Center for Southeast Asian Studies
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The University of Michigan Winter 2008 Center for Southeast Asian Studies Inside this Issue: Program News (p. 1) Faculty News(p. 2) Southeast Asian Language, Linguistics and Literature at Michigan (pp. 3-5) Linguistics Alumni News (p. 6) Student News (p. 11) Alumni News (p. 12) Student Transportation at Khon Kaen University, 2006 Photo by Ryan Hoover From CSEAS Director Professor Linda Lim Our Focus in this News- And we note with pride the ongoing The Center also just underwent an exter- letter is on our alumni contributions of our alumni from South- nal review, the results of which were very in Southeast Asian Lin- east Asia who returned to help develop positive. Looking ahead, I will be taking a guistics and Literature, the academic capacities of their home na- hiatus from the Director’s position for my who have made major tions, as researchers, teachers and artists, sabbatical, leaving the Center in the capa- contributions to the both in academia and in the public lives ble hands of Allen Hicken, who will serve field in their research, of their countries. as Interim Director. In the meantime, both teaching, and above Allen and I will be participating in a major all, their academic and The semester just past has been notable all-University of Michigan alumni event professional leadership not just for our usual slew of lectures in Bangkok in June, the first of what we and entrepreneurship. and other events (which can be viewed hope will be other such events elsewhere It has been most rewarding for me to in- on our new website www.ii.umich.edu/ in the region in future. Also a first this teract with those who generously provid- cseas), but also for the memorable visits summer are undergraduate study-tours ed their time, their bios, photos and news of each other, especially as many of them were my own graduate student contem- poraries at Michigan. The exercise also “I will be taking a hiatus from the Director’s gave us the opportunity to review the position for my sabbatical, leaving the Center signal contributions of our own faculty to the scholarly field, and more importantly, in the capable hands of Allen Hicken, who will to the professional and personal lives of their graduate students. serve as Interim Director.” As space permits, we will focus in future issues on faculty and alumni in other fields, but our absolute and relative num- bers and collective contributions must of the Indonesian and Thai Ambassadors, for students from throughout the univer- be greatest in Southeast Asian language and for the many cultural and culinary sity to all four countries whose languages and literature. Given that academic jobs activities of our Southeast Asian-national we teach—Indonesia, Philippines, Thai- in this field are few and far between, I’m student groups, which are ever-expand- land and Vietnam. More on these exciting particularly impressed at the diverse ing in number, scope and ambition. Our opportunities in our Fall newsletter. ways that our alumni have managed to Spring gamelan concert and end-of-year turn their training and scholarship into party celebrated the long and impres- Thank you as always for your interest and other fields of endeavor, both within and sive career in ethnomusicology of former support. We are particularly grateful to outside of higher education—showing Center Director Judith Becker. We wish the Thai Embassy for its continued gener- us all that there is indeed life, success and Judith a well-earned retirement and look ous support for our faculty research on, happiness for Ph.D.s outside the ivory forward to her continued involvement and administrative and student travel to, tower! Equally impressive are those who in the Center, following in the footsteps Thailand. managed to continue with their South- of our other retired faculty who remain east Asian literary and linguistic passions incredibly active in research, teaching With best wishes, outside of their professional employment. and traveling. Linda Lim, Director Center for Southeast Asian Studies 1080 S. University, Ste. 3603 Regents of the University Julia Donovan Darlow, Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1106 Laurence B. Deitch, Bingham Farms 734.764.0352 (Phone) Olivia P. Maynard, Goodrich 734.936.0996 (Fax) Rebecca McGowan, Ann Arbor www.ii.umich.edu/cseas Andrea Fischer Newman, Ann Arbor Andrew C. Richner, Grosse Pointe Park S. Martin Taylor, Grosse Pointe Farms Katherine E. White, Ann Arbor Mary Sue Coleman (ex officio) The University of Michigan, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding non- discrimination and affirmative action, including Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The University of Michigan is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination and equal opportunity for all persons regardless of race, sex*, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, age, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, or Vietnam-era veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. Inquiries or complaints may be addressed to the Senior Director for Institutional Equity and Title IX/Section 504 Coordinator, Office of Institutional Equity, 2072 Administrative Services Building, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1432, 734-763-0235, TTY 734-647-1388. For other Univer- sity of Michigan information call 734-764-1817. 