7 1 0 2 The Center for Khmer Studies - 6 1 0 2 , 5 1 . o in focus N Khmer silk weaving in Thailand; credit to Alexandra Dalferro. i n T H i s i s s u E Center for Khmer Studies President’s Letter 2 Activities & Projects 31-33 Head office: AnDREW MERTHA , P REsiDEnT coRnELL in cAMBoDiA (2016-2017) Po Box 9380 cKs P AnEL AT AAs Wat Damnak, siem Reap, cambodia Director’s note 3 HELP suPPoRT ouR iMPoRTAnT nEW iniTiATiVE : A cKs o fficE AT coRnELL uniVERsiTY ! Tel: (855) 063 964 385 nATHARoun nGo , D iREcToR cKs H EAD LiBRARiAn VisiTs coRnELL uniVERsiTY LiBRARY fax: (855) 063 963 035 His MAJEsTY noRoDoM siHAMoni GRAnTs An AuDiEncE To cKs o fficERs The story of cKs 4-6 A niGHT AT THE MoViEs WiTH AnGELinA JoLiE AnD RiTHY PAnH Lois DE MEniL , f oRMER PREsiDEnT Phnom Penh office: cKs Programs 23-30 234 street 450, Tuol Tumpung ii, chamkamorn, Travel with cKs 7-8 suMMER JunioR REsiDEnT fELLoWsHiP PRoGRAM Phnom Penh, cambodia oLiViER BERniER , V icE -P REsiDEnT KHMER LAnGuAGE AnD cuLTuRE sTuDiEs PRoGRAM Tel/fax: (855) 023 991 937 cKs R EsEARcH fELLoWs 2017-2018 Email: [email protected] Members & Benefactors 9-10 [email protected] oLiViER BERniER , V icE -P REsiDEnT cKs Jr. and sr. fellows speak 31-33 Website: www.khmerstudies.org MATT McGEE The cKs Library 11-12 KunTHEA cHHoM JAcquEs HEnnEssY , V icE -P REsiDEnT Promoting cambodian scholars 34 (council of American overseas Research centers) Sambor Prei Kuk, recently registered as a World Heritage Site , © So Sokun Theary CKS is a member of CAORC Mission Statement The Center for Khmer Studies supports research, teaching and President’s Letter public service in the social sciences, arts and humanities in Cambodia and the Mekong region. he 2016-2017 year brought a number of challenges as comeback, albeit with well as wonderful opportunities for CKS! Within scars left from the experi - CKS seeks to: months after becoming president in January 2016, I •Promote research and international scholarly exchange ence. Eve has been an suffered two strokes, and for health reasons, I stepped through programs that increase understanding of Cambodia T tremendously energetic down while remaining on the CKS Board. We lost our and its region, and committed Board in- country director to the Association for Asian Studies, •Strengthen Cambodia’s cultural and educational member and has already structures, and integrate Cambodian scholars into which was able to offer her a position from which she contributed to CKS in a regional and international exchange, could telecommute from London. Then, this January, a •Promote a vigorous civil society. new US administration came into office whose commitment number of important to funding American overseas research was – and remains ways. Sophal Ear, who CKS is an American Overseas Research Center supported by a – unlikely. teaches at Occidental consortium of educational institutions, scholars and College, is a Cambodian individuals. It is incorporated in the state of Delaware, USA. But, as CKS has done over and over again in the past, we survivor of the Khmer It receives partial support for overhead and American have not simply weathered the storm, but have emerged, Rouge and has been a fellowships from the U.S. Government. Its programs are pri vately funded. phoenix-like, from the ashes, stronger than before. Indeed, public intellectual in the United States ever since his Life of Buddha on silk at the national Museum in late 1960s. a number of personnel and staffing changes have made under graduate days at the University of California, CKS is the sole member institution of the Council of CKS more tightly-focused than ever, and poised to take Berkeley. His focus is on Cambodia’s economic development, American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC) in current programs to the next level, while developing particularly with regard to its relations with China. Sophal mainland Southeast Asia. excit ing new ones. is another young scholar who represents CKS’s successful Board of Directors CKS’s programs are administered from efforts to engage and recruit the next generation of Dr. Mary Ellen Lane, Washington, D.c., chair its headquarters in Siem Reap and First of all, I have been given a clean bill of health and have Cambodia scholars to carry the organization forward in the from Phnom Penh. It maintains a Prof. Andrew Mertha, cornell university, President reassumed my role as “CKS President”, after Olivier 21st century. small administrative office in olivier Bernier, Vice-President, new York, nY Bernier so graciously and expertly managed CKS in my New York and a support absence. I am re-energized and genuinely excited to be All of these developments are occurring against a backdrop office in Paris, Les Jacques Hennessy, Vice-President, Valletta, Malta “the once and future” CKS President! of political uncertainty in