About

Southeast Asian studies is enjoying a revival at the University of Leeds. Our research culture is thriving, and the Leeds partnerships in the region grow stronger every year. But where did it all start? One answer can be found if you look 50 miles to the east of Leeds.

The University of Hull’s Centre for Southeast Asian Studies was established in 1962-63 to expand the national provision of expertise and programmes in Southeast Asian languages and area studies. A centre in the north of England was intended to sustain educational provision and training outside London. From 1998 student recruitment to the Centre’s undergraduate programmes was in decline, and the University of Hull took the decision to cease recruiting from the 2002-03 academic year.

After careful discussion it was agreed that the majority of staff and programmes from Hull would be transferred to the Department of East Asian Studies at the University of Leeds.

The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) provided restructuring funds in 2003, enabling the transfer of five staff members and approximately 3000 books from the University of Hull to the University of Leeds. When the transfer was complete, the new specialist staff at Leeds were Ian Caldwell, Christopher Dent, Victor Terence King, and Michael Parnwell. One additional post for a Thai language specialist was subsequently filled by Martin Seeger. The HEFCE allocated additional funding for new acquisitions of books on Southeast Asian studies at Leeds.

The University of Leeds hosted the 21st Conference of the Association of Southeast Asian Studies UK (ASEAS UK) in October 2003. Duncan McCargo’s inaugural lecture on ‘rethinking Southeast Asian politics’ and the reception that followed marked the start of the ASEAS UK conference.

Fifteen years later the ASEAS UK Conference was back in Leeds. Duncan McCargo and Adam Tyson from the School of Politics and International Studies chaired the 30th Conference of ASEAS UK in September 2018, and convened a panel with the special theme ‘is there a Leeds School of Southeast Asian political studies’? In December 2022 Adam Tyson was elected as Chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Studies UK.