Dr. Wannasarn Noonsuk joins Dr. Nam Kim to discuss early civilizations in what is now Vietnam and how uncovering creations of the past sheds light on the shifting cultural landscape of ancient Mainland Southeast Asia. They also examine how changing views of the past help to inform local and academic understandings of the region today. Dr. Nam Kim i…

Dr. Muzakki Bashori sits down to discuss his new book “When the Rice Cries” a children's story that uses rice idioms to teach about the importance of reducing food waste. Bashori discusses Javanese language conservation and his mission to promote the use of Javanese among children in Indonesia. Dr. Muzakki Bashori is a Lecturer and researcher at Un…

Dr. Joel Selway sits down with Phanuphat Chattragul to discuss his research on shifting notions of Thai identities. He examines Thai identities within the context of various ethnic groups and geographical regions through surveys and interviews. Dr. Joel Selway is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Brigham Young University. He specialize…

Dr. Eliott Prasse Freeman sits down to discuss his new book: “Rights Refused Grassroots Activism and State Violence in Myanmar.” The discussion focuses on the evolution of the concept of human rights, from its categorical, colonial understanding to its impact on modern-day Myanmar. Freeman cites examples of spiritual practices surrounding political…

Dr. Nora Taylor sits down to discuss Vietnam’s Cold War connections with the Soviet art world. She cites examples of how Soviet-educated Vietnamese artists used what they learned to create art that was critical of colonialism and was reflective of the emergent nationalist landscape. Dr. Nora Annesley Taylor is an Alsdorf Professor of South and Sout…

Anthony Scott sits down to discuss Buddhism and its effect on the Cold War. Scott dives deep into the history of Buddhism and its impact on politics within Asia. He discusses the rise of Ashin Janakabhivamsa, a popular Burmese monk during the Cold War, especially his radical yet traditionalist ideas about Buddhism and its doctrine. The discussion e…

Professor Chamni Sripraram sits down with 3 NIU students to talk about their Summer: “Song for the Blind” trip. Put together by Professor Chamni, the trip was an opportunity for American students to teach music to visually impaired Thai children. The group reflects and laughs about the experience together, discussing what they learned about other c…

Dr. Kanjana Thepboriruk sits down with Dr. Paul Chambers and Dr. Napisa Waitoolkiat to discuss Paul Chambers’s new book “Praetorian Kingdom: A History of Military Ascendancy in Thailand.” Together they discuss the history of the military in the Thai government and its continued dominance in Thai politics. Chambers examine the rotating roster of pol…

Dr. Kanjana Thepboriruk is joined by Dr. Paul Wright, Paolo Eslava, and Dr. Jeremy Bulter to discuss physical education in a Southeast Asian Context. The guests share their experiences as practitioners of SEA martial arts and the contributions SEA martial arts have on their professional and personal lives. They reflect on the history of Southeast A…

Dr. Kanjana Thepboriruk is joined by Dr. Nicolas Revire and cohost Dr. Catherine Raymond to discuss the mythical golden land of “Suvarṇabhūmi” and its modern-day interpretations. Together they examine competing claims based on archeological records by both Thailand and Myanmar to be the true location of Suvarṇabhūmi. The conversation concludes with…

Dr. Kanjana Thepboriruk sits down with Dr. Tessa Winkelmann to discuss her new book: Dangerous Intercourse: Gender and Interracial Relations in the American Colonial Philippines 1898 – 1946. They dive into the history of the Philippines during the change from Spanish to American occupation. Winkelmann looks at history through perspectives of variou…

Dr. Kanjana sits down with Dr. Aurore Candier and Dr. Catherine Raymond to talk about how Burmese conceptualizations and understandings of governance and political relationships shifted over the course of the 1800s at the beginning of colonial contact. Together they discuss the role of astrology, oral tradition, and rumors within Burmese governance…

Dr. Kanjana sits down with Dr. Thomas Baudinette and NIU history PhD student Kit Faulk to discuss the rise and propagation of Thai Boy Love (or BL) media. Baudinette goes in-depth into the history of the medium, beginning from its roots in Japan to its eventual explosion within Thai media culture. Together, they discuss the political and social ram…

