MAI Seminars, Conferences, Visitors and Events
Monash Asia Institute & Centre of Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS)
Symposium: Institutions in Post-Soeharto Indonesia
9.30-5.30, Monday, July 13, 2009
Manton Room SG04, Building 11 (Menzies)
Monash University Clayton campus
Since the 1998 fall of Soeharto, the way institutions operate and the environment in which they work, has changed significantly. Presenters in this one-day symposium will draw on cutting-edge research to identify and analyse changes and continuities in three kinds of institutions. First, civil society institutions—namely NGO, press, and religious organisations—have flourished in the past decade, and yet face new operational and ideological challenges. Second, mining companies now deal more directly with increasingly empowered local and regional bodies, although this has created instability and other disincentives for the extraction of resources. Third, local government, made increasingly accountable to local people by decentralisation, has become more democratic, more amenable to ‘traditional’ arrangements, but also more complicated and, at times, compromised. All are welcome for what promises to be an incisive assessment of Indonesian institutions.
Light lunch, afternoon tea, and refreshments will be provided.
RSVP by 10 July 2009 (essential): nicholas.herriman@adm.monash.edu.au
Seminar
Presented by Monash University and the NGV International
New discoveries by Melbourne Archaeologists
Sunday 17 May 2009, 1-5 pm
Venue Clemenger BBDO Auditorium
NGV International
180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne
Join Melbourne archaeologists as they discuss:
Ancient Egyptian Colonisation of the Western Desert in the Pyramid Age
Associate Professor Colin Hope, Centre for Archaeology & Ancient History, Monash University
Gill Bowen (Monash)
New Light on early Christianity in Egypt's Western Desert
Dr Gillian Bowen, Centre for Archaeology & Ancient History, Monash University
The Stupa Complex in Kashgar, western China
Dr Andrea DiCastro, Monash Asia Institute & School of Historical Studies, Monash University
Australian excavations in Cyprus
Professor David Frankel, Archaeology Program, La Trobe University
Erotes on the Euphrates: A figured frieze in a private house at Hellenistic Jebel Khalid on the Euphrates
Dr Heather Jackson, University of Melbourne
In the Wake of the Sea Peoples and in the Footsteps of Goliath: Excavating the Philistine site of Tell es-Safi/Gath'
Dr Louise Hitchcock, Centre for Classics and Archaeology, University of Melbourne
From the Field to Repository: Tell Qumluq and Qala'at Nejim - new research in North Syria
Dr Andrew Jamieson, Centre for Classics and Archaeology, University of Melbourne
Cost $25 Adult / $20 NGV Member / $22 Concession / $18
Student (includes afternoon tea)
Venue Clemenger BBDO
Auditorium, NGV International
Event code P0979
*Special for Students: Bring another student, show your current Student ID cards, and you will be able have two tickets for the price of one.
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Brown Bag Seminar
Tuesday 21 April 2009, 12:00 - 2:00 pm
W218/11 (West Wing) Level 2
Menzies Building (11), Monash University Clayton campus
Son of a Lion
A film presented by Prof John Baily
Son of a Lion, which has been described as a political discussion, follows the story of a young boy from the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan, who would rather go to school than follow the footsteps of his father into gun-production. The film is a debut by Australian film-maker Benjamin Gilmour, a former ambulance officer who travelled to the NWFP prior to 9/11. Gilmour uses non-professional actors and the script was written in collaboration with Pashtun friends.
John Baily is Emeritus Professor of Ethno-musicology at Goldsmiths, University of London. He and Veronica Doubleday have numerous publications on the music and culture of Afghanistan. They are currently Visiting Academics at Monash University.
About the movie: http://www.sonofalion.com/
Enquiries: sharmini.sherrard@monash.edu.au
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Lecture and Demonstration
Monash Asia Institute, School of Music-Conservatorium, Monash University and Australian Institute of International Affairs (Victoria)
Both Sides of the Curtain: Discovering the Music of Afghanistan
Emeritus Professor John Baily and Dr Veronica Doubleday
Wednesday 25 March 2009, 5:30 - 7:30 pm
Australian Institute of International Affairs Victoria
Dyason House
124 Jolimont Road, East Melbourne, 3002
In the 1970s, before the start of the long war in Afghanistan, John Baily and his wife Veronica spent over two years researching music in the historic city of Herat. Together they bridged the gender divide. John studied the music of men’s gatherings, concerts and wedding ceremonies, and Veronica frequented the separate world of women’s parties and rituals. They also learned to perform the music they were studying. In this talk they describe the challenges and excitement of their work, illustrating their account with their own musical performance, and visual and audio recordings from that time. They provide a refreshing picture of musical life in Afghanistan before the Taliban.
