SSEAC Newsletter
March 2023 edition
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Welcome to the Sydney Southeast Asia Centre's Newsletter.
Featuring some of our current research projects, education initiatives, development programs, news and events.
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Supporting disability advocates for a more inclusive future
Over two weeks in January, SSEAC ran its fourth leadership training course for disability advocates and policymakers from across Indonesia. Delivered in collaboration with the Centre for Disability Research and Policy (CDRP) and the Centre for Disability Studies (CDS), the course offered participants the opportunity to travel to Sydney to undertake training with experts from academia, government and the community. Funded through the Australia Awards in Indonesia program, the short course aimed to strengthen the leadership and management of Organisations for People with Disabilities (OPDs) in Indonesia, and build the capacity of government officials to implement inclusive policies. In total, 22 participants took part, including a mix of civil society and government employees. More than half the group identified as having a disability.
It was an action-packed and productive two weeks. During their time in Australia, the group engaged in a range of activities, workshops, site visits and coursework. Sessions covered a variety of themes, from advocacy and campaigning, to engaging with policymakers, harnessing quality evidence and using research tools.
“This was a really comprehensive and intensive course,” said one participant.
“I learnt a lot about theory, policy and lived experience, as well as how different actors work to implement measures related to disability rights. The course gave me a very rich perspective from which to continue the struggle for the rights of people with disability and other marginalised groups.”
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FASS Research Awards for 2022
Congratulations to SSEAC members Dr Sophie Chao and Dr Susan Banki who were among the winners of the 2022 Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) Awards, announced late last year. Sophie received the Early Career Research Excellence Award, while Susan was co-recipient of the Research Mentoring Award. Well done to both scholars!
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Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities
Congratulations to long-time SSEAC member Professor Simon Butt, who was recently elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities. Election as a Fellow is a significant achievement and recognises academics' outstanding contribution to their disciplines. Simon is Professor of Indonesian Law and Director of the Centre for Asian and Pacific Law at the University of Sydney Law School.
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Book launch: Teacher preparation in Singapore
In February, the Singapore-based HEAD Foundation hosted the launch of Dr Yeow-Tong Chia’s recent co-authored book, Teacher Preparation in Singapore: A Concise Critical History. The book trains a critical eye on the social and political forces influencing Singapore’s teacher education, and explores issues such as policy borrowing, diffusion of educational philosophies, and developments paralleling those in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. For the launch, Yeow-Tong was joined by co-authors Dr Jason Tan and Dr Alistair Chew with discussants Dr Kevin Blackburn and Prof S. Gopinathan. You can watch it on YouTube here.
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New ARC College of Expert members
Congratulations to SSEAC member Professor Budiman Minasny who was among six academics at the University of Sydney newly appointed to join the Australian Research Council (ARC) College of Experts in 2023. Comprising 269 members this year, the body plays an important role in assessing research proposals for funding under the National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP). Full membership details are available on the ARC website.
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Sustainable farming in northwest Cambodia
A project funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) to support rice farmers in northwest Cambodia has released its final report. Led by Professor Daniel Tan (School of Life and Environmental Sciences), the project aimed to design, test and disseminate innovations to strengthen the livelihoods of small-scale farmers and support sustainability. The project included training of farmer groups and officials, field demonstrations, the development of innovative mobile phone applications, and facilitating the uptake of labour-saving machinery. You can read the full report here.
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Animal health surveillance in Timor-Leste
Another project supported by ACIAR, led by Associate Professor Jenny-Ann Toribio of the Sydney School of Veterinary Science, also recently released its final report. The project focused on building veterinary capacity for emergency and emerging animal disease detection in Timor-Leste. Veterinary technicians were empowered through training and resources to engage closely and build trust with pig farmers and subsequently to undertake diagnostic investigations of disease reports. Among the project’s benefits were the dissemination of information for improved pig production, particularly nutrition, and reproductive management. Read the report here.
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Women driving change in Sulawesi farming communities
A new study led by Associate Professor Petr Matous, which analysed the social networks of agricultural communities on the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia, found that women were among the most influential leaders when it came to encouraging others to trial a new farming tool. Published in Agriculture and Human Values, the study assessed the impact of engaging opinion leaders in agricultural programs that aim to change farmers’ practices. Almost 2,000 cocoa farmers were surveyed on the most influential opinion leaders in their communities – people they would consult for advice and information on farming. While older men were identified as opinion leaders, it was women and younger farmers who were more successful in convincing others to adopt new practices.