Washington. Traditional sources Amis du Centre Robert Lewis, Esq., secretary and General counsel of funding from the government that have always been key d’Études M. Gaye fugate, Treasurer, new York, nY Khmères . Former Director, Krisna Uk, has been succeeded by to financing CKS’s mission may no longer be available. We Prof. Alan Kolata, university of chicago, senior scholar Natharoun Ngo. Natharoun holds an MBA from Paris XII are hearing from our contacts in Washington, DC that State CKS Staff University, an MPA from Harvard’s Kennedy School and Department funding may well be reduced by 25 percent or Douglas clayton, camden, ME was the Head of Programs at the United Nations more. And Title 6, from the Department of Education, Development Program (UNDP) in Phnom Penh before we which is another key source of funding for CKS’s operations , natharoun ngo Director Prof. sophal Ear, occidental college Alan feinstein, Ph.D., Jakarta, indonesia were able to lure him to CKS. His illustrious Khmer may be eliminated altogether. Now more than ever, we chheat sreang Program Manager ancestors have certainly inspired him to always bring his need our generous supporters to help maintain CKS’s Prof. Peter Hammer, Wayne state university best in everything he believes in. Natharoun brings a lead ership in the advancement of Khmer studies and in nop sovanna finance coordinator Prof. charnvit Kasetsiri , Thammasat university, Bangkok very robust background in management and program increasing opportunities at all levels of education for Tith sreypich Program officer nancy Lassalle, new York, nY development. He is an exceptional manager and provides Cambodians and US citizens alike! We have all the human Lois de Menil, Ph.D., former President and chair, new York, nY the highest levels of professionalism, com mitment, elements in place. I hope we can count on you to help us oum Daraneth Head Librarian Mary L. Porter, Houston, TX and expertise along with his natural charm. reach our goals! chhor sivleng Research Librarian chandler Reedy, new York, nY At the same time, we have invited two new scholars to the With all my very best wishes, Prof. son soubert, Royal university of fine Arts, cambodia Mai Rattana Assistant Librarian “CKS Board”. Eve Zucker is a former “CKS Fellow” who, The Hon. Dr. Benny Widyono, united nations Ambassador (ret.) after finishing her doctorate at Yale, published an outstanding Andrew Mertha, President samedy Top Administrative officer, Phnom Penh Eve Zucker, Ph.D., columbia university book on the effects of the Khmer Rouge assault on local Professor of Government, Cornell University Zach nader Administrative officer, new York customs in a mountain community in Southwest Prof. Thak chaloemtiarana, cornell university, Trustee Emeritus Cambodia and how these ancient rituals are making a Michel Rethy Antelme Editor, Siksācakr Journal selma Ertegun, new York, nY, Trustee Emerita Prof. Michel Rethy Antelme, inALco, Paris, Trustee Emeritus Rethy K. chhem, Ph.D., M.D., cDRi, Phnom Penh, cambodia, Trustee Emeritus 1 in focus in focus 2 Director’s note The story of cKs istening to US Ambassador Heidt, as he delivered own educational landscape, hen members of the Board asked me to write based on their experience his remarks during a US study abroad event hosted and the policy universe the feature article for In Focus, I was a bit taken in the field, to explore by CKS in June 2017, to engage Cambodian that funds both, and is by surprise. They hoped I would assess the possible program areas. Lunder graduates, I was struck by the sheer excitement in informed by both of them. grand strategy that led to the founding of CKS, and how it Although conservation these young Cambodians’ eyes. Almost certainly they were That missing piece is CKS. W training got lost in the had arrived at this juncture, in which its wide roster of imagining the possibility of studying in the US as a CKS was a pioneer, if not pro grams encompasses so many different areas of our shuffle at the conference, trans formative experience that would change their lives. the first such institution, WMF nonetheless moved commitment to sponsoring scholarship and promoting Watching them, I had a déjà vu moment, as it conjured up to provide this critical forward. We hired a scholarly exchange. the same positive emotions that the large numbers of support to Cambodia. young French scholar, researchers and undergrads CKS has supported have CKS’s recognized ability with the ink barely dry on I have been there from the beginning, serving as Chairman shared with the CKS team. Whether Americans, to build schol arly capacity his PhD thesis, as Director, and CEO for more than 15 years, struggling to save it, Cambodians or French, current or future experts on and provide networks of to manage the in-country to stabilize it and to give it direction.