Join the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at Northern Illinois University for a talk by Prakirati Satasut, Professor of Anthropology at Thammasat University and Visiting Scholar of Anthropology and Buddhism at Harvard-Yenching Institute. Through the context of Thailand’s 2014 coup, Dr. Satasut proposes the politics of Buddhist protection as a contested domain where religious discourse becomes a vehicle for political participation.

Join the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the University of Michigan (U-M) for a talk by Scott Stonington, Associate Professor of Anthropology and internal medicine physician at U-M. In this talk, Dr. Stonington explores how religious practice might emerge in the face of domineering experiences, through interviews and participant observation with people coping with severe pain in Northern Thailand.

Join the Institute of Fine Arts at NYU for a talk by Dr. Jessica Rahardjo, Research Associate at the Khalili Research Centre, University of Oxford. Dr. Rahardjo’s lecture will explore the adoption of Islam in Indonesia through the adoption of specific tombstone forms and their subsequent transformations in Aceh and the Minangkabau highlands in western Sumatra.

Join the Weatherhead East Asian Institute at Columbia University for a talk by John Donaldson, Associate Professor of Political Science at the School of Social Sciences, Singapore Management University. Dr. Donaldson will discuss how poverty reduction can accompany slower, more sustainable growth, challenging dominant assumptions about scale, technology, and well-being. Nick Smith, Assistant Professor of Architecture and Urban Studies at Barnard College, will moderate the discussion.

Join the Southeast Asia Program (SEAP) at Cornell University for a talk by Dr. Liang Wu, a SEAP Postdoctoral Associate at Cornell University with affiliations in the Department of Science & Technology Studies and the interdepartmental consortium Cornell Oceans. Dr. Wu presents a case study of Filipino among other Southeast Asian seafarers working in the international shipping industry across the global oceans, thus expanding the conventional definition of “Maritime Southeast Asia” – the archipelagic region of Southeast Asian countries situated between Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Join the Council on Southeast Asia Studies at Yale University for a talk by Phil Acimovic, Lecturer in the Department of Music at Yale University, and a gamelan musician and composer. Acimovic will discuss how the gamelan courses at Yale address the challenges of spontaneity and flexibility of Javanese gamelan in two musical contexts, klenèngan (concert music) and wayang (shadow plays).

Join the Harvard University Asia Center and the Department of the History of Science at Harvard University for a talk by Merlyna Lim, Canada Research Professor, Founder/Director of ALiGN Media Lab, and Professor of Communication and Media Studies at Carleton University. This talk explores how algorithms prioritize emotional content, fostering "algorithmic enclaves" where users unite around shared identities and emotions among Southeast Asian netizens.

Join the LSE Saw Swee Hock Southeast Asian Center for a talk by Rianne Subijanto, Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Baruch College, City University of New York. Her book, Communication against Capital: Red Enlightenment at the Dawn of Indonesia, tells a story of the processes through which ordinary people mobilized an anticolonial communist resistance against Dutch rule through the production of revolutionary communication in the 1920s.

To celebrate the Year of the Horse, join the World’s Borough Bookshop for author/illustrator Aram Kim reading Tomorrow Is New Year’s Day and author Monique Truong reading Mai's Áo Dài. The book readings are followed by activities learning all about customs and traditions important to the Lunar New Year, including an art workshop for kids by Bonnie Wong and a lion dance performance.

Join the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute for a seminar assessing what to expect from the State Security and Peace Commission’s recent polls, which are viewed widely as being orchestrated to continue the military’s political dominance in Myanmar. Speakers include: Dr. Kyaw Yin Hlaing, Visiting Senior Fellow in the Myanmar Studies Program at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute and a visiting scholar at Cornell University, and Dr. Mary P. Callahan is an associate professor in the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington.

Join the Southeast Asia Program at Cornell University for a talk by Lydia O’Meara, Postdoctoral Fellow at the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability. Dr. O’Meara will explore how seasonal and environmental fluctuations in Timor-Leste shape access to nutrient-rich aquatic foods, while also providing insights into changes in marine biodiversity.

Join the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute for a roundtable discussing insights and innovative approaches to inform more responsive policymaking in order to address the needs and aspirations of Southeast Asia’s next generation. Speakers include: Professor Nina T. Castillo-Carandang, pioneering health sociologist at  the University of the Philippines’ College of Medicine; Shahhanim Yahya, Senior Research Executive for the Institute for Youth Research Malaysia; Voradon Lerdrat, Director of Research and Policy Partnerships at 101 Public Policy Think Tank (Thailand); Dr. Sari Damar Ratri, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Research (IFAR), Monash University Indonesia; Dr. Rayner Kay Jin Tan, Assistant Professor at the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System; and Dr. Tu-Anh Hoang, founder and Director of the Center for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population (CCIHP) and chair of the Vietnam Gender-based Violence Prevention and Response Network.

Join the Southeast Asia Program at Cornell University for a panel by Southeast Asian language faculty at Cornell on their experiences with, and contributions to, the Southeast Asian Language Council from 2019 to 2024. Speakers include: Yu Yu Khaing, Burmese Language Lecturer; Jolanda Mendaun Pandin, Senior Lecturer of Indonesian; Hannah Phan, Khmer Language Instructor; Thess Savella, Filipino Language Instructor and President of the Consortium for the Advancement of the Philippine Languages and Cultures; and Thúy Tranviet, Vietnamese Language Instructor.

Join the Council on Southeast Asia Studies at Yale University for a talk by Christina E. Firpo, Professor of Southeast Asian history at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. Dr. Firpo will discuss her new book, Beauty and the Nation, which explores the changing perspectives on Vietnamese women's beauty and their role in society during the interwar years.

