Southeast Asian Studies
Southeast Asian Studies Spotlight
| Southeast Asian Studies Spotlight: Master’s Candidate Inna Leng |
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| Inna Leng is a first-year master’s student in the Southeast Asian Studies (SEAS) program. She joins us here at Ohio University from Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Recently we asked Inna about life in Cambodia, her motivations for joining the SEAS program, and her thoughts about Athens. The transcript of the interview appears here |  |
| Southeast Asian Studies Spotlight: Master’s Candidate Vilashini Somiah |
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| Vilashini Somiah is a first-year master’s student in the Southeast Asian Studies (SEAS) program. She joins us here at Ohio University from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Recently we asked Vila about life in KL, her motivations for joining the SEAS program, and her thoughts about Athens. The transcript of the interview appears here. |  |
| Southeast Asian Studies Spotlight: Master’s Candidate Agustinus Budi Winursito |
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| Agustinus Budi Winursito (Budi) is a first-year master’s student in the Southeast Asian Studies (SEAS) program. Budi joins us here at Ohio University from the island of Java, Indonesia. Recently we interviewed Budi about his life in Java, his motivations for joining the SEAS program, and his thoughts about Athens. The transcript of the interview appears here. |  |
| Southeast Asian Studies Spotlight: Undergraduate Certificate Now Available |
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| Attention, undergraduates! Did you know that you can earn a certificate in Southeast Asian Studies, no matter what your major? Burgeoning economic trade with the United States, important sea lanes connecting the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and the region’s extensive ethnic and religious diversity (including the world’s largest Islamic nation) are but a few of the factors that underlie Southeast Asia’s strategic importance. The Southeast Asia Certificate critically examines these trends as well as the rich cultures, traditions, and societies of Southeast Asia. |
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| Ohio University has a long history with Southeast Asia, and our faculty at Ohio University offer courses in Southeast Asian anthropology and archaeology, history, politics, religion, and the arts, as well as Southeast Asian languages. There are also opportunities for study abroad. Requirements for the certificate include two years of Southeast Asian language study (OU has offered Indonesian/Malay, Thai, Khmer and Vietnamese), an introductory course for the region, five additional courses from at least three departments (one of these may be an additional language course), and a minimum GPA of 2.5 in all certificate courses. Why not add an international dimension to your major? For more information, contact Laura Schaeffer in the Center for International Studies at (740) 593-1840 or schaeffe@ohio.edu. |
| Southeast Asian Studies Spotlight: IART 760 |
| Interdisciplinary Arts (IART) 760, taught by Dr. William Condee, focuses on Indonesian puppet theater, including wayang kulit (shadow puppets) and wayang golek (rod puppets). The course analyzes the literature (Mahabharata), music (gamelan), puppetry, performance conditions and audience. Students examine the history of wayang, the contexts of culture, politics, religion, gender, and post-colonial Indonesia and contemporary manifestations. Throughout the course, students learn to manipulate the puppets and complete the course with a short performance. Dr. William Condee is the J. Richard Hamilton/Baker and Hostetler Professor of Humanities and Professor of Theater at Ohio University. Click on the play button to run the slideshow. | |
| In addition to Indonesian puppetry, IART 760 also explores other Southeast Asian
puppetry traditions. In this slideshow, Dr. Condee introduces students to Vietnamese water puppetry. Vietnamese Water Puppetry originated in the Red River Delta area of northern Vietnam during the tenth or eleventh century, and the tradition continues today. As in much of Southeast Asia, rice is the main staple of the Vietnamese diet, and life centers around the rice harvest. In art as in life, the water puppetry also centers around the harvest, and the performances tell stories about everyday village customs, with puppets in familiar characters such as farmers and fishermen. They also recount Vietnamese legends and folktales, and thus lion dogs, dragons, and other fantastical creatures are also featured. |
| For more information on IART 760, contact the Interdisciplinary Arts department in Lindley Hall 120, or Dr. Condee at condee@ohio.edu. |