the summer of 2013, where he will pursue a PhD by research under Dr. Carlyle Thayer. He is looking forward to the opportunity to build upon his initial enquiry at OHIO, which focused on responses by Vietnam and the Philippines to the South China Sea conflict, and continue studying maritime security issues with a broader regional reach. The master’s in Southeast Asian Studies is Scott’s second graduate degree from Ohio University, as he completed a master’s in Political Science in 2012. Committee chair: Dr. Patricia Weitsman, Political Science

Katie Bruhn (Ohio, USA) successfully defended her master’s thesis, entitled Art and Youth Culture of the Post-

Reformasi Era: Social Engagement, Alternative Expression, and the Public Sphere in Yogyakarta. Katie plans to return to Indonesia during the upcoming summer before beginning doctoral studies at University of California at Berkeley in fall 2013. Committee Chair: Dr. Elizabeth Collins, Classics and World Religions

Inna Leng (Phnom Penh, Cambodia) presented her professional project, An Online

Elementary Khmer Language Course. Following her graduation, Inna plans to move to Maryland to join her fiancé, Vichet Sum, who teaches there. She will continue to work on Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL), and plans to search for employment in the Washington, D.C. area. Committee Chair: Dr. Gene Ammarell, Anthropology

Yuyun SriWahyuni (Samarinda, East Kalimantan, Indonesia) passed her com-

prehensive exams in the areas of gender and neo-liberalization; ethnographic field methods; and Islam and Sufism in Indonesia. Following her graduation, Yuyun plans to return to Indone-sia to teach at Mulawarman University, East Kalimantan. She will also be working with NGOs there, focusing on gender and social justice. She hopes to apply for doctoral programs, so per-haps we will meet Yuyun again in the not-too-distant future. Editor’s note: We wish Yuyun additional congratulations on her recent marriage to Mr. Nanang Gunawan! Committee chair: Dr. Loren Lybarger, Classics and World Religions

Agustinus Budi Winursito (Magelang, Indonesia) passed his comprehensive ex-

ams in the areas of cultural and linguistic Approaches to translation; ethnographic field meth-ods; and Southeast Asian literature. Following his graduation, Budi will join his wife, Sylvia, in Ithaca, NY, where she is currently enrolled in a master’s program at Cornell University. While in Ithaca, Budi plans to continue to be involved with Indonesian Studies and the Indone-sian community there. Committee chair: Dr. Gene Ammarell, Anthropology

On behalf of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, warmest congratulations on your accomplishments.

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MONSOON Student Updates

Anne Oros (Ohio, USA) “While Ohio University is remote and small, its programs are diverse, with professors who truly stimulate dialogue and critical thinking,” says Anne. Anne’s areas of interest are in the religion, art, and development of Indonesia. Her favorite class thus far has been “Southeast Asian Puppet Theater,” taught by Dr. William Condee (IART 5601, fall 2012). During the spring semester, Anne provided graduate student support for Ms. Indu Sharma’s class on Hinduism, offered through the department of Classics and World Religions. Anne will serve as the president of the Southeast Asian Students Association (SEASA) for the 2013-2014 academic year.

Amanda Samalo (Surabaya, Indonesia) Asked to describe Ohio University, Amanda said simply, “Beautiful place, awesome classes.” While she misses Indonesian food, as well as her family (including her dog) in Surabaya, she feels she has been able to explore a variety of interests, including agricultural economy, during her first year in the master’s program. A graduate of OHIO’s Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies -Asia program, she loves the Athens community. Amanda is cur-rently researching the relatively new phenomenon of stand-up comedy in Indonesia.

Antonina Suryantari (Yogyakarta, Indonesia) “At OHIO, you get opportunities to make friends from throughout the world. You will also find opportunities to meet and get to know great people willing to help you in your studies,” said Antonina (Nina). To that end, she mentioned “Southeast Asian Puppet Theater” as one of her favorite classes she took during her first year. Nina currently teaches Bahasa Indonesia for her graduate assistantship, and when not on campus, she keeps busy caring for her very active young son, Ian.

Vicki Wijaya (Yogyakarta, Indonesia) Upon arriving in Athens, Vicki noted that “Ohio University is going to be life-changing for me. It is a beautiful place, with great people.” During her first year in the master’s program, Vicki has explored a variety of differ-ent courses, including an online course in the Economics of Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia (ECON 5760), facilitated by Dr. Chulho Jung, and an independent study on Corporate Social Responsibility with Dr. John Schermerhorn. She has also taken advantage of the graduate research and writing courses offered through the English Language Improvement Program (ELIP). During the 2012-2013 academic year, Vicki worked with Dr. Takaaki Suzuki (POLS) as part of her graduate award.

First -Year Sou theast As ian Studi es (SE AS) Students

We asked, you answered:

“What food f rom hom e do you miss

the most whil e you are at OHIO?

Bakwan penyet (Indonesia: fried meatball with a lot of chili sauce on it)

Biko (Philippines: a cake made of sticky rice, coconut milk, brown sugar, and anise)

Gudeg (Indonesia: young jackfruit with palm sugar and coconut milk, usually served with white rice, chicken, tofu or tempeh, and hard-boiled egg)

Kam Heong Lai Liu Ha (Malaysia: a Cantonese-style stir-fry made with mantis prawns, dried shrimp, chili, curry powder and curry leaves)

Nasi rendang (Indonesia: a spicy rice and beef dish cooked in coconut milk, usually served with cassava leaves and sambal)

Biko; Photo courtesy of

Cebu Tourism, ©2010

VOL 2013:1

Ashley Arzy (Wyoming, USA) Ashley has been busy preparing for her comprehensive exams, which she plans to take during summer 2013 in the fields of development, democracy, and ethnic minorities in Indonesia. Says Ashley: “my favorite class was Dr. Ammarell's ‘Ethnographic Field Research Methods’ because it was the perfect blend of reading and applica-tion. We were given the freedom to explore topics we found interesting and discussion was always engag-ing.” In addition to assisting faculty as part of her graduate scholarship award, Ashley also worked part-time in the Voinovich School of Public Affairs. Committee chair: Dr. Gene Ammarell, Anthropology

Benjamin Loh (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) “I am currently writing my thesis which is focused on online gaming in Malaysia,” reports Ben. “Using a globaliza-tion approach, I wanted to examine how local players, local publishers and global developers interact with one another to shape the local space for online games. Even though I came here with an interest in doing research with regards to online gaming, thanks to geography classes by Dr. Kim and much encouragement and guidance from her, I was able come up with a proper proposal and subsequently, able to conduct my research over the summer of 2012.” Ben should finish writing his thesis and complete his master’s degree in summer 2013. Committee chair: Dr. Yeong-Hyun Kim, Geography

Maryjane D. Madulara (Naawan, Mindanao, Philippines) “I am working on a professional project comprising a study of contemporary popular music in the Philippines as a medium of expressing social protest,” reports Maryjane. “Based on the notion that some things are just best de-scribed in musical form, I am examining samples of songs in terms of their lyrical content from two music genres, rock and rap. Through this research, I hope to offer some insight into the present social, political, and cultural situation of the country. Furthermore, it is my wish to contribute to the larger, though often neglected, story of protest music in the Philippines.” Committee chair: Dr. Steve Scanlan, Sociology

Vilashini Somiah (Penang, Malaysia) and Azliana Abdul Aziz (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) “For more than a year now, both Azliana and I have been actively working as a producer-director duo on our documentary professional project on the issue of stateless persons in Sabah (North Borneo),” says Vila. “We have been partnering with Matthew Fillmore, a graduate student and cameraman from the School of Film.”

