Research Themes

In late 2006, the SEARC Management Committee approved adoption of three new research themes, supplanting those that had in been in place since the Centre’s inception. These themes, designed to provide broad research direction, while reflecting changes in contemporary Southeast Asia and the expertise of its new researchers, will contribute to the Centre’s ongoing revitalization. They include:

‘New democracies and contemporary authoritarianism’

Research conducted under this theme begins by broadly addressing major trends of political continuity and change in the Southeast Asian setting. Southeast Asia has long been recognized as one of the world’s most politically ‘diverse’ regions, with new democracies in the Philippines, Indonesia, Timor Loro Sae, and possibly Thailand; closed authoritarian regimes in Burma/Myanmar and Brunei; and post-totalitarian regimes in Viet Nam and Laos. Reflecting the expertise of the Centre’s Director, Professor William Case, particular attention will be given to what have been identified through comparative analysis as ‘hybrid’ regimes, highly durable political systems which, in combining democratic procedures with authoritarian controls, are characteristic of several Southeast Asian countries, including Malaysia, Singapore, and Cambodia. On this count, parallels also exist with Hong Kong’s experience, encouraging comparative policy-relevant analysis. Research will also be extended to finer institutional questions of executive accountability, legislative activities, the patronage systems that flourish within the region, and the prospects for transformative civil societies. This research theme is an important one, with the democratic or authoritarian elements that are constitutive of particular regimes holding major implications for political life across Southeast Asia’s eleven countries and its half billion people.

‘Economic openings, state mediations, societies in flux’

Research conducted under this theme addresses new patterns of foreign investment in Southeast Asia, emanating largely from China, but also from new private equity firms, many of which though headquartered in the West have a large presence in Hong Kong. In addition, local equity firms and powerful sovereign funds have appeared in South Korea, Singapore, and Malaysia. At the same time, Viet Nam has emerged as a major destination for foreign direct investment, especially from Hong Kong, with export manufacturing now rapidly diversifying beyond China.

This theme also promotes research addressing Southeast Asia’s role as the driving force behind East Asian free trade agreements and notions of an East Asian ‘community’ and ‘identity’. But more than focusing on cross-national activities and their mediation by governments, these studies also explore major implications for political and societal restructuring.

The ‘State-society interface: contestations and convergences over gender, values, identities, rights and resources’

This theme addresses a range of contested issues that are best approached using interdisciplinary tools from sociology, anthropology and other social sciences. In many respects, this theme reflects what SEARC has traditionally researched most effectively since several of its core members possess expertise in gender, religion and ethnicity in Southeast Asia and the challenges confronted by Southeast Asian migrant workers in Hong Kong and elsewhere. Issues involving the environment will also be explored, especially as they involve China’s policies of resource extraction in the Southeast Asian region. This particular theme best lends itself to applied research and real-world problems.