SSEAC Newsletter
December 2024 edition
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Sydney Southeast Asia CentreFostering impactful research and trusted knowledge partnerships in Southeast Asia
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 | Top: Keynote speaker Nicholas Moore AO, Special Envoy for Southeast Asia; Centre: Professor Greg Fox presents Ignition Grant cheque to Associate Professor Sonia Liu; (L–R) Associate Professor Jane Gavan, Associate Professor Petr Matous, Professor Susan Park, Dr Kerrie Wiley and Dr Jennifer Ferng shared their research impact in Southeast Asia in a panel chaired by Professor Tiho Ancev; postgraduate workshop facilitated by PhD candidate Emily Nabong and Dr Natali Pearson; Bottom: (L–R) Professor Justin Hastings, Wicky West (Research Operations), Professor Ancev (Chair) and Barnaby Caddy (Advancement Portfolio) spoke on research funding opportunities and partnerships; SSEAC Strategy 2024–2029 officially launched; (L–R) Professor Budiman Minasny, Professor Adrian Vickers and Associate Professor Susan Banki provided insights on becoming outstanding research partners in the region.
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Inaugural Research Innovation Symposium a huge success
SSEAC held its inaugural Sydney Southeast Asia Research Innovation Symposium in November, a jam-packed event which brought together SSEAC members and the wider University community to expand interdisciplinary collaborations and foster new research engagement in the region.
It was also an opportunity to officially launch the SSEAC Strategy 2024–2029 and its three key pillars – research excellence, connecting the University to the region and research impact – which formed the backdrop for the Symposium. In her opening remarks, Professor Kathy Belov, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Global and Research Engagement), noted that the Strategy will allow SSEAC to drive the academic performance of the University in Southeast Asia and advance progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The event featured a keynote address by Mr Nicholas Moore AO, Special Envoy for Southeast Asia, who spoke on growing Australia’s engagement in the region, the importance of research and development and the role of universities in developing skills and projects in Southeast Asia. A podcast recorded following his speech is available on SSEAC Stories. SSEAC members showcased their research impact and provided insights on how to be an outstanding research partner in the region. A panel focused on research funding opportunities in Southeast Asia also proved popular. The Symposium concluded with two $100,000 SSEAC Ignition Grants awarded for multidisciplinary collaborative projects. A postgraduate workshop was held ahead of the Symposium where students worked together to develop proposals for “hypothetical” fundable multidisciplinary research projects, mirroring the theme of the event.
Over 150 participants attended the Symposium and its associated postgraduate workshop. Thank you to all of our panellists, Chairs, facilitators and all who attended for making it a fantastic event. Congratulations to all involved for a successful Symposium!
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- ASEAN-Australia Centre: 2024-25 Grants | closes 10 January 2025, 12:00pm (ACT Local Time). Three priority areas: creative industry exchange initiatives; cultural initiatives focused on creating market development opportunities; Southeast Asia literacy in Australian business, government, the education and training system.
- Australia-Indonesia Institute Grant Program | closes 14 January 2025, 1:00pm (ACT Local Time). Priority areas: Education, language and Indonesian studies; Arts and culture; Health and science; Digital innovation and technology; Economic and business engagement; Youth and sport; Media; Religion.
- Wellcome Photography Prize | closes 14 January 2025. Photographers and biomedical image makers from all disciplines and levels are eligible to enter. The Wellcome Photography Prize is looking for entries that can captivate people with stories of health, science and human experience. Four core areas: Mental health; Infectious disease; Climate and health; Discovery research. The winner of each category (solo photography, storytelling series, and scientific and medical imaging) will receive £10,000. The top 25 entries will be shown in a major public exhibition in London.
- ASEAN-Australia Young Women Entrepreneurs' Exchange Program | closes 17 January 2025, 2:00pm (ACT Local Time). The ASEAN-Australia Centre is looking for an Australian organisation that is majority owned and led by women to work with them to develop and deliver the ASEAN-Australia Young Women Entrepreneurs Exchange Program. Total of $1.8 million over four years (2024–25 to 2027–28) or a max of $450,000 per year.
