5 1 0 2 - 4 1 0 2 , 2 1 . o inin f fTThhee CCooeenntteerr cfcfoorr KKhhuummeerr SSstts uuddiieess N in THis issuE Welcome to cKs 3 ARTisTs AT WoRK Lois DE MEniL , PREsiDEnT BEYonD BoRDERs : A cKs PHoToGRAPHic EXHiBiTion WoRK in PRoGREss : THE cKs-nMc coLLEcTion DATABAsE Director’s note 4-5 KRisnA uK cKs Programs 20-23 suMMER JunioR REsiDEnT fELLoWsHiP PRoGRAM Members & Benefactors 6-7 THE KHMER LAnGuAGE AnD cuLTuRE sTuDY PRoGRAM oLiViER BERniER , VicE -PREsiDEnT BuDDHisM AnD sERVicE LEARninG in cAMBoDiA The cKs Library and The children’s feature Article 24-25 Library project 8-9 THE RoYAL PALAcE WoRKsHoP of AnGKoR JAcQuEs HEnnEsssY Publishing & Translation 26 Activities & Projects 10-19 SiKSāCAKR oN CoLoNiALiSM , V oLUME ii confEREncEs AnD WoRKsHoPs WoRKsHoP foR cAMBoDiAn REsEARcHERs senior fellows 27-31 cKs H osTs inTERnATionAL HisToRY confEREncE sEA T RAVEL GRAnT foR cAMBoDiAn scHoLARs THE GiAnT PuPPET PRoJEcT VoicEs TRAVEL WiTH cKs A JoinT iniTiATiVE To PRoViDE Gis/L iDAR TRAininG To THE APsARA AuTHoRiTY Repatriation of Bhima, Duryodhana and Balarama. image courtesy and copyright nMc Mission Statement The Center for Khmer Studies supports research, teaching and public service in the social sciences, arts and humanities in Cambodia and the Mekong region. CKS seeks to: •Promote research and international scholarly exchange by programs that increase understanding of Cambodia and its region, •Strengthen Cambodia’s cultural and educational struc - tures, and integrate Cambodian scholars into regional and international exchange, •Promote a vigorous civil society. CKS is an American Overseas Research Center supported by a consortium of educational institutions, scholars and individuals. It is incorporated in the state of Delaware, USA. It receives partial support for overhead and American and Cambodian fellowships from the US Government. Its programs are privately funded. CKS is the sole member institution of the Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC) in Kamaleswar Bhattacharya at Kbal Spean mainland Southeast Asia. In Memoriam CKS’s programs are administered from cKs mourns the loss of its long-time Board member, Dr. Kamaleswar its headquarters in Siem Reap and Bhattacharya, distinguished sanskrit scholar and epigraphist. Board of Directors from Phnom Penh. It maintains a Prof. Bhattacharya caringly mentored a next generation of scholars. small administrative office in He was a willing companion in visits to Khmer temples, where he delighted New York and a support in sharing his vast knowledge of sanskrit by deciphering inscriptions Lois de Menil, Ph.D., President on the spot, and often by then singing the ancient sutras. Anne H. Bass, Vice-President office in Paris, Les olivier Bernier, Vice-President Amis du Centre Robert Lewis, Esq., secretary d’Etudes Gaye fugate, Treasurer Khmeres. CKS S TAFF Prof. Alan Kolata, univ. of chicago, senior scholar Krisna uk, Ph.D., Director, ex officio Krisna uk Executive Director Prof. Michel Rethy Antelme, inALco, Paris chheat sreang Program coordinator Emma c. Bunker, Denver Art Museum nop sovanna finance officer Prof. Kieth Rethy chhem, cDRi, Phnom Penh, cambodia Tith sreypich Administrative officer Douglas clayton, Phnom Penh, cambodia Darryl collins, siem Reap, cambo dia oum Daraneth Head Librarian Prof. Penny Edwards, university of california, Berkeley chhor sivleng Research Librarian Alan feinstein, Bangkok norng chealiny Assistant Librarian Prof. Bion Griffin, university of Hawai’i at Mānoa Prof. Peter J. Hammer, Wayne state university Law school, Mi sim Puthea Administrative officer, Phnom Penh Prof. Anne Hansen, university of Wisconsin, Madison nicola Bailey Administrative officer, new York Jacques Hennessy, Valletta, Malta Yem Yoeun Publishing and iT coordinator Prof. charnvit Kasetsiri, Thammasat university, Bangkok Michael Parsons outreach and communications coordinator Mary Ellen Lane, Ph.D., Washington, D.c. nancy Lassalle, new York Michel Rethy Antelme Editor, Siksācakr Journal Prof. Boreth Ly, university of california, santa cruz Kuy saran Housekeeper, Phnom Penh Prof. Andrew Mertha, cornell university Tim sokhom night Guard, Phnom Penh Prof. John Miksic, national university of singapore Kong sitha Week-end Guard, Phnom Penh steven Pesner, Esq., new York, nY Mary L. Porter, Houston, TX Prum savy Week-end Guard, Phnom Penh Prof. son soubert, Royal university of fine Arts, cambodia Lim Teur Day Guard, siem Reap The Hon. Benny Widyono, Ph.D., united nations (ret.) Tan Teuy Day Guard, siem Reap Bonnie Burnham, chairman Emeritus Prof. Thak chaloemtiarana, cornell university, Trustee Emeritus so sopheap night Guard, siem Reap selma Ertegun, new York, nY, Trustee Emeritus sieng saroeum night Guard, siem Reap 2 in focus WELcoME To cKs ! elcome to CKS, the Director organized a panel of young Cambodian scholars at American Overseas the annual meetings of the Association for Asian Studies in Research Center in Philadelphia. This meeting is a huge, multi-day event, with WCambodia. In the spirit of all panels on