“Our result was a real surprise – we didn’t originally set out to study the effects of gender or age,” said Associate Professor Matous, from the School of Project Management and John Grill Institute for Project Leadership. “But what our result has demonstrated is something often remarked on anecdotally in many other settings. From farming and construction to banking and politics, older men are often perceived as the most influential in their networks, but in our study they didn't have the greatest impact.”
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Understanding research culture at Indonesian universities
Ahead of International Day of Education on 24 January, we spoke with Dr Evan Doran, who explained his PhD study exploring research culture and productivity in the field of social sciences at three universities in Indonesia. "I came to the research after spending a year as a research development officer at a university in Makassar," says Evan. "While I was there during 2016-17, I witnessed some of the challenges they faced writing and publishing as researchers at a smaller university. As an Australian academic, I was struck by both the differences and similarities in these challenges as compared to here in Australia."
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Recent highlights
—workshops, webinars, events & more
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Writing retreat
Our first writing retreat for 2023 was as productive as ever, with over 60 people joining us on campus for three days of focused writing time. Alongside dedicated writing blocs, the retreat included work-in-progress discussions, opportunities to discuss goals and challenges, and a workshop on writing articles for the media. It was fascinating, as ever, to hear about all the diverse academic work on Southeast Asia that participants were focused on. Look out for our next writing retreat to be held later this year!
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Indonesian studies students head to the consulate
Students from the introductory and intermediate streams of Indonesian Studies presented their research projects on language and culture (in Indonesian!) at the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Sydney in December. Among the attendees were the Indonesian Consul General, consulate staff, members of the Indonesian community in Sydney, and University of Sydney academics, including Associate Professor Novi Djenar, Chair of Indonesian Studies in the School of Languages and Cultures, who helped organise the event.
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IS4 | Displacement and Dispossession in Carbon Sink Governance: The Politics of Peatland Partnerships in Indonesia
Dr Michelle Miller (NUS) joined us for a closer look at climate change mitigation and the politics of low-carbon peatland partnerships. Peatland conversion for agriculture is the leading cause of Indonesia’s terrestrial carbon emissions that contribute substantially to global warming. Dr Miller explored the politics of partnerships aimed at retaining soil-based carbon in Indonesia’s province of Riau, where over half the surface area is composed of agriculturally productive peatlands.
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TS4 | Digital Repression and its Impact on Protests in Thailand
In this TS4 webinar, Assistant Professor Janjira Sombatpoonsiri explored the increasingly salient trend of digital repression in Thailand and its impact on a protest movement. Drawing on the aftermath of the 2020 anti-establishment protests in Thailand, Assistant Professor Sombatpoonsiri explored how the interplay between targeted legal repression and digital surveillance has so far decapitated the movement that once defied the monarchy-military-backed regime.
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PhilS4 | Social cognitive and psychological dimensions of the Philippine education crisis
For the first PhilS4 webinar of 2023, Professor Allan Bernardo took us through his research on the social and psychological variables that identify the poorest-performing students in science, mathematics, and reading in English in the Philippines. The data suggests that low-achieving Filipino students experience a range of negative social processes in schools that pose as threats to their sense of self-worth and that motivate their disengagement from learning activities. Professor Bernardo discussed the implications for the hard task of addressing the learning poverty in young Filipinos and called attention to reform efforts beyond the typical focus on curriculum, instruction, and resources.
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PhilS4 | The Ethos of Obedience Among the Members of the Philippine Marines
Joining PhilS4 in February, Dr Leslie V. Advincula-Lopez discussed the social and political factors that affected the evolution of the ethos of obedience among the members of the Philippine Marines, beginning in the 1950s. She finds that there are no fixed boundaries between military institutions and the broader civilian society, but that these boundaries move in conjunction with fluctuations in the broader socio-political environment of the country. The officers and personnel within the Marines, she argued, actively created and re-created the practice of obedience to civilian authority.
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What's coming up?