Dr. Kanjana is joined by Dr. Ivan Small, the new director of Northern Illinois University’s Center for Southeast Asian Studies. Together they delve into Small’s research documenting the movement of money in and out of Vietnam through remittance. Small discusses the practice and impact of these remittance flows on coastal Vietnamese communities, fro…

Dr. Kanjana Thepboriruk is joined by Dr. Trude Jacobsen Gidaszewski, Thom brown, and this episode’s guest, Dr. Johnathan Padwe. They are here to discuss Mosquitoes in the lowlands of Southeast Asia. They the human body's ability to create an acquired immunity to Malaria due to the regularity of infection in the lowlands of Southeast Asia, and how t…

Dr. Kanjana Thepboriruk sits down with Dr. Pam Barger and Dr. James Cohen to talk about teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) and massive open online courses (MOOCs) in Thailand. They discuss how MOOCs are capable of disrupting the way English is taught while providing universally accessible methods of language learning. Dr. Barge…

Dr. Kanjana Thepboriruk sits down with Dr. Theara Thun to talk about the evolution of ‘knowledge’ and ‘information’ within the Cambodian context, especially with the advent of print media and how the new medium affected the production, transmission, and creation of new knowledge. He dives even deeper, looking at the ways the Khmer understanding of …

Dr. Kanjana sits down with Dr. Tun Myint to talk about his latest research. Together they examine the concept of science as an idea of societal acceptance. They study how the Southeast Asian market changes to support a more educated, wealthy, and comfortable society. Dr. Tun Myint is a professor of political science and international relations at C…

Our host is Dr. Trude Jacobsen Gidaszewski, who is joined by Dr. Mattias Fibiger, and a cast of NIU grad students. Fibiger discusses his book on the rise of the Indonesian dictator Suharto over the Cold War, how he shaped society, and how he is remembered today in modern Indonesia. After talking about his book, he answers a multitude of questions f…

Dr. Kanjana sits down with Dr. Oona Paredes, Dr. Micah Morton, and Joseph Allen Ruanto-Ramirez to discuss the diaspora of the Lumad people of the Philippine Island of Mindanao. Together they all break down the differences between the Modern Pilipino people and the Modern Lumad. Parades dispels the idea that this group is the window to precolonial P…

Dr. Kanjana Thepboriruk sits down with Dr. Melissa Lenczewski to discuss groundwater quality and testing in Southeast Asia and the United States. Together they bring to light how Arsenic and Microplastics have a strong presence in the water quality of countries that have poor infrastructure for testing and regulation, and the issue of water quality…

Dr. Eric Jones is joined by Dr. Wang, Dr Atkins, and this week's guest: Professor Jeremy Wallach to talk all about metal music in Southeast Asia. Wallach talks about how metal music is a genre for the youth, and how it is bringing attention to civil issues within the Southeast Asian political landscape. Wallach dispels the rumors about metal heads …

Dr Kanjana Thepboriruk is joined by Dr Taylor Easum, Trude Jacobson Gidaszewski, and Peter Alexander to discuss the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai, a city at the crossroads of culture. Together, they discuss how the province is not just a Thai city, but multicultural and rich in history created by colonizing forces. Dr Taylor Easum is a historian…

Dr Kanjana Thepboriruk sits down with Sharon Quinsaat to discuss diasporas within the Philippines and their effect on the country's national identity. Through the context of Filipinos living within the Philippines, Filipinos living within other countries, and the government's historical attempts to influence Philippino culture, Quinsaat discusses t…

In this episode of Crossroads, Dr Kanjana Thepboriruk speaks with Phan Nhiên Hạo about his experience as an immigrant from Vietnam translating into his poetic works and existing between two cultures and languages. Hao Phan (Phan Nhiên Hạo) is the Curator of the Southeast Asia library collection at Northern Illinois University and a published poet. …