She continues: “for decades, Filipinos have been migrating to Sabah in a steady stream, fleeing the war-torn landscape of Southern Mindanao and hoping for a better future. Unfortunately, they find themselves in a situation not much better than that which they left. While much of Sabah used to be Filipino land, the people there are now stateless and

stuck that way in an infinite catch-22 of illegal existence. Denied rights and compassion, impoverished and exploited, they struggle in a reality where families are torn apart daily as parents are detained and deported. The documentary tracks the harsh lives of these individuals and families.

Ironically, after years of searching for peace, insurgency hit Sabah in February 2013. After raising thousands of dollars and making two (rather adventure- and drama-filled) trips to Sabah, we are now in the post-production stage of the film and anticipate complet-ing the project this year. We will screen the film in Athens and hopefully other national and international events. For more infor-mation please look out for our film, Di Ambang: Stateless in Sabah, or email us at diambangfilm@gmail.com.” Committee chair: Dr. Elizabeth Collins, Classics and World Religions

Conti nuing SE AS Stu dents (Secon d -Year an d B eyon d)

During the second year of the master ’s program, s tudents choose a cap st one path: comprehens ive examinat ions,

a profess ional project, or a thes is , to complete their degrees. They each descr ibe the capstone work in which they

are current ly engaged below.

PAGE 5

Facu lty News

PAGE 6

MONSOON SEAS Faculty

Habibah Ashari (Tun Abdul Razak Chair of Malaysian Studies)

Dr. Ashari presented a paper entitled "The Tun Abdul Razak Chair: Initiating Contact, Sustaining Collabora-tion" at Lehigh University on October 22, 2012. In January 2013, she returned to Malaysia for the Tun Ab-dul Razak Lecture, given by Dr. Surin Pitsuwan of Thailand. Dr. Pitsuwan had recently completed his tenure as the Secretary-General of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). At a ceremony held in con-juction with the lecture event, Yang Amat Berhormat Dato' Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak, the current prime minister of Malaysia, received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Ohio University.

Harry Aveling (Global Adjunct Professor, International Literature and Linguistics)

Dr. Aveling facilitated a course on “Southeast Asian Translation Studies” (INST 6900: Special Topics) during the spring semester 2013. The students met weekly to discuss the readings, and communicated with him via Skype and email. Dr. Aveling has also recently published translations of Iwan Simatupang’s novel, Drought, and the poetry of Dorothea Rosa Herliany, A Body Only A Body; as well as articles on Australian Aboriginal poetry, the testing of Sita’s virtue in Indonesian, Malay and Thai literatures, and the paratexts to Indonesian translations of the Vietnamese author Duong Thu Huong. He is author of entries on “Indonesian Poetry” and “Malay Poetry” in the fourth edition of The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics. In 2012, he presented papers on “Translation and/as Research” and “Love’s Crystal: Translating a Vietnamese Folktale” at confer-ences at Chulalongkorn University and Ateneo de Manila University. Dr. Aveling continues to offer online supervision to OHIO students for projects in the areas of Southeast Asian literature and translation through independent study.

Elizabeth Collins (Professor, Classics and World Religions) Dr. Collins presented a paper on “Sustainable Development in Indonesia” at the Yale Indonesia Forum in March 2013. She also published “The Politics of Ritual Performance and Ritual Authority Among Murugan’s Malaysian Devotees,” co-authored with K. Ramanathan of University Sains Malaysia, forthcoming in Ritualiz-ing In, On, and Across the Boundaries of the Indian Subcontinent, edited by Linda Penkower and Tracy Pintchman; an annotated bibliography of Hinduism in Southeast Asia for Oxford University Press; and an entry on "Hinduism in Malaysia" for the Brill Encyclopedia of Hinduism.

Anne Cooper Chen (Professor Emerita, Journalism) Dr. Cooper-Chen gave a talk on anime and manga fans around the world, including in Southeast Asia, on April 23 at Columbus State Community College under the auspices of Ohio State University via its East Asia Title VI grant.

Haley Duschinski (Associate Professor, Anthropology) Dr. Duschinski has been elected to serve as the Director of the Center for Law, Justice & Culture (CLJC). She hopes to develop a focus within the CLJC on international legal issues, especially regarding human rights and transitional justice. Dr. Duschinski was on sabbatical during the 2012-2013 academic year, during which she worked on a book manuscript entitled Between Freedom and Justice: Militarized Governance, Popular Protest and Jurisdictions of Justice in Kashmir Valley, based on fieldwork conducted from 2009 to 2011, as well as an edited volume that examines everyday life under militarization in contemporary Kashmir. She spent the summer of 2012 as a Visiting Scholar at the American Bar Foundation in Chicago, and presented her research at the An-nual Conference on South Asia in Madison, Wisconsin (October 2012), and the Annual Meeting of the Ameri-can Anthropological Association in San Francisco (November 2012). In spring 2013, she introduced a new spring break study abroad course, ANTH 4620: “Human Rights, Law & Justice” in Northern Ireland. The course counts towards the major/certificate requirements for Law, Justice & Culture, War & Peace, and An-thropology. It will run annually.

VOL 2013:1

Brooke Hallowell (Professor, Communication Sciences and Disorders) Dr. Hallowell has a visiting professor appointment at the Universiti Kabangsaan Malaysia (UKM) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is a two-year joint appointment in Medicine and Health Sciences entailing two visits per year for two years (2013 to 2015). The foci of her work there are to: help develop inter-disciplinary research and curricula related to aging/gerontology/geriatrics; assist in the scholarly career development of the faculty in health and medicine; and carry out research. With colleagues at UKM she has launched the Aging, Disability, and Access to Care in Asia (ADACA) Project, a research, educa-tion and advocacy project aimed at improving understanding of such factors and using what is learned to help build capacity in aging-related services in Malaysia. ADACA will eventually be carried out in other Asian countries as well.

