Founded in 1992, the European Association for Southeast Asian Studies (EuroSEAS) aims to stimulate scholarly cooperation within Europe in the field of Southeast Asian studies. Our main activity is the organization of a biennial international conference bringing together hundreds of specialists on Southeast Asia from all over the world. Traditionally, EuroSEAS members work primarily in the humanities and social sciences, but no disciplinary barriers are set.
Our conferences are hosted each year by a European university or research centre. So far, they were held respectively in Leiden (1995), Hamburg (1998), London (2001), Paris (2004), Naples (2007), Gothenburg (2010), Lisbon (2013), Vienna (2015), Oxford (2017) and Berlin (2019). The next conference will take place from 7 until 10 September 2021, at the Palacký University in Olomouc, Czech Republic.
EuroSEAS is a European-based but world-oriented association. Although our secretariat is permanently based in Leiden, we are inclusive and networking, and we see with satisfaction more and more non-Europeans join the association and participate to its activities: from Australia, North America, Asia and elsewhere – a growing contingent from Southeast Asia itself.
Beside the conference, Euroseas organizes other events. The PhD students masterclasses, held yearly either in conjunction with the conference or in other, volunteering sites, offers PhD candidates at different stages of their career the chance to present and discuss their works and projects. From this year on, more focussed activities are proposed for the “sleeping” year such as the Young Scholars MeetUp or the Visual Studies Interconference.
Euroseas relates to various national or area-based associations and many of its members participate to local conferences and initiatives.
Presiding Euroseas is a great honour and a thrilling challenge. In many regards, the association is my natural habitat as I have carried out my studies and entered my first scholarly job scholar in France and now I work in Italy, where I teach anthropology and Southeast Asian studies. Euroseas is my closest area-centred scientific environment. Over the years, my involvement in the association has grown as for me, the conferences are rare occasions to confront ideas and field results with fellow specialists. Moreover, they are friendly events rather than scholarly competitions as they value isolated, younger or non-established scholars as much as strong research groups and historical schools. Everyone has her place – even I.
In this good climate, the scientific concern is key to the conference structure. Working at the organization is a stimulating and creative scientific activity, and no routine functioning. Our association is receptive to changes in research and teaching structures, to members’ requests and critical appraisals, and a constant reconsideration of our aims, means and aspirations is indispensable.
I am proud to announce that the 11th EuroSEAS conference will take place at the Palacký University in Olomouc, Czech Republic, from 7 until 10 September 2021!
Please keep an eye on our website for updates. Our conferences take place in some of the finest cities in Europe and in turn, we adapt to different academic, cultural and physical environments – watch out for specific info about calls, venues, proposals and events.
And keep an eye on the increasing number of other events which will be uploaded on this website. I hope to meet you at some stage.
Silvia Vignato
President