topics covering all fields of Asia. Exchanges are in American Centers abroad, CKS’ English, and they are quick and pointed. The Cambodian doors have been open to all participants got right into the full swing of things. I crossed since its founding in 1999, paths with them participating in many different programs, when Cambodia was still a chatting to colleagues in the halls and lounges. It was a long provincial world. But we have way from the isolation of earlier years. This CKS panel was always had a wider vision for so impressively successful that it encouraged our Director CKS. After 15 years of sus - to do it again for the first AAS-sponsored conference in tained work, our Cambodian Asia, in Singapore, this summer. The young scholars spon - Lois de Menil, President and American students and sored by CKS are there, as I write. They are now, for the first scholars now work side by side with researchers of many time, active participants in the global world of scholarly other nationalities. Students of all grade levels, Ph.D. thesis exchange on Asia, and full partners with their colleagues research students, prominent research scholars and abroad. Buddhist monks all fill our library reading room. Last year, we opened a section of the reading room to local children. At the same time, Southeast Asian Study Centers at major Our Board now consists of representatives of American U.S. universities are drawing more students than ever partner institutions and committed donors, but also schol - ars from Cambodia, France, Australia and Thailand. Over the years, the focus of our activities has evolved with the exponential growth of interest in Cambodia and Southeast Asia. Most exciting for us is the coming of age of a new generation of Cambodian students eager for higher education. Ten years ago, we ran seminars to introduce these students to basic research methods and techniques for the analysis of texts. Now, with the emergence of an expanded community of Cambodian scholars supported by CKS, we offer a wide range of public lectures and work - shops that run the gamut from ancient and recent history to urban planning, regional economic integration and other subjects of interest to our research scholars. We invite young Ph.D. candidates, who benefit from our fellowship program, to give lectures on their research topics. Even our cKs-sponsored panel at the inaugural conference of Trustees join in. We had an audience of over 700 for a recent the Association for Asian studies, in singapore lecture on Cambodian Economic Development in a Southeast Asian Context by Trustee Ambassador Benny Widyono. Part before. Partly, this is a reflection of the globalization of the of that audience includes our ever-growing alumni network world. But it is also the result of the first generation of the of CKS Fellows. The spirit of open debate is catching—once children of Cambodian communities inside the United young scholars come to CKS, they become part of the family States reaching the level of university and graduate studies. and want to continue those discussions. These students are increasingly applying to CKS programs, too. We at CKS are pleased to be at the crossroads of these Today CKS looks both inward and outward. Although we new directions, accomplishments and developments in our focus on Cambodia, the country’s international profile has field. expanded to encompass Southeast Asia and beyond. We see our role increasingly as opening doors of opportunity. We Your support makes our programs possible. Those open them for Cambodian students seeking to pursue described in these pages give a small sample of all that is research activities and new fields of scholarship beyond going on. Welcome to CKS! their national borders. We also facilitate the work of foreign scholars embarking on research in the region. We now also Lois de Menil, Ph.D. offer a full-fledged in-country summer program for those President seeking to master the Khmer language. This year we reached a milestone in our efforts to support Cambodian higher education. In March, our Executive in focus 3 DDiiRREEccTTooRR ’’ss nnooTTEE his year, the Center for Khmer Studies reaches 15 years Our lecture series, meanwhile has showcased a wide range of age. This happy anniversary offers a suitable van - of presentations from history topics such as “Murder, tage point both to reflect on the partnerships and inno - Museums and Memory Holes: Comparing Cold War Public Tvations that have underpinned its accomplishments to date; History in Jakarta and Ho Chi Minh City” to geo-political and to look ahead towards CKS’ ever broadening horizons. ones including “U.S. rebalancing in Asia” by the U.S. Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission, Mr. Jeff Daigle. One such example of a successful partnership is our project with the National Museum of Cambodia, which has been Alongside our lecture series, our latest initiative: the CKS made possible by the generous and long-standing support film series has attracted an enthusiastic audience.