David Holben (Professor, School of Applied Health Sciences and Wellness) Dr. David Holben will be on a faculty fellowship for the 2013-2014 academic year. Dr. Holben has been granted a Ful-bright Scholar Award and will be at the University of Prince Edward Island as the Visiting Research Chair in Nutrisciences and Health. (The Canada-US Fulbright Program, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada).

Yeong-Hyun Kim (Associate Professor, Geography) Dr. Yeong Kim presented a paper at the Annual Meeting of Association of American Geogra phers (April 9-13, Seattle, WA), entitled “The Myth of Living Transnational Lives: Filipino Migrant Workers and Their Home and Hosting Governments.”

Drew McDaniel (Professor, Media Arts and Studies) Dr. Drew McDaniel published A Guide to Training Needs Appraisal, which presents an overview of the practice of training needs analysis with a new approach, technique and a speedy process to aid broadcasting organizations to define their train-ing goals. (Kuala Lumpur: AIBD/UNESCO, 2012). The guide is a companion piece to Manual for Media Trainers: A Learner-Centered Approach. (Kuala Lumpur: AIBD/UNESCO, 2012).

Marina Peterson (Associate Professor, Performance Studies, IART) Dr. Marina Peterson will be on sabbatical for the 2013-14 academic year, and will be based in Los Angeles. She will be conducting ethnographic and archival research toward Littoral Los Angeles, a book length project that aims to develop an understanding of Los Angeles as a coastal city, to situate the city on the Pacific Ocean, and to examine how citizenship is at once emplaced and mobile. Through the study of nature, trade, infrastructure, and arts, it explores how concrete engage-ments and encounters with circulatory processes at the interface between land and water help shape the city’s relationship with the ocean. This project brings together and grounds explorations over the past several years on southeast Asian ports (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia), transoceanic mobilities, and infrastructure, labor and resources (Appalachian Ohio).

Stephen Scanlan (Associate Professor, Sociology) Dr. Stephen J. Scanlan has been awarded faculty fellowship leave for the 2013-2014 academic year. In addition, he has been awarded a Fulbright Scholar Award and will be spending four months this fall at the National University of Ireland, Galway where he will be teaching a course entitled "Development and Global Inequality" while also conducting research on gender and sustainable development through his affiliation with the School of Political Science and Sociology. This re-search is in line with his larger interests in globalization, inequality, and development, extending work in previous publica-tions on women's contributions to food security and child well-being in less industrialized societies. More specifically, he will examine gender and development and eco-feminist perspectives on sustainability and the contributions these have for reducing the ecological footprint of nations. In addition to his home department at NUI Galway, Stephen will also seek collaboration with the Irish Centre for Rural Transformation and Sustainability and the Global Women's Studies Program in carrying out his work.

PAGE 7

Facu lty News ( con’t . )

Brooke Hallowell (Professor, Communication Sciences and Disorders) Dr. Hallowell has a visiting professor appointment at the Universiti Kabangsaan Malaysia (UKM) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is a two-year joint appointment in Medicine and Health Sciences entailing two visits per year for two years (2013 to 2015). The foci of her work there are to: help develop inter-disciplinary research and curricula related to aging/gerontology/geriatrics; assist in the scholarly career development of the faculty in health and medicine; and carry out research. With colleagues at UKM she has launched the Aging, Disability, and Access to Care in Asia (ADACA) Project, a research, educa-tion and advocacy project aimed at improving understanding of such factors and using what is learned to help build capacity in aging-related services in Malaysia. ADACA will eventually be carried out in other Asian countries as well.

David Holben (Professor, School of Applied Health Sciences and Wellness) Dr. Holben will be on a faculty fellowship for the 2013-2014 academic year. Dr. Holben has been granted a Fulbright Scholar Award and will be at the University of Prince Edward Island as the Visiting Research Chair in Nutrisciences and Health. (The Canada-US Fulbright Program, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada).

Yeong-Hyun Kim (Associate Professor, Geography) Dr. Kim presented a paper at the Annual Meeting of Association of American Geographers (April 9-13, Seattle, WA), entitled “The Myth of Living Transnational Lives: Filipino Migrant Workers and Their Home and Hosting Governments.”

Drew McDaniel (Professor, Media Arts and Studies) Dr. McDaniel published A Guide to Training Needs Appraisal, which presents an overview of the practice of training needs analysis with a new approach, technique and a speedy process to aid broadcasting or-ganizations to define their training goals. (Kuala Lumpur: AIBD/UNESCO, 2012). The guide is a companion piece to Manual for Media Trainers: A Learner-Centered Approach. (Kuala Lumpur: AIBD/UNESCO, 2012).

Marina Peterson (Associate Professor, Performance Studies, IART) Dr. Peterson will be on sabbatical for the 2013-14 academic year, and will be based in Los Angeles. She will be conducting ethnographic and archival research toward Littoral Los Angeles, a book length project that aims to de-velop an understanding of Los Angeles as a coastal city, to situate the city on the Pacific Ocean, and to examine how citizenship is at once emplaced and mobile. Through the study of nature, trade, infrastructure, and arts, it explores how concrete engagements and encounters with circulatory processes at the interface between land and water help shape the city’s relationship with the ocean. This project brings together and grounds explorations over the past several years on Southeast Asian ports (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia), transoceanic mobilities, and infrastructure, labor and resources (Appalachian Ohio).

Stephen Scanlan (Associate Professor, Sociology) Dr. Scanlan will be on faculty fellowship leave for the 2013-2014 academic year. He has been awarded a Fulbright Scholar Award and will be spending four months this fall at the National University of Ireland, Galway where he will be teaching a course entitled "Development and Global Inequality" while also conducting research on gender and sustainable development through his affiliation with the School of Political Science and Sociology. This re-search is in line with his larger interests in globalization, inequality, and development, extending work in previous publications on women's contributions to food security and child well-being in less industrialized societies. More specifically, he will examine gender and development and eco-feminist perspectives on sustainability and the contributions these have for reducing the ecological footprint of nations. In addition to his home department at National University of Ireland, Galway, he will also seek collaboration with the Irish Centre for Rural Transformation and Sustainability and the Global Women's Studies Program in carrying out his work.

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MONSOON SEAS Spotlight

Spot l ight on: Mal ays ian Stu di es at OHIO

ARTISTIC SPACES OF MALAYSIA (AIMS)

By Vilashini Somiah

On the tenth of October, 2012, the Friends of the Library Room was abuzz with activity. As the attendees took their seats, they were handed goody bags and entertained by Abdul Hakim, a student in the Southeast Asian Studies program, who played the ukulele and kecaping and sang of his homeland. The first convening of Artistic Spaces of Malaysia (AIMS) was about to begin.

