Staff research expertise

Southeast Asia continues to witness transformations in politics, economics, culture, and society. Many of these shifts are reflected in the region’s economic growth, rising living standards, impressive performance in broader human development indicators, expansion of political and civic spaces for citizen engagement, and greater economic and social interactions across Southeast Asia and with other parts of the world. There have also been important developments in literature, cinema and popular culture. Yet, amidst these progressive shifts are also signs of deep conflict and fragmentation, visible in the huge economic and social disparities in the region, suppression of political and civil rights, security challenges, environmental degradation, and clashes over value systems.

The School of Arts and Social Sciences (SASS) is well placed to explore these complexities. SASS hosts a dynamic set of research active scholars from diverse disciplinary backgrounds in the humanities and social sciences - anthropology, communication and media studies, comparative and international political economy, cultural studies, education, international relations, gender studies, film and screen studies, journalism, literary studies, political science, religious studies and sociology. SASS scholars follow the broad range of methods used in the humanities and social sciences. Underpinning these scholarly enquiries is a critical and ethical attitude that seeks to link scholarship with praxis—making a difference to people and communities. Towards this goal, SASS academics are actively networked through national and international research collaborations as well as through engaging NGOs, international organisations, industry, governments and communities. Our small but vibrant graduate student community is an integral part of SASS research. We believe that this multidisciplinary and collaborative approach to research is best suited to exploring, understanding and explaining the complex and dynamic social transformations in Southeast Asia.

Politics, Development and Governance

Scholars in this cluster consider how the nexus between politics, development, and governance plays out in Southeast Asia, a region caught between a globalising world and local networks of power and privilege, exploring also the impact of these domestic and regional shifts on Southeast Asia’s international relations.

Culture, Religion and Gender

This cluster focuses on how people and communities negotiate cultural, religious and gender diversity and examines the social and political implications of the interaction or collision of cultures that results from the shrinking of social space.

Literature, Cinema and Society

Scholars in this cluster explore the aesthetic, cultural, economic, narrative and political dimensions of literature, cinema and other screen media.

Communication, Media and Policy

This cluster explores shifts in technology and media and their impact on everyday communication and consumption, education delivery, learning, and teaching, as well as the political and social possibilities and limitations of these changes.