- Google Research Scholar Program | opens 20 December 2024 | closes 27 January 2025. Applications are open to academic researchers currently advising students and conducting research in technology and computing at institutions. Applicants must be a full-time assistant, associate or professor at a university or degree-granting research institution and have received their PhD within seven years at the time of the application submission.
- NMHRC Research Excellence and Biennial Awards | nominations close 31 January 2025, 5:00pm (AEDT). These awards recognise excellence in the health and medical research sector.
- Quad Clean Energy Supply Chain Diversification Program: closes 10 February 2025.
Up to A$25 million available, with grants ranging from A$100,000 to A$2.5 million. A second round of applications is expected to open in the second half of 2025. More information
- 2025 NMHRC e-ASIA Joint Research Program | scheduled to open December 2024. The e-ASIA JRP is an international joint initiative focused on Southeast Asia that aims to strengthen regional research and development capabilities and resolve common challenges in the region. Three research areas are endorsed for this 14th call for proposals: Health (infectious diseases and immunology); Disaster risk reduction and management; and Alternative energy. See the e-Asia website for further information.
Contact SSEAC at sseac@sydney.edu.au for assistance with grant applications relating to Southeast Asia.
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Upcoming opportunities
- SSEAC seed funding | opens January 2025 | closes 28 February 2025. SSEAC is pleased to announce a new round of seed funding will open in early 2025. Stay tuned to our mailouts and follow us on Facebook and X for more information coming soon.
- ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) | opens 30 January 2025 | closes 18 March 2025. University of Sydney Information Session, Wednesday 5 February 2025. Register here.
- 2025 NHMRC-GACD funding call | opens 4 February 2025 | participating funding agencies confirmed 28 March 2025 | first stage proposal closes 16 June 2025. The 10th Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases funding call will focus on implementation research addressing strategies for equitable health systems and outcomes to reduce the prevalence and impact of non-communicable diseases in LMICs. See also future GACD funding call topics, 2025 to 2027.
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Natali Pearson moving to FASS
This month we say farewell to our outstanding Curriculum Coordinator, Dr Natali Pearson. Over the past nine years, including two years as postgraduate coordinator, Natali has been an integral part of SSEAC, leading 12 postgraduate and undergraduate field schools to the region, hosting the SSEAC Stories podcast, running our popular writing retreats, supporting early-career researchers through workshops and events, and overseeing the development of a vibrant community of researchers across all disciplines engaged in Southeast Asia. Natali has been awarded a prestigious Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) to undertake research on maritime heritage diplomacy and sunken warships in Malaysia, Indonesia and Timor-Leste. “Although taking up the DECRA necessarily means the end of my formal role in SSEAC, I look forward to remaining a part of the broader community of Southeast Asia-engaged scholars here at the University,” Natali said. In 2025, Natali will move to the Discipline of Archaeology in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences to start her three-year DECRA research fellowship. “Natali has made an incredible contribution to the success of SSEAC over the past nine years. We wish her every success in this new chapter of her academic career,” said interim Director Professor Greg Fox. While Natali will be sorely missed, we look forward to hearing about her research in the region. We wish her all the very best for the future!
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 | Professor Greg Fox presents Ignition Grant cheque to Professor Michael Dibley at the Sydney Southeast Asia Research Innovation Symposium
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SSEAC 2024 grant scheme winners
SSEAC is pleased to announce the winners of the 2024 SSEAC Ignition and Incubator Grant schemes. Over $370,000 in new funding was awarded to established and emerging researchers across 11 collaborative research projects across a range of disciplines.
Congratulations to Ignition Grant winners Professor Michael Dibley (School of Public Health) and Associate Professor Sonia Liu (School of Life and Environmental Sciences). A third Ignition Grant co-funded with the Net Zero Institute was awarded to Associate Professor Alejandro Montoya (School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering). A number of Incubator Grants were also awarded across a range of research areas and disciplines.
Stay tuned for a new round of seed funding to be announced in early 2025.