AIMS 2012 brought together scholars of the Malaysian artistic enclave - including film, theatre, and tradi-tional performance - to share their knowledge and experiences with members of the OHIO community. Addressing an audience of 70, Professor Maszalida Hamzah, Dr. Wan Aida Wan Yahya, and Dr. Solehah Ishak, all from the Universiti Teknologi MARA, or UiTM, provided their insights on shadow puppetry, mysticism, and tradition in their respective areas of expertise.

The UiTM presenters spoke of the challenges faced by most artists in Malaysia today, including lack of soci-etal support, inadequate funding, and religious constraints. Questions from the floor converged around a common theme: as Malaysia progesses economically and socially, how will culture and tradition be main-tained? All three presenters expressed that while Malaysia is a modern society, Malaysians have a very strong sense of tradition that will not soon be overshadowed.

Following the guest presentations was a panel discussion entitled “Global Artistic Interspac-es,” featuring the following OHIO faculty members: Dr. William Condee, Professor of Theater History and Criticism, who spoke about Balinese wayang (shadow puppetry); Dr. Paschal Younge, Associate Professor of Multi-cultural Music Education, who discussed the theatre scene in Ghana; and Mr. Jeffrey Ferri-er, Head of the Center for International Col-lections, who spoke of the wealth of interna-tional arts resources housed in OHIO libraries.

AIMS was attended by students and faculty from across the campus. “It was astounding,”

said Aida Johnston, a graduate student in Computer Education and Technology. “I learned a lot about these artistic expressions and I hope they will come again next year.” According to Dr. Ishak, UiTM has plans to take AIMS around the world. “Our next stop, God willing,” said Dr. Ishak, “will be New Zealand in 2013. We hope AIMS will be hosted by Professor Wan Rafaei, the current Chair of Malay Studies at Victoria Uni-versity of Wellington.” The AIMS symposium concluded at 5:00pm with light refreshments.

The Tun Razak Chair is a senior

Malaysian scholar selected by the

Ministry of Education in consultation

with the Tun Razak Council and

OHIO who serves a two-year residency

at OHIO. The Tun Razak Chair

conducts seminars for undergraduate

and graduate students in his or her

respective areas of expertise throughout

the residency and organizes an

international conference on Southeast

Asia during the second year.

Dr. Habibah Ashari,

Tun Abdul Razak Chair

Left to right: Dr. Habibah Ashari, Mr. Jeff Ferrier, Dr. Paschal

Younge, Dr. Ming Li, Dr. Wan Aida Wan Yahya, Dr. Solehah Ishak,

and Professor Maszalida Hamzah.

MDIA Students Shoot Short Film in Malaysia Over Winter Break

From December 15th to January 9th, fourteen students from the School of Media Arts & Studies par-ticipated in a unique cross-cultural collaboration. Working in cooperation with UiTM, the students joined forces with twelve students from UiTM’s Faculty of Film, Theater & Animation to make Home For Hari Raya, a short film based on a short story by American expat Robert Raymer.

“This film was more than a year in the planning,” said Associate Professor Frederick Lewis, who de-veloped and oversaw the project, which was recently completed. Many of the OHIO students pre-pared for this experience by taking Dr. Ashari’s “Tun Razak Seminar: Focus on Malaysia” in fall 2012. For more information on Professor Lewis’ winter trip, go to www.seas.ohio.edu.

Spot l ight on: Thai S tudies at OHIO

COUNCIL ON THAI STUDIES (COTS) CONFERENCE

B y J ef f Shane

Ohio University hosted the 2012 meeting of the Council

on Thai Studies (COTS) on October 26-27. Established in

1972 at Northern Illinois University under the direction of

Dr. Ladd Thomas and Dr. Clark D. Neher, COTS was con-

ceived as a kind of intellectual laboratory in which scholars

and students engaged in the study of Thailand could assemble

to exchange ideas, share their research and test the validity of

their contentions and approaches to understanding Thailand.

Not since 1978 had the COTS conference been held at Ohio

University. This, taken together with the fact that 2012

marked the 40th anniversary of the founding of COTS, gave

this year's conference special significance.

The 2012 COTS conference brought together some of the most prom-

inent Thai specialists in the field today. Dr. Charnvit Kasetsiri

(pictured speaking at right), Thailand's most celebrated historian and

the 2012 Fukuoka Academic Prize winner, delivered the COTS key-

note address. Other special guest speakers included Chusak Pattarakul-

vanit (Thammasat University), Justin McDaniel (University

of Pennsylvania), Susan Kepner (University of California, Berkeley),

Pitch Pongsawat (Chulalongkorn University), Katherine Bowie

(University of Wisconsin), John Hartmann and Danny Unger

(Northern Illinois University), Leedom Lefferts (Drew University),

Rasmi Shoocongdej (Silapakorn University), Shane Strate (Wayne

State College) and Priwan Nanongkham (Kent State University).

The 2012 COTS conference exceeded even our most optimistic expectations. Over 90 faculty and students, representing some

24 different institutions, attended the conference.

The COTS conference was sponsored by Ohio University Libraries, the Center for International Studies, the College of Arts & Sciences, the Contemporary History Institute, the department of Classics and World Religions, and the Thai Student Association.

PAGE 9

VOL 2013:1

THAI AMBASSADOR VISITS OHIO

On March 29, 2013, H.E. Dr. Chaiyong Satjipanon, Ambassador of Thailand to the United States, visited the Ohio University campus. Dr. Satjipanon met with several OHIO administrators and faculty, including University President Roderick McDavis, to discuss new initiatives to enhance Thai language and Thai Studies in the United States.

PAGE 10

MONSOON SEAS Spotlight

Spot l ight on: Khm er Stu di es at OHIO

THE KHMER STUDIES FORUM (KSF)

In 2013, the Khmer (Cambodian) Studies Forum celebrated its fifth year. The theme of the Fifth Khmer Studies Forum (KSF), held March 15-17, was “identity,; throughout the weekend, this theme was approached by scholars from numerous disciplines, musicians and artists, community members, and students. Participants hailed from Australia, Cambodia, Canada, France, and across the United States, from California to New Jersey. The Fifth KSF differed from past Forums in that this year, both undergraduate and graduate students were able to enroll in an interna-tional studies course on Cambodia during the spring semester with Dr. Christine Su, the conference organ-izer, and in addition to classroom readings and discussion, become involved in the Forum planning, includ-ing speaker selection and panel creation. Each student also prepared and delivered a presentation, and as-sisted with Forum execution.