John Baily is Emeritus Professor of Ethnomusicology at Goldsmiths, University of London. He and Veronica Doubleday have numerous publications on the music and culture of Afghanistan. They are currently Visiting Academics at Monash University.
DOWNLOAD Brochure for this presentation.
Admission free, booking (recommended): MAI.Enquiries@adm.monash.edu.au with "Afghanistan music lecture" in the subject heading of the email.
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PhD Confirmation Seminar
Monday 23 March 2009, 2:00 pm
Room S822, Level 8 South, Building 11 (Menzies)
Monash University Clayton campus
Ethno-cultural aspects of mental health in Cambodia: A comparison of a local trauma response 'Baksbat' and western trauma response 'PTSD'
Dr Sotheara Chhim, PhD Candidate, Monash Asia Institute
This study is designed to compare the features of a Cambodian local response-set called Baksbat (a break down of courage, never daring to do something again, fear of something bad happening again etc) to that of the Euro-American disorder called “Post Traumatic Stress Disorder” (PTSD). PTSD is classified in both the WHO International Classification of Diseases, version 10 (ICD-10) and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV (DSM-IV). Baksbat has been formally recognised (Saing, 1973), but to date no formalised study of the phenomenon has been conducted. An emic approach of qualitative study on psychological responses to trauma will be used to interview approximately 50 convenience samples of "experts" who have an understanding of historical, cultural and health contexts of Cambodia. In-depth interviews with the "experts" will be performed in order to understand phenomenology of trauma in Cambodian ways (Baksbat) and to develop a local classification "culture bound syndrome of distress" and its scale.
This emic approach will be followed by a quantitative survey in which the newly developed scale of Baksbat and the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ) will be administered to approximately 200-300 clinical samples in order to compare the different features of both problems, Baksbat and PTSD and also will validate the newly develop Baksbat scale. Determining the statistical significance of this category of culture-specific distress is essential for better-outcome research and responsive care in Cambodia.
As a confirmation seminar the discussions will cover all the key headings required of the confirmation process.
Enquiries: MAI.Enquiries@adm.monash.edu.au with "Cambodia trauma seminar" in the subject heading of the email.
Public Seminar
organised by the Centre for Studies in Religion and Theology, Monash University and Monash Asia Institute
Mindfulness Counselling: Buddhist Traditions and Mental Health
Sunday 15 March 2009, 2.00-4.00 pm
Room K309, Monash University Caulfield Campus
This public seminar includes a presentation by the Ven. Naotune Vijitha Thero, Chief Incumbent of the Dhammasarana Temple in Keysborough. He is a scholar well versed in Pali and Buddhist studies.
The seminar will be followed by a panel discussion with:
The Ven. Sucinta, trained as a psychologist in Germany, and a fully ordained nun (Bhikkhuni) in the Theravada tradition since 1998, residing at Sanghamittarama in East Bentleigh;
Professor Padmasiri de Silva, Adjunct Research Associate with CSRT, formerly Head of the Dept of Philosophy & Psychology at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. Prof de Silva has an advanced diploma in counselling, and is practising in the field.
Dr Craig Hassed, of the Dept of General Practice, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, will then launch a new book by Dr Padmasiri de Silva, 'An introduction to mindfulness-based counselling: the magic of the ordinary & the elegance of small things' (Sarvodaya Vishvalekha Publication, Ratmalana, Sri Lanka).
Light refreshments will be served.
Free admission, but bookings recommended Susan.Grist@arts.monash.edu.au
For further enquiries, contact Constant.Mews@arts.monash.edu.au
Prof. Constant J. Mews, Director, Centre for Studies in Religion and Theology, School of Historical Studies, Monash University
Public Lecture
sponsored by the Australian Institute of International Affairs Victoria
Afghanistan: War Without End?
Dr Faridullah Bezhan, Monash Asia Institute
Thursday 12 March 2009, 5.30pm – 7pm
Dyason House
124 Jolimont Road, East Melbourne
More than eight years after the Taliban's removal from power by US-led international forces, followed by the election of a new government, Afghanistan has entered into an entirely different phase of war. It is marked by challenges of a revitalised Taliban-led insurgency which has not only stepped up activities in its heartlands around the south and east, but is now operating in other parts of Afghanistan. The Taliban groups conduct operations and are holding territories within the tribal belt of Pakistan alongside the Afghan border. This situation demonstrates the lack of an effective strategy or even an unwillingness by the governments of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the coalition forces to combat the Taliban. These developments require the Obama administration, which has given Afghanistan top military priority, to review its strategies and consider a military surge among other approaches to the problem. All this raises a vital question: is war winnable in Afghanistan, if so, how? These questions are vital for Australia, with its military involvement in Afghanistan and amid growing fears for the stability of the region.
