About The Southeast Asia Research Centre

The Southeast Asia Research Centre (SEARC) was established at the City University of Hong Kong in 2000 within the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. The center has an international Advisory Board of distinguished scholars from around the world, as well as an international list of research affiliates.

Southeast Asia is a region of great significance for Hong Kong. There are long-standing social, cultural and economic relationships between Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, particularly with the overseas Chinese. Migration and business networks have long linked Hong Kong to Southeast Asia, and continue to grow. SEARC recognises that the people of Hong Kong and Hong Kong-based organisations increasingly need to be knowledgeable about developments in Southeast Asia.

The mission of the Southeast Asia Research Centre is to seek to further enhance its position as an internationally recognised centre of excellence in applied studies of contemporary Southeast Asia.

The focus of the Centre’s work is applied research in the areas of economic and political development, with particular attention to investment and trade in the China-Hong Kong-Southeast Asia triangle, labour practices, ethnicity and environment.

The objectives of the Southeast Asia Research Centre are:

To further develop its internationally significant research programme by making new contributions to knowledge on social, economic and political developments in Southeast Asia

To produce high quality academic publications on Southeast Asia
To provide government and business with valuable, policy relevant information on the region
To establish mutually beneficial links with international researchers and institutions studying Southeast Asia
To further enhance the study of Southeast Asia in Hong Kong and to increase understanding of Southeast Asia within the City University and among the public of Hong Kong

Research Agenda and Themes

The Centre’s core research theme is Remaking Southeast Asia in a Global Context: Cultures, Development, Challenges. Under the umbrella theme, there will be three sub-themes:

Southeast Asia and Globalisations: Environment, people, markets
Southeast Asian Fault-lines: Schisms, convergence, conflict
Southeast Asian Interactions: Cross border and inter-ethnic relations

Asia-Studies Full-text online carries all the Centre’s working papers.

For further information, please visit the SEARC website.