“Participating in the Fifth Annual Khmer Studies Forum was such a privilege,” said Riana Upton, an under-graduate student majoring in Journalism. “Before this event, my knowledge of Cambodia and its people was very basic . . .[this] opened my eyes to many new topics and helped to expand my understanding.” Riana made a presentation on "The Voice of Cambodia: How Lyrics and Vocal-Styles of Khmer Song Com-municate Khmerness.” The Forum included not only academic presentations, but also films, cultural exhib-its and stories of personal experience. “The most prominent thing that I noticed about the Forum was that there was a great deal of friendliness and support for the attendees,” noted Emily Weaver, a Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies - Asia major who presented on the role of children in the Khmer Rouge regime. “I had anticipated a closed-off academic setting with professionals who were there to discuss Cambodia at an extremely intellectual level and, as an underclassman, I was intimidated. However,” she continued, “what I found was that everyone was very supportive and even gave me suggestions on how to improve my re-search. When the size of the Forum grows, as it inevitably will, I hope this sense of community isn’t lost because it is what made the event stand out as unique in my mind.”

The KSF featured Dr. Sophal Ear as the keynote speaker. Dr. Ear, Assistant Professor of National Securi-ty Affairs at the US Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, spoke about Aid Dependence in Cambodia: How Foreign Assistance Undermines Democracy, a book he authored in 2012 (Columbia Unversity Press). His research focuses on post-conflict reconstruction, stability, transition, democratization, the political economy of governance, foreign aid, development, and growth in Southeast Asia in general and Cambodia in particular.

Dr. Kok-Thay Eng, Deputy Director of the Documentation Center of Cam-bodia, gave a lecture on “Genocide Education in Cambodia,” as well as a presentation on the persecution of Cham in Cambodia as part of a panel on eth-nic minorities.

The Forum integrated several films, including A River Changes Course, Winner of the 2013 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize for World Cinema Documentary, at the Athena Theater; Paulina, a short film by Caylee So, which speaks to issues of gambling in the Cambodian American community; A Perfect Solider, which tells the story of Aki Ra, a former Khmer Rouge solider now committed to eradicating the landmines he used to build; and Wounds We Carry, which follows a small group of Cambodian Americans as they return to Cambodia to observe the Khmer Rouge trials.

The Forum also featured an exhibit of artistic work on hybrid identity by Mr. Soeun Som, a Cambodian-Australian, in the Southeast Asia Collection of Alden Library.

The KSF was sponsored by The Ohio Humanities Council, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, Ohio University Graduate College, the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism,

the Center for Law, Justice and Culture, the Contemporary History Institute, the School of Film, and the Center for International Collections at Alden Library.

In 2009, Sok Udom Deth, then a

student in the master’s program in

Southeast Asian Studies, took it

upon himself to organize a small

symposium on Cambodia and Cam-

bodian issues, intended to facilitate

scholarly discussion on research,

archival access, and fieldwork chal-

lenges — and thus, the Khmer

Studies Forum was established.

Since that time, the Khmer Studies

Forum has grown into a three-day

conference that attracts participants

from around the world.

Dr. Kok-Thay Eng

Still photo from A River Changes Course

Ms. Darachan Ros spoke about differences in Cambodian and

American parenting styles

CSEAS Events

CSEAS is pleased to have hosted or supported a number of events during the 2012-2013 Academic Year.

Lost Loves Screening

The Center for Southeast Asian Studies was very pleased to host a screening of Lost Loves, an award winning film by Chhay Bora, on Monday, September 17, 2012.

In 1975, the Communist “Khmer Rouge” regime took over Cambodia, ushering in nearly 4 years of terror for the Cambodian people. Lost Loves is the heart-wrenching true story of Leav Sila, just one of countless mothers who made incredible sacrifices to try to keep their families alive during the Khmer Rouge regime, only to see the vast majority executed or left to die of torture, illness or starvation. Starring Kauv Sotheary, one of only two surviving children of Leav Sila, Lost Loves provides a brutal yet captivating insight into the extremity of this painful chapter in history. Dr. Chhay Bora, the film’s director and producer, was present for a question-and-answer session following the screening.

Exhibit on Indonesian Art and Activism

On Thursday, October 18, 2012, “Gina” (pictured at right)

and “Lilik,” two artists from Taring Padi, a collective of social activists based in Yogyakarta, Indone-sia, gave a presentation on their work. Since its inception in 1998, following the end of Suharto's New Order regime, Taring Padi, an artists’collective from Yogyakarta, Indonesia, has worked to empower marginalized communities through art. Creating works such as the wood-block print fea-tured above, Taring Padi’s art focuses on the social and political concerns of the Indonesian people. Organized by Ms. Katie Bruhn, the lecture/discussion took place place in the Friends of the Library Room (Rm 319) and was followed by a reception in the Southeast Asia Collection of Alden Library, where an exhibit of twenty Taring Padi prints were displayed.

Brown-bag lecture and discussion with Dr. Ann Tickamyer

On Tuesday, March 26, 2013, we were honored to host a brown-bag discussion with Dr. Ann Tickamyer, Professor and Head, Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education, The Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Tickamyer spoke about her recent book, POWER, CHANGE, AND GENDER RELA-TIONS IN RURAL JAVA: A Tale of Two Villages, co-authored with Siti Kusujiarti. The discussion was co-sponsored by the Center for Southeast Asian Studies and the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.

Library Exhibit Opening and Reception with Dr. Gene Ammarell

On Thursday, April 18, 2013, Dr. Gene Ammarell spoke at the opening of a special ex-hibit entitled “Wooden Boats of Balobaloang, An Indonesian Maritime Society.” Ba-lobaloang is a small island in the Sabalana Archipelago, located approximately 112 nautical miles southwest of Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The island is home to approxi-mately 600 people of Bugis ethnicity, one of over 300 ethnic groups in Indonesia. The Bugis are among the most famous of all sea faring societies in Southeast Asia. The exhib-it, on display in the Southeast Asia Collection at Alden Library (1st floor), is a collection of model boats that are representative of the wooden fishing and cargo vessels used by the people of Balobaloang since they first settled the island in the late 19th century. These models were created by the late Pak Haji Sima Daeng Pasolong (pictured at left).

