With honor, I have accepted the electoral support from the Governing Board to assume the role of the incoming Chair of SEASIA for the next two years of 2024-2026. Since its inception in 2015, SEASIA has been taking the following three tasks seriously and regularly: organizing SEASIA Biennial Conferences, holding AYSEA workshops in between the biennial conferences, and maintaining institutional networking among the current seventeen member institutions. Proudly, with the effective administration of its Secretariat and the active participation and support of all member institutions, SEASIA has already become a reputable, and the only, regional consortium of Southeast Asian studies in Asia within the last ten years.
After the successful 2024 Manila Biennial Conference, the Governing Board is now beginning to plan the 2025 AYSEA workshop and 2026 Biennial Conference. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Nanyang Technological University (NTU) for hosting the next biennial conference in 2026. I am sure that we will soon determine the host institution and location of young scholars workshop in 2025. I will make sure that the executive committee, conference committee, and the secretariat soon will work together efficiently to ensure the good quality of the above two signature academic events of SEASIA. We will also find some ways to encourage and facilitate inter-institutional exchanges and visits among our member institutions.
As indicated in our name, SEASIA has been established to foster institutional exchange and enhance the quality of Southeast Asian studies in Asia. We are conscious of putting more effort into recruiting Asia- especially Southeast Asian- based institutions into the consortium. The consortium is, however, also open to affiliating and partnering with non-Asia-based institutions and networks. The occasion of the biennial conference will be a good venue for promoting such inter-regional Southeast Asian studies’ mutual understanding and networking. We may try some exchange events at the 2026 SEASIA Biennial Conference in Singapore.
I look forward to working with you all to make SEASIA a better and more inclusive regional academic organization for all Southeast Asian scholars and researchers in Asia.
Hsin-Huang Michael Hsiao, PhD
Chairman, Consortium of Southeast Asian Studies in Asia
Chairman, Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation
Delegate, Taiwan Association of Southeast Asian Studies