Archives

I have come to CSEAS, Kyoto University primarily to work on two projects. The first is to do some research and write a short paper on the role of Japan, both governmental and non-governmental institutions, in promoting intellectual exchanges within and amongst the ASEAN countries. Currently there are several institutions in Japan that actively finance scholarly exchanges between Japanese and Southeast Asian scholars, which ironically provide the only opportunities for Southeast Asian academics and intellectuals to learn about their ASEAN neighbours. As ASEAN moves towards a more people-centred organisation such a people-to-people exchange, especially amongst academics will become critical in raising awareness about ASEAN. The strategic role of Japan in this field will be examined critically. The second project is a long-term one, namely to start writing a handbook on Indonesian foreign policy aimed at the general readers, looking at the key factors and key relations.