For more information on these and other events, visit our web page at www.seas.ohio.edu/events

VOL 2013:1

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MONSOON

PAGE 12

OHIO CSEAS to Administer Indonesian Language Institute in Malang

Ohio University Receives Award to Administer Institute in U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship Program

Ohio University, in partnership with The Ohio State University and American Councils for International Education, has been awarded a three-year grant to administer a Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Institute, beginning in the summer of 2013. Ohio University will administer the institute for the study of Indonesian language, and Ohio State will administer institutes for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. The Critical Language Scholarship is a program of the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educa-tional and Cultural Affairs. Approximately 610 U.S. undergraduate and graduate students received a scholarship from the U.S. Department of State’s CLS Pro-gram in 2013. CLS participants will spend seven to ten weeks in intensive language institutes this summer in one of 13 countries to study Arabic, Azerbaijani, Bangla, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Indonesian, Japanese, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, Turkish, or Urdu. The CLS Program is part of a U.S. government effort to expand dramatically the number of Americans studying and mastering criti-cal foreign languages. It provides fully-funded, group-based intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment expe-riences. CLS Program participants are expected to continue their language study beyond the scholarship and apply their critical language skills in their future professional careers. Selected finalists for the 2013 CLS Program hail from all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia and represent more than 200 institutions of higher education from across the United States, including public and private universities, liberal arts colleges, minority-serving institutions and community colleges. The CLS Indonesia Institute will be hosted by the State University of Malang (Universitas Negeri Malang) in East Java, Indonesia. For further information about the CLS Program or other exchange programs offered by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, please visit the websites at http://www.clscholarship.org and http://exchanges.state.gov.

Malaysian Language to be offered for first time in 30 years

CSEAS is very pleased to announce that beginning in fall semester 2013, Bahasa Malaysia will be offered at OHIO or students to take as a foreign language for the first time in 30 years. The aim of the course, which will be taught by Ms. Vilashini Somiah, is to develop an ability to use the language effectively for practical communication, as well as to offer insights into the culture and civili-zation of Malaysia. Students who may have learned Bahasa Indonesia prior to this class are also very much encouraged to join.

“People often refrain from learning a new language because it seems like it will be a scary and intimidating experi-ence, and it can be,” says Somiah. “But when you have the right atmosphere, company and spirit, it can be absolute fun and this is what I hope to bring to the Bahasa Malaysia class this Fall.”

Language Updates

East Java

OHIO also offers courses in Bahasa Indonesia, Khmer

(Cambodian), and Thai language. These Southeast

Asian languages fulfill Arts & Sciences language

requirements, as well as Tier II requirements.

Why not try something new?

Alumni N ews *

Reid J. Aeschliman (USA; SEAS 1986) Reed Aeschliman currently serves as Deputy Director of USAID/Philippines, a position he has held since 2011. Mr. Aeschliman previ-ously served as Director for the Office of Infrastructure, Engineering and Energy for USAID/Afghanistan (2010-11), and the USAID Director, Office of General Development in Cambodia (2005-10), where he managed the design and implementation of a full range of Governing Justly and Democratically and Economic Growth/environment programs. Mr. Aeschliman began his career with USAID as a Private Enterprise Officer in Washington, D.C. in 2000. Prior to joining USAID, he spent two years as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand, two years as Assistant Law Director and City Prosecutor for the City of Akron, Ohio, and seven years as an attorney in pri-vate practice in Columbus, Ohio. While working as a private attorney, he also did international legal consulting assignments in Thailand and the China region. He earned his Juris Doctorate in 1990 from the University of Akron School of Law. In addition to his native Eng-lish, he speaks Thai, Khmer (Cambodian), and Mandarin Chinese.

Muhammad Chozin Amirullah (Indonesia; SEAS 2008) Soon after graduating from OHIO in 2008, Muhammand Chozin (pictured at right) was elected as the president of the Muslim Student Association (MSA), the largest student and youth organi-zation in Indonesia. MSA has more than 50,000 members spread throughout every major city in Indonesia. He served in this position until 2011, after which he began to focus on projects related to his graduate studies in marine anthropology. He now works as an independent consultant on coastal and fisheries governance, mostly through the Ministry of Marine Affair and Fisheries (MMAF). Beginning in 2012, he has also maintained an office in KEMITRAAN (Partnership for Governance Reform in Indonesia) as the Regional Coordinator for the Indonesia Governance Index, www.kemitraan.or.id (the site is also available in English). His favorite memory of Athens is biking along the bike path from OHIO all the way to Hocking College (“Took us half a day to get there,” he reminisces). He remains active in the OHIO Indonesian alumni community.

Meta Sekar Puji Astuti (Indonesia; SEAS 2003) Meta is a lecturer at Hasanuddin University, South Sulawesi and a doctoral candidate in the Graduate School of Human Relations at Keio University, Japan.

Elis Zuliati Anis (Indonesia; CommDev 2006) Elis is the Financial Development Assistant for the Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies (ICRS) in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Previ-ously, she was ICRS’ Office Manager and Media and Communication Officer.

Adrian Budiman (Indonesia; SEAS 2003) After completing his master’s degree, Adrian continued his studies in OHIO’s Ph.D. program in Media Arts and Studies, which he finished in 2008. Since that time, Adrian has been an Assistant Professor in Commu-nications at the Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM). However, he has also continued to be active in project work, as a field coordinator for the Indo-nesian Broadcast Journalists project at WCMH (Columbus, 2007), in-structor for Media Monitoring at the Academy of Educational Develop-ment (2008), consultant to AIBD/UNESCO for the Voice of Vietnam (2010), and independent consultant for Communication for Development (C4D) for UNICEF (2012). Among his favorite memories of OHIO are classes taught by Dr. Drew McDaniel (MDIA) and Dr. William Frederick (HIST), and the warmth of the community. “Some of my closest friends today are acquaintances from Athens and we still communicate with each other on a regular basis,” said Adrian.

Adrian Budiman (standing, fourth from left) returned to OHIO in 2012 for a UNICEF workshop (CD4).

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VOL 2013:1

*Editor’s note: The Center for International Studies (CIS) houses five graduate programs: African Studies, Communication and Development Studies(CommDev), International Development Studies (IDS), Latin American Studies, and Southeast Asian Studies (SEAS; in 2012, the program changed to Asian Studies), and the Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies (BAGS). Graduates of various CIS programs with connections to Southeast Asia are included here.

All About Alumni

Alumni N ews ( con’t . )

Wesley Clark (USA; SEAS 2012) Wes is a doctoral student in OHIO’s Interdisciplinary Arts program, with a primary concentration in visual arts and a secondary concen-tration in Aesthetics. He intends to continue his investigation of Dvaravati material culture initiated with his SEAS master's thesis for his dissertation. Wes recently retired from his work as an Environmental Planner with the Ohio Department of Transportation after a 30-plus-year career. He is now on the staff of The Castle historic house museum in Marietta, Ohio.