1 Program News Indonesian Ambassador Visits U-M Indonesian Ambas- cooperation and US-ASEAN economic journalists who, with one exception, sador to the United relations were widely appreciated. had little experience and knowledge of States Sudjadnan Indonesia. Pak Sudjadnan and his officers Parnohadiningrat The visit was Pak Sudjadnan’s first visit also met with members of PERMIAS, the visited Ann Arbor to the university, and he was accompa- Indonesian Students organization, and in February, occa- nied by staff from both the Embassy in with Indonesian citizens from across sioning a weekend Washington and the Consulate General Michigan and Northern Ohio. of Indonesia- in Chicago. The Ambassador met with centered activities faculty and students specializing in Indo- The staff from the Consulate General on campus. The nesian studies to discuss the University’s remained in town for one night after the Ambassador gave academic program and ongoing research Ambassador’s departure. They attended the keynote address initiatives, and to brainstorm about ways the PERMIAS Indonesian Cultural Night, Indonesian Ambas- at the Ross School’s to help increase American knowledge of of which the Consulate was a principal sador Sudjadnan 18th Annual Asia and engagement with Indonesia. sponsor. The evening featured a delicious at the Asia Busi- Business Conference Indonesian dinner and a cultural tour of ness Conference which explored the As part of that effort, the Ambassador the archipelago, with dance performanc- theme of “Challeng- held a closed-door session with the es by visiting artists Bambang Irawan es to Asia’s Growth” Ambassador Sudjad- twenty Knight-Wallace journalism fellows and Noor Farida Ramahlina. Mas Bam- nan’s talk on “Growth and Interdepen- in residence at the University. CSEAS bang and Mbak Lina, who were visiting dence in Asia,” discussed the increase of Director Linda Lim, also in attendance, professors at Michigan in 2001-2002, are trade and investment within the region, characterized the discussion as “frank, currently artists in residence at Cal Arts in and his comments on ASEAN economic insightful, and useful” for the professional Los Angeles. Sompop Jantraka Awarded Wallenberg Medal Prominent Thai anti-trafficking activist Sompop Jantraka re- The medal ceived the University’s Wallenberg Medal on March 13, 2008, in ceremony was a ceremony at Rackham Auditorium attended by both U-M Pro- the climax of vost Theresa Sullivan and Thai Ambassador to the United States Sompop’s six- Krit Garnjana-Goonchorn. Although Ambassador Krit had just day-long visit in visited Ann Arbor in October 2007, when he and his staff met Ann Arbor, but with faculty, students and business leaders, he gladly returned it was hardly the to town to thank Sompop for his work and the University for only highlight. what he called “this internationally prestigious honor accorded Sompop met Khun Sompop.” with students at the Univer- The Wallenberg Medal is one of the University of Michigan’s sity, lectured in Sompop Jantraka with the Wallenberg Medal, highest awards, bestowed annually on an outstanding humani- CSEAS’ under- flanked by Thai Ambassador Krit Garnjana- tarian. Recipients are selected because their contributions, in graduate course Goonchorn and Mrs. Ravewan Garnjana- the form of actions and/or writing, honor and perpetuate Raoul on Contem- Goonchorn Wallenberg’s own extraordinary accomplishments and human porary Social values. The concept of humanitarianism, demonstrated by Wal- Issues in Southeast Asia, and held discussions with graduate lenberg on behalf of Jews in Nazi-occupied Europe, is intended students at the Social Work and Law Schools. He spent a day in to encompass the defense and rescue of all groups of human Tecumseh, Michigan, talking with seniors at Tecumseh Senior beings who are subject to exploitation and persecution. High School about leadership and community-based organiza- tions for social and humanitarian change. Sompop was also For over fifteen years, Sompop has worked tirelessly to save interviewed for a documentary on the lasting effects of Peace children in Asia’s Mekong sub-region from being sold into pros- Corps programs along with Rebecca Perham, the Peace Corps titution. In 1989, he founded the Development and Education volunteer who first noticed Sompop when he was an indigent Programme for Daughters and Communities (DEPDC). DEPDC teenager on the streets of his hometown in Surat Thani prov- works with impoverished children by providing shelter, educa- ince, brought him to school and taught him English. tion and various outreach activities (including a well-developed swimming program).