Join Lofty Pigeon Books for the launch of The Blue House I Loved by Kao Kalia Yang and Jen Shin, a beautifully illustrated story of Hmong refugees’ beloved first home after arriving in the United States. The book launch consists of a reading by the Illustrator Jen Shin, followed by a conversation, Q&A, and book signing.

Join the Southeast Asia Program at Cornell University for a talk by Aditya Bhattacharjee, Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow from Asian Studies at Cornell University, who will discuss how new trends in popular Thai religion have influenced the beliefs and business practices of residents in New York state’s primary Thai enclaves.

Join NYSEAN for a live watch party of Thailand’s pivotal election, featuring a special discussion with Ms. Kunthida Rungruengkiat, former Deputy Leader of the Future Forward Party and current MPP candidate at Princeton University. Watch the vote count live, enjoy breakfast, and unpack what this election means for Thailand’s political future.

Join the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Department of Environmental Studies, and Department of Earth, Atmosphere, and Environment at Northern Illinois University for a talk by Matthew E. Andersen, Senior Scientist for Biology for the U.S. Geological Survey Office of International Programs. Having led the development of decision-support tools for the Lower Mekong River Basin in Southeast Asia, this talk will explore the history, geography, and socioeconomic science of the Mekong River Delta.

Join York University’s Canadian Southeast Asian Studies Initiative for a talk by Maria Victoria Espaldon, Professor and Scientist at the University of the Philippines - Los Baños. Dr. Espaldon will discuss Project SARAI (Smarter Approaches to Reinvigorate Agriculture as an Industry in the Philippines), a national initiative to support the resilience and sustainability of small scale farming.

Join the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute for an ASEAN lecture by Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Philippines and former Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Affairs, who will discuss the priorities of the Philippines during its Chairmanship of ASEAN in 2026.

Join York University’s Canadian Southeast Asian Studies Initiative for a talk by Dr. Valerie Francisco-Menchavez, Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Sexuality Studies at San Francisco State University, who will discuss her new book, Caring for Caregivers. The book centers the perspectives of Filipino caregivers in the San Francisco Bay Area from 2013 to 2021, illuminating their transnational experiences and the strategies and practices they employ to help one another navigate the crumbling US healthcare system.

Join the Southeast Asia Program at Cornell University for a talk by Patrick Daly, a Staff Scientist for Sustainability and Resilience in the Department of Anthropology at Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Daly synthesizes nearly two decades of historical and geo-archaeological research in Aceh, Indonesia to build a detailed paleo-tsunami history, demonstrating that the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was the latest in a 7,000-year history of recurring, massive events in the region.

Join the Center of Southeast Asian Studies at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa for a panel on how Southeast Asia responds to intensifying climate disasters through Indigenous knowledge, scientific innovation, and community resilience. Panelists include: Charles Ham, Vice Director for Academic Affairs at Politeknik Bentara Citra Bangsa Indonesia; Mary-Gardner Coppola, Pacific Disaster Center Chief of Staff; and Indrajit Pal, Associate Professor and Chair of Disaster Preparedness at the Asian Institute of Technology.

Join the Council on Southeast Asian Studies at Yale University for a talk by sociocultural anthropologist Eve M. Zucker, Yale University, NYSEAN Executive Member, and President of the Center for Khmer Studies. Building on previous research, her talk explores historical memory, territoriality, and post-conflict repair through the transformation of a Khmer Rouge monument into a shrine for a powerful guardian spirit known for defending Cambodia against historical Siamese invasions and protecting contemporary travelers.

Join the Stimson Center for a two-part webinar analyzing the junta-led elections in Myanmar and their implications for Myanmar’s political landscape and stakeholders as the military regime shapes itself. Speakers include: Min Zin, Executive Director of ISP-Myanmar; Morgan Michaels, Research Fellow for Southeast Asian Security and Defence at the International Institute for Strategic Studies; H.E. Moe Zaw Oo, Foreign Affairs Advisor, National Unity Government; Moe Thuzar, Senior Fellow and Myanmar Studies Program Coordinator at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute; Amara Thiha, Stimson Nonresident Fellow; Steve Ross, Stimson Senior Fellow; and Yun Sun, Senior Fellow of the Myanmar Project and Co-Director of the East Asia Program at Stimson.

Join the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute for a webinar exploring the key issues shaping Thailand’s 2026 general election. Speakers include Mathis Lohatepanont, Political Science Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Michigan, and Thanisara Ruangdej (GG), the CEO and Co-founder of WeVis, a civic technology group advancing Thailand’s participatory democracy through open data.

Join the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor for a talk by Adam Bobbette, geographer and Lecturer in Political Geology at the University of Glasgow. Professor Bobbette’s talk explores how the modern earth and environmental sciences were shaped by Indonesian intellectuals and knowledge traditions on the slopes of Javanese volcanoes.

Join the Southeast Asia Program at Cornell University for a talk by Mark Sanchez, Assistant Professor of Asian and Asian American Studies at Vanderbilt University, who will discuss how legal advocates fought to defend civil liberties during the martial law era in the Philippines (1972-1981).

Join NYSEAN and the NYU Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute for a screening of short films from Democratic Voice of Burma and PBS on the fifth anniversary of the coup in Myanmar. The film screenings will be followed by a discussion with May Sabe Phyu, a Kachin social worker and activist, and Dr. Kyaw Moe Tun, President and Founder of Parami University.

Join the Vietnam Studies Program at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute for a talk by Le Duy Binh, Chief Economist and Managing Director of Economica Vietnam, and Long Tran, Head of Research at BIDV Securities (BSC), one of Vietnam’s oldest and most prominent securities firms. These experts will provide an analysis of Vietnam’s economic performance in 2025, assess its outlook for 2026, and evaluate whether Vietnam is ready for a new “Era of National Rise.”