Southeast Asia Research Centre Annual Report 2007

SOUTHEAST ASIA an acting capacity. SEARC had been established with a budget from the RESEARCH CENTRE University of HKD12.5 million over a ANNUAL REPORT six-year period, reduced in its second year of operation to HKD8.5 million. During 2005, 2007 the University lent some short-term support, while SEARC’s core members tried to secure The Southeast Asia Research Centre external funding. But by 2006, salary (SEARC) was inaugurated on 27 February commitments and outstanding grant 2001 as a faculty-based research centre projects left SEARC with scant resources. within Humanities and Social Sciences However, with the appointment of a new (FHS). In 2006, it was affiliated with the Director and the winning of a large external newly formed Department of Asian and grant by the associate Director, SEARC International Studies (AIS). Professor began a campaign of revitalization during William Case (Professor, Department of late 2006-2007. Asian and International Studies) was appointed Director of SEARC in July 2006. MISSION, AIMS AND RESEARCH THEMES Dr Vivienne Wee (Associate Professor, Department of Asian and International SEARC’s mission statement reflects the Studies) is Associate Director. development of the Centre and the changing role of CityU within Hong Kong’s higher During its first four years of operation, education sector. SEARC established a strong international and regional reputation as a focal point for SEARC’s aims are: the study of political, economic, and social issues in contemporary Southeast Asia. • To advance the Centre’s international Though possessing its own budget for standing and City University’s research projects, SEARC members actively reputation by researching political, sought competitive external grant funding economic, and social developments in and commissioned a range of research contemporary Southeast Asia projects, leading to a steady output of • To produce high quality academic high-quality publications and working publications on Southeast Asia papers. It also attracted many respected scholars from outside the region who, in • To establish mutually beneficial links conducting seminars and carrying out with international researchers and research projects, helped further to enliven institutions committed to Southeast the Centre. SEARC also contributed more Asian issues broadly to academic and public debate at • To extend links to scholars and City University (CityU) by regularly institutions researching other parts of sponsoring public addresses, forums, the developing world, especially China, roundtables, and international conferences. Northeast Asia, and Latin America, whose concerns resonate with those at In 2004, SEARC’s founding Director, the Centre Professor Kevin Hewison, took up a new • To provide the Hong Kong government, position in the United States. Thus, during business community and civil society 2005 and the first half of 2006, SEARC was directed by the Dean of FHS, though only in 1 organizations with policy relevant flourish within the region, and the information about the region prospects for transformative civil • To enhance the study of Southeast Asia societies. This research theme is an in Hong Kong and to increase important one, with the democratic or understanding of the region within the authoritarian elements that are CityU and Hong Kong communities constitutive of a particular regimes holding major implications for political SEARC’S research themes life across Southeast Asia’s eleven countries and its half-billion people. In late 2006, the SEARC Management Committee approved adoption of three new z ‘Economic openings, state mediations, research themes, supplanting those that societies in flux’ had in been in place since the Centre’s Research conducted under this theme inception. These themes, designed to will address new patterns of foreign provide broad research direction, while investment in Southeast Asia, reflecting changes in contemporary emanating largely from China, but also Southeast Asia and the expertise of its new from new private equity firms, many of researchers, will contribute to the Centre’s which though headquartered in the West ongoing revitalization. They include: have a large presence in Hong Kong. In addition, local equity firms and powerful sovereign funds have appeared in South ‘New democracies and contemporary • Korea, Singapore, and Malaysia. At the authoritarianism’ same time, Viet Nam has emerged as a Research conducted under this theme major destination for foreign direct begins by addressing at a broad level investment, especially from Hong Kong, major trends of political continuity and with export manufacturing now rapidly change in the Southeast Asian setting. diversifying beyond China. Southeast Asia has long been recognized This theme will also promote research as one of the world’s most politically addressing Southeast Asia’s role as the ‘diverse’ regions, with new democracies motor force behind East Asian free trade in the Philippines, Indonesia, Timor Loro agreements and notions of an East Asian Sae, and seemingly in Thailand again ‘community’ and ‘identity’. But more today; closed authoritarian regimes in than focusing on cross-national Burma/Myanmar and Brunei; and activities and their mediation by post-totalitarian regimes in Vietnam and governments, these studies will explore Laos. Reflecting the expertise of the major implications for political and Centre’s Director, Professor William societal restructuring. Case, particular attention will be given to what have been identified through comparative analysis as ‘hybrid’ regimes, • ‘State-society interface: contestations highly durable political systems which, and convergences over gender, values, in combining democratic procedures identities, rights and resources’ with authoritarian controls, are This theme will address a range of characteristic of several Southeast Asian contested issues that are best countries, including Malaysia, Singapore, approached using interdisciplinary tools Cambodia. On this count, parallels also from sociology, anthropology and other exist with Hong Kong’s experience, social sciences. In many respects, this encouraging comparative policy-relevant theme reflects what SEARC has analysis. Research will also be extended traditionally researched most effectively, to finer institutional questions of with several of its core members executive accountability, legislative possessing expertise in gender, religion activities, the patronage systems that and ethnicity in Southeast Asia and the challenges confronted by Southeast 2 Asian migrant workers in Hong Kong z Women’s Empowerment in Muslim and elsewhere. Issues involving the Contexts (WEMC) project environment will also be explored, In 2006, Dr Vivienne Wee, Associate especially as they involve China’s Director of SEARC, began a five-year policies of resource extraction in the applied research project to discover and Southeast Asian region. This is probably implement strategies through which the theme too that best lends itself to women living in Muslim countries and applied research and real-world communities might change inequitable problems. patterns of dominance. The independent project is funded by the UK z Vietnam project Government’s Department for As a major part of SEARC’s revitalization, International Development, with SEARC the Centre has begun setting up a as the lead research partner and specific Vietnam country project. administrator of the Research Vietnam’s rapid transition from a Programme Consortium implementing planned and collectivized economy to the project. The project fits squarely more marketized dealings—driven by within SEARC’s ‘State-society interface’ national leadership that fully recognizes research theme. It is elaborated more the need for change—has consisted of fully in section 3.1 below. serious reforms and poverty reduction, while avoiding severe social dislocations. The Centre’s Research Agenda is available Vietnam has thus been hailed as Asia’s from its web site, at: next ‘tiger’ economy, with powerful http://www.cityu.edu.hk/searc/Research_ implications for China and Hong Kong. Agenda.htm. In early 2007, the then CityU president, RESEARCH GRANTS HK Chang, mandated that SEARC should reorient a substantial part of its Core members of SEARC have been active in research effort to the study of seeking funding for research projects from contemporary Viet Nam. Funding was external competitive sources and from CityU. then made available to SEARC for In the first four years of its operation, relevant research projects and staff SEARC was also able to provide in its own support. Funding was also made right smaller amounts of funding for closely available to the Department of AIS, with targeted research projects. In 2007 funding which SEARC is affiliated, in order became available to resume this small grant recruit as many as three Viet Nam funding on a modest scale, though the bulk specialists who would then join the of it will be directed exclusively to the study Centre as core members. In mid-2007, of Viet Nam. In addition, SEARC established Dr Chan Yuk-wah, who researches during its early years a critical focus on Vietnamese disasporas, relations with women’s issues, ethnicity, religion, labour, China, and Chinese minorities in Viet migration and environment that bolstered Nam, was reappointed to AIS. In early the success rate of its members in making 2008, Dr Jonathan London, a specialist applications. The research that followed has in Viet Nam’s contemporary politics and contributed

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