Evi Fitriani (Indonesia, SEAS 1995) Evi is a Senior Lecturer and Head of the Department of International Relations at the University of Indonesia (UI). She received her Ph.D. from the Crawford School of Economics and Government at Australian National University in 2010, with a thesis entitled Observing Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) from Southeast Asia. She continues to speak interna-tionally and write research reports, journal articles, and newspaper articles on topics related to Indonesian foreign policy, ASEAN, Asia Pacific regionalism, and Asia-Europe relations, and was an EU Visiting Fellow in 2005. Evi is one of the founders of the master’s program of European Studies at UI, where she recently established an ASEAN Study Center.

Jose Rafael Martinez Garcia (Mexico; SEAS 2011) Rafael is currently enrolled in a doctoral program in Southeast Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore.

Karla Schneider Guinigundo (USA; SEAS 2007) Karla has been on staff at Miami University of Ohio since 2012. She served as the International Grant Coordinator and Exchange Advis-er in the Office of International Education, and was recently promoted to Associate Director of Global Initiatives. Congratulations!

Amelia Hapsari (Indonesia; TCOM/SEAS 2005) Amelia recently co-directed a film, Jadi Jagoan ala Ahok (Fight Like Ahok), which chronicles the rise of deputy governor-elect Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, referred to simply as “Ahok.” The first Indonesian Chinese to become a high-ranking official in Bangka Belitung, Ahok discussed his campaign to win votes in a Muslim-dominated community. Jadi Jagoan ala Ahok was named “Best Short Documentary” in the ChopShots Documentary Film Festival Southeast Asia held in Jakarta in December 2012. After working for several years in Timor-Leste, Amelia is now the Program Director of In-Docs, a non-profit organization that promotes documentary filmmaking in Indonesia.

Boramey Hun (Cambodia; SEAS 2005) Boramey is currently a Resource Mobilisation Coordinator at ActionAid, a nonprofit organization that works to empow-er excluded groups by raising rights awareness, strengthening grassroots organizations and social movements, and ena-bling people to have a say in the formal power structures that affect their lives. Her husband, Somatra Kim Sean (CommDev 2004), recently completed his Ph.D. in the School of Geosciences at the University of Sydney. Boramey and Somatra have a two-year old son, Vattanak (pictured at right).

Angie Kilbane (USA; BAGS 2007) Angie teaches at the Mentari International School in Jakarta.

Virak Kruy (Cambodia; SEAS 2007) Virak Kruy married Socheat Samrith in November 2012 (photo at left). He now lives in Vientiane, Laos and is working for the Mekong River Commission.

Widyasari Listyowulan (Indonesia; SEAS 2010) Following her graduation from Ohio University, Widya worked at the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Washington, D.C. as a teacher of Bahasa Indonesia, and then as a Program Office for USINDO. She then became

the Operations Manager for the Sampeorna School of Education. Perhaps most importantly, Widya married Bart Hosley in 2011! (photo at right)

If you have updates you’d like to include in the next issue, send them to cseas@ohio.edu

PAGE 14

MONSOON All About Alumni

VOL 2013:1

PAGE 15

Alumni N ews ( con’t . )

Christina Lees Marino (USA; SEAS 2009) Christina works in Residence Life at the Illinois Institute of Technology, where more than 40% of the student population is internation-al. She is also working on her MBA in analytics.

Rebekah Daro Minarchek (USA; SEAS 2009) Rebekah is pursuing a Ph.D. in Development Sociology at Cornell University. She is also active with the American Institute for Indone-sian Studies (AIFIS).

Nita Irawati Murjani (Indonesia; CommDev 2004) Nita is the Advisor for Forestry and Climate Change in the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Jakarta.

Nurchayati (Indonesia; SEAS 2010) Nurchayati has received one of the 2013 Australian Prime Minister's Asia Incoming Postgraduate Awards, a prestigious scholarship of-fered by the Australian Government for international students to undertake a postgraduate qualification at PhD level in any field of study in Australia. Nurchayati will use the award to pursue Indonesian Studies at the University of Sydney. She also recently published an arti-cle entitled, “Bringing Agency Back In: Indonesian Migrant Domestic Workers in Saudi Arabia,” in the Asian and Pacific Migration Journal. Syahril Sangaji (Indonesia; CommDev 2008) Syahril works for the Partnership for Governance Reform in Jakarta. The Partnership’s mission is disseminating, advancing and institu-tionalizing the principles of good and clean governance among government, civil society and business, while considering human rights, gender balance, the marginalized and environmental sustainability.

Farina So (Cambodia; SEAS 2010) Following her graduation, Farina returned to the Documentation Center of Cambodia, where she served as the director of the Cham Oral History Project. Soon thereafter, she was awarded an Asian Public Intellectuals (API) fellowship, funded by the Nippon Founda-tion, to continue research on Cham Muslims in Malaysia and Thailand. While in Malaysia, she presented a seminar entitled, “The Hijab of Cambodia: Memories of Cham Muslim Women after the Khmer Rouge and Ways of Coping with the Past” at the University of Malaya in December 2012. Farina has been accepted into the Ph.D. program in Global Studies at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, where she will begin her studies in fall 2013.

Sok Udom Deth (Cambodia; SEAS 2009) Dom is currently a Lecturer of International Relations at Zaman University in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Rudi Sukandar (Indonesia; COMS 2007) Rudi is a Lecturer at the London School of Public Relations – Jakarta, and a Senior Research at the Habibie Center, also in Jakarta.

Ezki Suyanto (Indonesia; IDS 2006) Ezki Suyanto is now the Commissioner of the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission, an independent regulatory body. She returned to OHIO to visit in February 2013, on her way to Washington, D.C.

Hanum Tyagita (Indonesia; SEAS 2012) Hanum is an International Broadcaster with Voice of America based in Washington, D.C.

Tieng Vichea (Cambodia; SEAS 2004) After helping to found and develop the Department of Media and Communications at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, where he worked for several years, Vichea is now a media analyst for the U.S. Embassy in Cambodia.

Meta Sekar Puji Astuti and Rudi Sukandar at a mini-reunion of the “OU Mafia,” Jakarta, January 2013)

MONSOON Study Abroad

Nǐ Hǎo! Since 2011, Ohio University (OHIO) has partnered with Nanyang Technological

University in Singapore to offer undergraduate exchange during the academic year.

Where is Nanyang Technological University?

Nanyang Technological University (NTU), located in the southwestern region of Singa-

pore, is the academic home to more than 33,000 undergraduate and graduate students

from around the globe. A research-intensive public university with a truly international

faculty, NTU offers programs in business, engineering, physical sciences, humanities,

arts, and social sciences. Its main campus is the largest in Singapore, and served as the

Olympic Village of the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in August 2010.

What can I study at NTU?