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Over $3m in ACIAR funding awarded for transformative project in Cambodia
Congratulations to Associate Professor Aim Sinpeng, Professor Daniel Tan and Dr Rebecca Cross who are part of a research team awarded $3.2 million in funding from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). The five-year project aims to build the technological and socio-economic foundations for the design, manufacture and field evaluation of electric and smart two-wheel tractors that also integrate precision agriculture capability. The electrification of small tractors coupled with the adoption of precision agriculture technologies has potential to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of small-scale farming practices, and address some of the key challenges facing the agricultural sector in Cambodia including labour shortages and skill gaps, inefficient agricultural practices and operations, and environmental degradation. The project also plans to address improper use and dependency on chemicals for weed control.
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ARC Linkage Project: Employment prospects for people with disability in Timor-Leste Congratulations to Professor Michele Ford (Discipline of Asian Studies), Dr Margaret Spencer (Social Work), Dr Kim Bulkeley (Occupational Therapy) and other Sydney and Timorese colleagues on being awarded an Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Project, one of eight University of Sydney projects to receive the grant. The project aims to identify, and find ways to overcome, barriers to formal-sector employment for people with disability in Timor-Leste. The project is a collaboration with a number of industry partners including the National Disabled People’s Organisation in Timor-Leste, Timor Leste Deficiency Association, Union Aid Abroad-Apheda and The Asia Foundation. Expected outcomes include providing a robust evidence base that will help Timor-Leste’s leading Disabled People’s Organisations in their policy advocacy and training work with government and large employers.
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 | Associate Professor Aim Sinpeng
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ARC Discovery Project: AI risks to human rights in Southeast Asia
Professor Michele Ford (Discipline of Asian Studies) was also successful in receiving funding for an Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Project together with Associate Professor Aim Sinpeng (Discipline of Government and International Relations), Associate Professor Petr Matous (School of Project Management) and other colleagues at Sydney and internationally. The project aims to assess the role of generative artificial intelligence in digital attacks on freedom of association and attempts to resist them in Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand. Expected outcomes include a typology of digital attacks and responses to them and a prototype large language model capable of generating counter narratives. Congratulations to the project team on this significant funding.
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Sophie Chao wins prestigious AASS Paul Bourke Award
Congratulations to Dr Sophie Chao, who was awarded a 2024 Paul Bourke Award for Early Career Research by the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia. The award recognises Dr Chao’s anthropological research and the significant contribution it makes to our understanding of ecology, health, capitalism and justice in the Asia-Pacific region. This research includes her multiple award-winning monograph, In the Shadow of the Palms: More-Than-Human Becomings in West Papua.
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Sonia Liu appointed to ARC College of Experts
Associate Professor Sonia Liu (School of Life and Environmental Sciences) is one of eight University of Sydney researchers out of a larger cohort of 123 new members appointed to the Australian Research Council (ARC) College of Experts for 2025. ARC College of Experts play a crucial role in identifying research excellence, moderating external assessments of research grant proposals and recommending projects to be funded by the National Competitive Grants Program. Congratulations Sonia!
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Vanessa Hayes elected to Australian Academy
Congratulations to Professor Vanessa Hayes, who has been elected a fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences. Fellows are elected by their peers for their significant and continuing contributions to health and medical sciences. Professor Hayes is the Petre Chair of Prostate Cancer Research in the School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health.
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Highly cited researchers recognised
Three SSEAC members – Dr Fengwang Li (School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering), Professor Budiman Minasny (School of Life and Environmental Sciences) and Professor Dietmar Muller (School of Geosciences) – were among the 26 University of Sydney academics recognised as leaders in their field in the 2024 Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers list. The list recognises researchers who have authored multiple highly cited papers that rank in the top 1% in the Web of Science over the past decade, and whose research has demonstrated significant and broad influence in their field.