—events and opportunities
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IS4 Webinar | Does Performance Pay Enhance Social Accountability? Evidence from Remote Schools in Indonesia
Social accountability offers a viable alternative to top-down supervision of service delivery in remote areas when travel cost renders the latter ineffective. However, this bottom-up approach may not be effective when the community has weak authority relative to the service provider. In this IS4 webinar, Associate Professor Arya Gaduh (University of Arkansas) and Associate Professor Christina Brown (Becker Friedman Institute) will explore whether giving communities authority over teacher performance pay improves the effectiveness of social accountability in Indonesia’s remote schools. Their research tested incentive contracts based on either camera-verified teacher presence or community ratings of teacher performance. It found that social accountability had the strongest and most persistent impact on student learning when combined with the former. These results indicate that when the principal (community) has weak authority vis-à-vis the agent (regular teachers), increasing that authority using an incomplete but verifiable contract works better than using a more comprehensive but subjective one.
When: Thursday 2 March, 9am EST / 3pm CET / 9pm WIB
Friday, 3 March, 1 am (AEDT)
Where: Online via Zoom.
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TS4 Webinar | Patronage Politics in Thailand
Despite drastic changes in Thailand’s political landscape in the past two decades, many Thai political parties and candidates have returned to patronage politics in their attempt to win elections. Through vote-canvassing networks made up of local government and elected officials, community leaders, and influential figures, parties and candidates continue to offer money, favors, jobs, and privileged access to government resources to individuals or groups whose support can be expected in return. In this TS4 webinar, Dr Napon Jatusripitak explores how patronage politics has not only survived but also thrived in Thailand. Drawing on fieldwork involving in-depth interviews with politicians and vote canvassers, it highlights the surprising adaptability of patronage politics as an instrument for building and maintaining support, whether in a framework centralized around a populist leader, or one dominated by a military regime.
When: Thursday 9 March, 6pm AEDT / 8am CET / 2pm TST
Where: Online via Zoom.
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Academics Anonymous
Should I publish in a top journal, or where all my colleagues are publishing? What are shiny baubles, and why should I care about them? What is a DECRA anyway?
Embarking on a PhD can be both exciting and nerve-wracking. There’s so much to do, yet only one thing that really counts: submitting your thesis. But what about all the academic activities that go on during – and after – a PhD: mentoring, outreach, impact, grant writing? How much should you be doing and how can you best use your time as a PhD candidate to position yourself for post-submission success?
Here’s your chance to get the answers to these and other questions you didn’t even know you had. You’ll have the chance to submit questions anonymously, and to hear them discussed in a supportive and collegial environment. Join Professor Michele Ford and the SSEAC team for the first SSEAC Skills workshop of the year.
When: Tuesday 14 March, 10am (AEDT)
Who: Higher Degree by Research students and early career researchers focusing on Southeast Asia at a tertiary institution
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6th Conference on Human Rights
The 6th Conference on Human Rights provides a platform for academics, human rights activists and practitioners to explore current human rights issues in Southeast Asia and beyond. This year, the conference theme is: Indigeneity and Human Rights in Asia and the Pacific Towards a Just Society: Challenges and Opportunities? SSEAC is co-hosting the conference along with a number of partners, including the University of Gadjah Mada in Yogyakarta.
When: 25 & 26 October, 2023
Where: Online via Zoom and in person at the University of Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
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Indonesia Council Open Conference 2023
Indonesia 25 Years On.
The Sydney Southeast Asia Centre at the University of Sydney and Humanitarian and Development Studies at Western Sydney University are proud to host the 2023 Indonesia Council Open Conference. This conference brings together academics and postgraduate researchers from across disciplines with an interest in Indonesia, and is open to scholars, students and community members interested in engaging with cutting-edge research.
In 2023, we mark a quarter-century of Indonesia’s abrupt rejection of authoritarianism following the resignation of Suharto in May 1998 after millions took to the streets in protest against the economic and social chaos that accompanied the Asian financial crisis of the previous year. But what does Indonesia look like now? We invite abstract submissions from any disciplines for individual papers, panels and roundtable discussions that reflect on one or more of the myriad facets of life in today’s Indonesia, how Indonesia got there, and where it might go next.
The Indonesia Council Open Conference 2023 will also include a half-day postgraduate workshop on Monday 25 September 2023 (morning only). The workshop is open to all postgraduate members of the Indonesia Council. NOTE: Applications closed on 15 February 2023.