Students in any major seeking to add an international dimension to their educa-

tions can explore the crossroads of East and West at NTU. NTU is particularly

strong in business, media and communications. The renowned Wee Kim Wee

School of Communication and Information (WKWSCI) offers majors and courses

in five divisions: journalism and publishing, broadcast and cinema studies, public

and promotional communication, communication research, and information stud-

ies. WKWSCI’s main building is a $22.6 million facility with 7,025 square me-

ters of floor space and state-of-the-art equipment. The Nanyang Business School

is well-known throughout the region, with the stated goal of nurturing students

to become socially responsible leaders with the acumen to balance the triple bot-

tom line of people, planet, and profit. It is one of only nine business schools out-

side of the United States to be awarded Association to Advance Collegiate Schools

of Business accreditation in accounting.

How long is the program?

You can study in Singapore for one semester or one year.

Where will I live?

NTU has 16 residence halls across the campus housing some 9,200 students. All new

exchange students are guaranteed on-campus housing. Room types (single, double,

etc.) vary from building to building. Off-campus options are also available.

How do I apply?

Because classes at NTU are taught in English, there is no language requirement. This program is open to undergraduate students of

all majors who have a minimum GPA of 2.5. In most cases, financial aid will apply. An OHIO financial aid counselor will work

with you to adjust your aid package to reflect the cost of studying abroad and to complete the necessary paperwork.

Application forms for the Singapore program can be found at www.ohio.edu/educationabroad.

Deadlines for applications: For Spring 2014: September 20, 2013

For Fall 2014: February 15, 2014

Study Abroad in Southeast Asia: Singapore

PAGE 16

NTU’s School of Art, Design, and Media building (above)

features three intertwining blocks that are apparent natural

extensions of the ground. These blocks interweave to en-

close a picturesque plaza and landscape.

Chinese Heritage Centre on the NTU campus

PAGE 17

VOL 2013:1

Study Abroad in Southeast Asia: A Student’s Perspective

Andrew Margevich, a junior Mechanical Engineering major, is spending the spring semester at Nanyang Technological University.

Just before he left for Singapore, CSEAS had the opportunity to interview him. We asked him about his motivations for studying

abroad, particularly in Southeast Asia. The transcript of the interview appears below.

CSEAS: Where are you from, Andrew? Were you born and raised in Ohio?

AM: I was born near Buffalo in Sanborn, New York but moved to Hudson, Ohio while I was very young. I have lived in Hudson since

that time and will always call Ohio home.

CSEAS: What drew you to Ohio University?

AM: When I transferred [from the U.S. Naval Academy], I focused my search on in-state schools for a number of reasons, most of

them financial. The three schools that I liked the most were Case Western, Ohio State University and, of course, Ohio University.

I loved the quintessential college town atmosphere of OHIO as well as the ruggedness of Athens being set on the edge of the Appalachi-

an Mountains. Rock climbing, biking and running are a few of my hobbies and OHIO catered to my interests outside of academics.

CSEAS: So what made you start to think about studying abroad as part of your university experience?

AM: I have always wanted to travel the world and see different cul-

tures, landscapes and people. I saw studying abroad as a perfect op-

portunity to both advance toward getting my degree and see the

world. I will emphasize that my enrollment in an engineering disci-

pline has made the study abroad process more arduous but easily

manageable.

CSEAS: Have you ever been outside of the United States?

AM: I have traveled to Canada a number of times, but traveling to

Singapore will be the first time I really go abroad.

CSEAS: What made you start to think about Singapore as

a study abroad site?

AM: As a junior engineering transfer student, the spring of 2013,

while only my second semester at Ohio University, was my first and

last opportunity to study abroad. With that in mind, the process was

somewhat rushed. I wanted to go to Southeast Asia because it was

the most diverse location and while Singapore is very western, it is

also a melting-pot as well as an excellent jumping ground for further

travel. Nanyang Technical University in Singapore has one of the

largest engineering schools in the world and is ranked in the top 50

engineering schools worldwide. The school’s reputation only solidi-

fied my decision to pick Singapore.

CSEAS: What do you think you will miss about OHIO,

Athens, and home the most? What are you looking for-

ward to the most?

AM: I will miss my friends, family and my bikes the most while

being overseas, but I am looking forward to meeting new people

and traveling [in the region] more than anything.

Cambodia

Thailand

Vietnam

Myanmar

Laos

Malaysia

Indonesia

East Timor

Philippines

Brunei

Singapore

Singapore is a tiny nation (approximately 697 square kilometers - that's just three times the area of Washington, D.C.) that has had a big impact on the global economy. Located between Indonesia and Malaysia, Singapore is in the heart of Southeast Asia

and has benefitted from its auspicious location.

With strong international trading links and a highly developed free market economy, it has become one of the world's most cosmopolitan and prosperous countries.

What better place to study international relations, business or finance?

SEA Photo Contest

PAGE 18

MONSOON

2012-2013 SEA Phot o C ont est Winn ers

Second Place Winner: “Lombok Sunset,” by Ryan Uncapher; Lombok, Indonesia

In 2012, CSEAS announced a photo contest, calling for images that reflected the theme “Connections.” We received dozens of beauti-ful, poignant, intriguing photos, and it was certainly difficult to choose only three. A committee (given only the photos and titles, without the names of the photographers), voted on their favorites, and first, sec-ond, and third place winners were announced.

The photo which graces the cover of this issue of Monsoon, and also ap-pears at right, is the first place winner, entitled “Helping Hands.” Taken in Brunei Darussalam by M. Abu Hurairah Haji Mohamad, the photo conveys the communal and cooperative nature of a wedding ceremony. Here, the bride’s friends assist her in putting on her tiara before the procession begins.

We have included a few others to suggest the breadth represented by the photos, though we wish we could print them all. The full gallery of photos can be viewed at

http://ohioseasconnections2012.shutterfly.com/pictures/10

A sincere thank you to all who submitted photos, and congratulations to those selected as contest winners!

First Place Winner: “Helping Hands,” by M. Abu Hurairah Haji Mohamad, Brunei Darussalam

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VOL 2013:1

Additional contest photos

Above: “Shan Dance,” by Marissa Johnson; Bago, Myanmar

Left: “Warrior of the Bersih Rally ,” by Azliana Abdul Aziz; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Third Place Winner: “Pesantren Students,” by Cara Elizabeth Durr; Malang, East Java, Indonesia

Visit us online at

www.seas.ohio.edu

If you have news, announcements, updates,

or article ideas for the Monsoon, send them

to cseas@ohio.edu, or to

Monsoon Newsletter Center for Southeast Asian Studies Ohio University Yamada International House 203 Athens, OH 45701 USA

MONSOON VOL 2013:1

“The Same Route,” by Ussama Kawepradap; Pakse, Laos

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