Dr Faridullah Bezhan is a senior research fellow at Monash Asia Institute, Monash University. Currently he is working on an Australian Research Council (ARC) project, "The Jihadi, Revolutionary and Antiwar Fiction in Afghanistan, 1978-2007". He has written several books and articles in English and Persian on the literature, politics and history of Afghanistan. His most recent monographs are: 'The Politics of Satire': Tarjoman, the First Afghanistani Satirical Newspaper' (Monash University Press, 2008), 'Gift of Badakhshan: literature and history' (Mawqofat Afshar, 2007), which he edited and annotated, and 'Afghanistani Storytelling and Writing: history, performance and forms’ (Monash Asia Institute, 2006).
Registration and costs: http://www.aiia.asn.au/cde.cfm?event=254627
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PhD Confirmation Seminar
Friday 6 March 2009, 10:00 am (postponed from 27 February 2009)
Room S822, Level 8 South, Building 11 (Menzies)
Monash University Clayton campus
The place of the Armenian Christians in the Islamic Republic of Iran
Mr James Barry, PhD Candidate, Monash Asia Institute
Tolerance and acceptance of religious minorities are not usually what people in the English speaking world associate with the Islamic Republic of Iran. However, contrary to this notion, four of Iran's six religious minorities are afforded official recognition by the Islamic Constitution of 1979 and are guaranteed five seats in the Majles (Iranian Parliament).
This research is an analysis of the recognised religious minorities (Jews, Zoroastrians, Assyrian Christians and Armenian Christians) using the largest of these, the Armenian Christians, as a case study. Essentially, the question this study asks is: to what extent is the treatment of the Armenian Christians by the Islamic Republic of Iran favourable vis-à-vis the other religious minorities, and why this is the case?
As a confirmation seminar the discussions will cover all the key headings required of the confirmation process.
Enquiries: MAI.Enquiries@adm.monash.edu.au with "Armenian Christians seminar" in the subject heading of the email.
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Seminar
Hosted by Monash Asia Institute, School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics, and Asian Business and Economics Research Unit (ABERU), Monash University
Tuesday 24 February 2009, 1.00 pm
Lecture Theatre H7, Ground Floor Building 11 (Menzies) (enter via northern side of the building)
Monash University Clayton campus
Reform Wrongfooted: What the Global Crisis Reveals about China's Patchwork Governance
Prof David Kelly
David Kelly is Professor of Chinese Politics at the China Research Centre, University of Technology Sydney. A resident of Beijing in recent years, he previously carried out research and teaching on Chinese Politics at the ANU, UNSW (ADFA) and, between 2004 and 2008, the East Asian Institute, National University of Singapore.
Professor Kelly’s work ranges widely across Chinese politics: intellectual history, especially of Marxism and liberalism; political sociology, mainly of intellectuals, urban homeowners and migrant workers; and public policy, focusing on the dilemmas of governance under turbulent current conditions.
His publications include:
India and China: The Lessons of Globalisation, Singapore and New York: World Scientific Publishing Co., 2007 (ed. with Ramkishen Rajan).
‘The Rise of Social Justice,’ Contemporary Chinese Thought, vol. 37, no 4 (Fall 2006), guest editor and translator.
‘The Mystery of the Chinese Economy: Selected Writings of Qin Hui,’ The Chinese Economy, vol. 38, nos. 4, 5 and 6 (September, October and November 2005); guest editor and translator of three special issues.
Asian Freedoms: Journeys of an Idea in the Cultural Contexts of East and Southeast Asia, Cambridge University Press, 1998 (ed. with Anthony Reid).
Chinese Marxism in the Post-Mao Era, Stanford University Press, 1990 (with Bill Brugger).
‘Realistic Responses and Strategic Options: An Alternative CCP Ideology and its Critics,’ Chinese Law and Government, 29(2), Spring-Summer 1996, pp. 1-96; guest editor and translator.
ALL WELCOME
Enquiries: MAI.Enquiries@adm.monash.edu.au with "China seminar" in the subject heading of the email.
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Seminar
hosted by Monash Asia Institute, Monash University
Child health care in Xinjiang, western China
Dr Chang Feng, Chief Paediatrician and recently retired Head, Urumqi Children's Hospital, China
Wednesday 11 February 2009, 12:00 noon for 12:30 pm start
Room S822, Monash Asia Institute
Level 8 South, Building 11 (Menzies), Monash University Clayton
Dr Chang Feng is a visiting scholar to the Monash Asia Institute in February and will be speaking about Child health care in western China. The liberalisation of the Chinese economy has given rise to a major debate about China's social welfare, aspects which will be discussed in the seminar.
Enquiries: MAI.Enquiries@adm.monash.edu.au with "Child health care in western China seminar" in the subject heading of the email.
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Other seminars hosted by Asian Business and Economic Research Unit (ABERU), a Monash University research unit that works closely with the Monash Asia Institute.
Other Monash Asia Institute Seminars held in 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002