About Us
Who Are We?
Southeast Asia has long been the crossroad of civilization, trade, communication, and power due to its strategic geographical location. The region has become a well-known tourist destination, as well as a region of rich biodiversity,economic growth and dynamic political development. It has inspired a great number of studies in various disciplines, contributing to a vast body of knowledge on the region.
Southeast Asia avails itself to scrutiny, scholastic challenges, and positive reactions to the new-millennium changes. Through ASEAN, it seeks to enhance regional endeavors by formulating the Southeast Asian Community with close cooperation with China, Japan, South Korea, and India. The dynamic growth of Southeast Asia has captured worldwide attention, being recognized as a region that provides opportunity for mutual benefit. However, ethnic and religious tension continue to challenge scholars as well as policy makers in their attempt to reach a solution.
The Southeast Asian Studies Program is an international program, established as a Master of Arts Degree in Southeast Asian Studies since 2003. As a multi-disciplinary program, we are under the Graduate School of Chulalongkorn University. We cooperate with the Institute of Asian Studies of Chulalongkorn University, the Faculty of Arts, the Faculty of Political Sciences, and the Faculty of Economics. Members and researchers from these varied faculties, with reputations of regional and international stature, all contribute to the courses offered. In this sense, Southeast Asian Studies will be expounded through the lens of Southeast Asian perspectives. Well-known scholars are invited to give lectures. Special talks by world-renowned authorities of relevant topics are frequently organized. The program is well supported and supplemented by the university's library facilities. The Thai Studies Program at the Faculty of Arts also operates in coordination with our program to provide opportunities to students. Students are thus able to choose some courses from the Thai Studies Center as elective courses.