IPSA President-Elect Yuko Kasuya’s Insightful Keynote on Southeast Asian Politics

IPSA President-Elect Yuko Kasuya delivered the “State of the Discipline” keynote address entitled Unraveling the Study of Southeast Asian Politics in Japan: From Imperial Origins to Contemporary Prospects, at the Southeast Asia Research Group (SEAREG) meeting in Singapore on 1 August 2023. 

In her analyses of how the studies on Southeast Asian politics developed in Japan, Prof. Kasuya focused on two historical origins: the imperialist expansion during the Pacific War and the U.S. influence during the Cold War. The other keynote speaker was Dr. Ong Kian Ming, former Deputy Minister of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry of Malaysia, who holds a Ph.D. in political science. His “State of the Region” keynote focused on how political science knowledge can benefit real-world politics.

Established in 2013, SEAREG is a community of social scientists who study Southeast Asia. It hosts two meetings annually, one in the United States and another in Asia. The organization is dedicated to enhancing rigorous research on the region. This year’s Asia meeting was held at the Singapore Management University (SMU) and was attended by more than 80 scholars. Over two days, participants engaged in cutting-edge academic presentations that explored various dimensions of Southeast Asian politics. Each SEAREG meeting features presentations by five carefully selected SEAREG fellows. They are junior scholars whose work showcases cutting-edge analyses of Southeast Asia. Their papers can be accessed through the SEAREG website.