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Top researchers in Australia named
The Australian’s 2025 Research Magazine has named a number of University of Sydney researchers as leaders in their respective fields nationally. Congratulations to the six SSEAC members who were recognised for their research excellence in the following fields:
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Sustainability Education Literacy Award
Congratulations to Associate Professor Rosanne Quinnell, Dr Rebecca Cross and Professor Daniel Tan, whose World Bank funded project, Co-creation of a Agroecology Curriculum Supporting Sustainable Agriculture In Cambodia, was shortlisted for the Sustainability Education Literacy Award. The 2024 QS Reimagine Education Awards received over 1,300 submissions across 18 award categories. Their project ranked in the top 25% in a very competitive field!
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Recent events
—news on workshops, webinars, partnerships and more
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|  | Co-convenor Professor Sonja van Wichelen (second from left) presented closing remarks at the conference
| |  | PhD candidate Umar (second from right) took out the Best Paper Award
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7th Human Rights Conference
Co-convened by Dr Al Khanif, Centre for Human Rights, Multiculturalism, and Migration at University of Jember, Dr Muktiono, Universitas Brawijaya and Indonesian Consortium for Human Rights Lecturers (SEPAHAM), and Professor Sonja van Wichelen, SSEAC at the University of Syndey, the theme of this year’s conference was “Human Rights, Peace, and Innovation in Asia and the Pacific: A Synergistic Approach to Sustainable Societies”. Plenary presentations included Indonesia’s human rights diplomacy in ASEAN, driving innovation in human rights assessment, and innovative and collaborative human rights policies to promote peace for a sustainable society. Research and debate presented in the many panel sessions during the conference ranged from how social media can empower communities with disabilities in Indonesia and how to make AI work better for healthcare, to many recommendations to better the situation for migrants, women, children, indigenous communities and the more-than-human world. Congratulations to SSEAC member and PhD candidate Umar, whose paper “Communicating Disability Rights: A Disability and Parent Perspective” received the Best Paper Award.
The call for papers for the 8th Human Rights Conference is opening soon. Stay tuned to our socials (Facebook and X) for updates.
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SEA-Collections Exhibition launch
The project builds on a series of workshops with partners in Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei and the Philippines, in which the University of Sydney and Southeast Asia Museum Services (SEAMS) worked with museum professionals to assess and reimagine cultural objects in museum collections. In his opening remarks, Carlo White of the AAC noted that the project exemplifies the collaboration and innovation the Centre is seeking to achieve in the region.
The co-curated digital exhibition showcases the diverse and interconnected maritime heritage of Southeast Asia and Australia. It features cultural objects from the National Maritime Museum (Thailand), Marine Heritage Gallery (Indonesia), Brunei Darussalam Maritime Museum, Ayala Museum (Philippines) and, in Australia, Chau Chak Wing Museum, Australian National Maritime Museum and the Art Gallery of New South Wales, which were briefly discussed by each of the partner museums at the launch.
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MOUs highlight commitment to collaborative research and training
Professor Michael Dibley travelled to Jakarta in October for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the University of Sydney and the Ministry of National Development Planning/National Development Planning Agency (BAPPENAS). The MoU recognises the benefits of strategic cooperation within partnerships in strengthening national development planning and supporting evidence-based policy. It also reinforces both parties’ commitment to research collaboration focused on the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In December, the University of Sydney and Universidade Nacional Timor Lorosa'e (UNTL) in Timor-Leste signed an MoU expressing a shared desire to renew a University-wide cooperative arrangement to participate in collaborative teaching, training, research and other agreed activities that further enhance the relationship between the two institutions.
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Fully funded PhD scholarship at University of Sydney: Research on media and digital platforms in Vietnam
The Discipline of Media and Communication, with support from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and the Sydney Vietnam Institute, is pleased to offer a full scholarship for a candidate interested in studying the platform society within Vietnam. The candidate will be based in Sydney with the opportunity to travel to Vietnam during their candidature to conduct fieldwork. The project, while independently managed by the candidate, is part of the larger Sydney Vietnam Institute’s Media Innovation Hub that will spend the next five years researching Vietnamese digital media.
The successful candidate will specifically be interested in how platformization in Vietnam operates to align with the Vietnam Media and Platforms node.