When: 26–27 September 2023 (registrations open on 8 March)
Where: Online via Zoom and in person at the University of Sydney, Camperdown campus
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 | A New Hope? Japanese Retirement Migration to Malaysia
A notable change in the recent pattern of global migration is the movement of people within Asia. Previous studies on Asian migration have mostly considered the movement of people from Asia to Europe and North America. Yet in recent years, countries in Asia have emerged as major receiving sites of intra-regional migration. Dr Shiori Shakuto (University of Sydney) takes a closer look at Japanese retirement migration to Malaysia, revealing some of the motivations for inter-Asian migration, and what that might tell us about their hopes and dreams for a different kind of life.
| |  | Shaping Civilisations: The Sea in Asian History
The ocean is more connective device than barrier, bringing together diverse topics, time-periods and geographies. But despite the centrality of the maritime domain, there hasn’t really been a single study looking at Asia’s seas through a broad macro-lens. Professor Eric Tagliocozzo (Cornell University) seeks to address this gap. Drawing from his latest book, he provides a sweeping account of how the seas and oceans of Asia have shaped the region’s history for the past half millennium, leaving an indelible mark on the modern world in the process.
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 | Making Sense of the 2022 General Elections in Malaysia
On 9 November 2022, Malaysia held its 15th General Elections. Instead of the usual two main coalitions contending as frontrunners, Malaysia now has three main coalitions: Barisan Nasional (BN), Pakatan Harapan (PH), and Perikatan Nasional (PN). Not one of these coalitions won enough seats to form government, and it was only after much jockeying around that Pakatan Harapan, led by Anwar Ibrahim, was able to cobble together enough support to form the so-called unity government. Dr Azmil Tayeb (Universiti Sains Malaysia) unpacks these events and the evershifting political landscape in the country.
| |  | The ‘Domino Effect’: Climate Change and Food Systems
There is a complex relationship between climate change and food systems. Food supply chains – in particular food transportation – result in global greenhouse gas emissions, and these emissions are known to be a driving force underlying climate change. But it also works the other way. Dr Arunima Malik (University of Sydney) discusses the wide-ranging impacts of climate change and extreme weather events on global regional food systems and supply chains, identifying potential cascading repercussions including job and income loss as well as a loss in nutrient availability and diet quality.
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 | Safe and sound? Child protection in the Philippines
In the Philippines, unknown numbers of children are in institutional care. Commonly known as residential care or orphanages, these institutions have been established to fill a social welfare gap and better support child welfare and protection efforts. But what are the implications for the children in these institutions, and what does this system tell us about the monetisation of their welfare? Dr Steven Roche (Charles Darwin University) discusses the risks to children’s safety and wellbeing and what policy changes are necessary to ensure child welfare in care.
| |  | Contested Hydropower Development in the Mekong River Basin
Regional demand for renewable hydropower from the Mekong River and its tributaries in Laos is on the rise. Dr Ming Li Yong (East-West Center) exposes how further hydropower development on the Mekong River could negatively affect ecosystems, resulting in decreased food security and jeopardising livelihoods in the river basin. She also discusses processes of public consultation and how they fail to consider local communities’ opinions on these contested projects.
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In the media...
- Yahoo News Australia quoted Professor Adrian Vickers about Australian TikToker Luke Erwin who posted videos of himself giving money to locals in Bali.
- ABC News and News.com quoted Professor Simon Butt on Indonesia’s new criminal code.
- Dr Natali Pearson’s new book on the Belitung shipwreck was reviewed in Inside Indonesia.
- Professor Emeritus Peter Windsor was quoted by The Land for an article about how Australia is working with Indonesia on livestock practices.
- Associate Professor Meru Sheel spoke to ABC Radio Brisbane about polio cases reported in Indonesia.
- Associate Professor Justin Beardsley was quoted on fungal infections, in light of the HBO series The Last of Us, for various outlets including the Sydney Morning Herald, Forbes and ABC News. Justin also penned a piece for The Conversation on the topic.
- ICYMI: Sydney PhD candidate Leyla Craig co-authored this article for the LSE blog on the Deaf community and disaster risk reduction in Vietnam.
- ALSO: Check out this excellent piece on the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences website featuring Sydney graduate and friend of SSEAC Jennifer Yang on language studies, art and Indonesia.
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Join the conversation!
SSEAC is connecting with thousands of individuals and organisations engaging in Southeast Asia every month on social media. Join the conversation to share your work, hear about our latest events and seminars, and be the first to know about grants, research, and opportunities in Southeast Asia.
If you have a recently published article, book review, or interview that you'd like to share with a Southeast Asia-focused community, let us know! Email sseac@sydney.edu.au with the details, or tag us in your tweet @seacsydney.
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