Questions can be directed to Associate Professor Jonathon Hutchinson: jonathon.hutchinson@sydney.edu.au.
Applications close 19 December 2024, 11.59pm (AEDT)
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Science Meets Parliament 2025
Science Meets Parliament is a professional development and networking opportunity for people who want to understand how to interact with government, learn how successful advocacy is achieved, how to speak about their own science with confidence and network with Australia's STEM leadership.
SSEAC’s STA membership covers all University of Sydney SSEAC members.
Early bird registration closes: 8 January 2025
When and where: 12 and 13 February 2025, Canberra
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Asialink Leaders Program
The Asialink Leaders Program develops Asia capability in both emerging and established leaders. The program provides deep insights, develops practical skills and cultivates invaluable networks crucial for success.
Program delivered in Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane and Sydney as well as online through the Asialink Virtual Hub over the course of the year.
Early bird closes: 18 December 2024
Registrations close: 13 February 2025
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SSEAC Stories is the flagship Podcast of the Sydney Southeast Asia Centre. It features interviews with leading experts on Southeast Asia from across the University and the region. SSEAC Stories is available on the NBN website and all the main podcasting apps: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more!
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Investing in Southeast Asia: Key Insights for Australian Researchers
Southeast Asia is expected to be the fourth largest economy in the world by 2040, with its middle class already numbering close to 200 million people. Recognising the crucial significance of Southeast Asia to Australia, the Australian Government released Invested: Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040 in September 2023, which provides a roadmap to deepening our economic engagement and increasing two-way trade and investment with the region. In this podcast, Nicholas Moore AO, Special Envoy for Southeast Asia, who led the development of this national strategy, speaks with Dr Natali Pearson on why Southeast Asia is important to Australia, Asia literacy, and capability and research building in the region. Listen here
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 | “The Languages of Indonesian Politics” revisited
The seminal 1966 paper “The Languages of Indonesian Politics” explored the development of Indonesian as a new language for talking about national politics. Six decades on, how do we understand the ‘languages’ of Indonesian politics? How are figures of politics constituted through language? Associate Professor Dwi Noverini Djenar explores these questions, and the history of the national language and its importance to understanding socio-political change in Indonesia today. | |  | Lesbian Poetry in the Philippines
Dr Naomi Cammayo is a communications professional and occasional poet whose academic/literary interests are within the fields of poetry, Philippine Studies, lesbian feminism and queer feminism. In this episode, Dr Cammay discusses lesbian poetry as a form of socio-political praxis in the Philippine context. She argues that lesbian writing – by lesbians and about lesbians – is a form of activism and decolonial praxis, as well as an important form of political identity.
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In the media
- Professor Justin Hastings wrote for East Asia Forum on what Australia’s new defence deal with Indonesia means for regional security. He was also quoted in Indo-Pacific Defence Forum.
- PhD student and SSEC member Kyaw Myat Thu was featured in University of Sydney News on his journey from Myanmar to Sydney.
- Dr Jocelyne Basseal and Professor Ben Marais wrote for The Conversation on Australia’s COVID inquiry and the need for an Australian Centre for Disease Control.
- Associate Professor Meru Sheel was mentioned in a Deutsche Welle article on Malaysia’s struggles to halt European plastic waste imports.
- Professor Thu-Anh Nguyen was featured in BioSpectrum Asia on the role of the Sydney Vietnam Institute in knowledge exchange and partnerships in Vietnam and the region.
- Dr Sandra Seno shared insights from her research journey to Tacloban City, Philippines, in Sydney Environment Institute News.
- Professor Michael Ward was featured in a Cosmos on disease spillover from wild to domestic animals.
- The SSEAC Leadership Team’s visit with Vietnam’s Ambassador to Australia, H.E. Mr Pham Hung Tam, was reported in the Vietnam Times.
- Dr Natali Pearson was mentioned in the Borneo Bulletin, which reported on the launch of the SEA-Collections Exhibition.
- ICYMI: Professor Daniel Tan was interviewed by Standards Australia for a video on the transformational impact of AgTech on food security and sustainability in ASEAN.
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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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