===================================== MONASH ASIA INSTITUTE BULLETIN [8/2008] [8 October 2008] ===================================== In this bulletin 1. The Louise Lightfoot Legacy Exhibition 2. CMS/CSEAS Seminar: Jurisdictional Division & Freedom of Religion in Malaysia 3. 2nd Annual Malaysia Round Table 2008 4. CSEAS Seminar: Building disaster resilience into development 5. Postgrad Symposium: The World is an Eye 6. Malaysian Film Screening 7. Latest MAI Press publications 8. Conference: Legal Development in East Asia 9. Conference: External Relations of the European Union 10. Symposium: Aboriginal Batik 11. Public Lecture: Asia and the US 12. Islamic Finance Colloquium 13. UKM (Malaysia) student mobility programme 14. Website of the month: Asian Disability Classification & Research Centre ===================================== Monash Asia Institute and Monash University News and Events ===================================== Item 1. The Louise Lightfoot Legacy Exhibition October 2008 to 7 March 2009 Monash Science Centre Building 74, Monash University, Clayton (off Normanby Road) A research project of the Monash Asia Institute With the support of the Monash School of Music-Conservatorium, custodians of the Lightfoot Collection Louise Lightfoot (1902-1978) spent her life bringing together Western and Indian classical and modern dance traditions. The Monash Music Department-Conservatorium is the custodian of her costumes, books, manuscripts, notes and scrapbooks which in this display were arranged by the renowned Australian-Indian dancer and choreographer Tara Rajkumar, Director of Performing Arts, Monash Asia Institute. A special thanks to the Monash Science Centre for hosting this event. Entry free of charge Enquiries: MAI.Enquiries@adm.monash.edu.au -------------------- Item 2. Centre for Malaysian Studies and Centre of Southeast Asian Studies Seminar (A Joint Seminar with the Centre for Malaysian Studies) Thursday 9 October 2008, 11-12.30pm Room SG02, Manton Rooms, Ground Floor, Building 11 (Menzies), Monash University Clayton campus ‘Human Rights Protection at the Crossroad? International Law, Religious Laws and National Laws: Jurisdictional Division and Freedom of Religion in Malaysia’ Kerstin Steiner, Research Fellow, Asia Law Centre, Melbourne University Details: http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/mai/cms/seminars/index.php#humanrights Enquiries: Dr Wendy Smith, Director, Centre for Malaysian Studies Email: Wendy.Smith@buseco.monash.edu.au ----------------------- Item 3. Call for Presentations Abstracts due on 10 October 2008 2nd Annual Malaysia Round Table 2008 (Scheduled for 20 October 2008) Date and venue: Monday 20 October 2008, 10:00am to 4:30pm Room H 235, Building H, Monash University Caulfield Campus The 2nd Annual Malaysia Round Table, organised by the Centre for Malaysian Studies, Monash Asia Institute, with the support of the Malaysian Students Department and the Victorian Malaysian Postgraduate Association, provides a forum for Melbourne-area postgraduate students working on Malaysia from all disciplinary backgrounds. This year’s Round Table will begin with morning presentations on research skills by senior PhD supervisors from Monash University in the social sciences, arts and humanities and the natural sciences. Professor Denise Cuthbert, the former Associate Dean (Higher Degrees by Research), Faculty of Arts, Monash University, will talk on strategies for post graduate research candidature. Professor Cuthbert was the recipient of the Monash Vice Chancellor’s Award for Post Graduate Supervision in 2007. This will be followed by a presentation focusing on the natural sciences by Associate Professor Tony Patti, the Associate Dean (Graduate Studies) of the Faculty of Science. Both speakers will take questions from the floor. The afternoon Round Table of student presentations will provide an ideal opportunity for Malaysian and non-Malaysian postgraduate students researching on topics related to contemporary Malaysia to present their research before an audience of peers from a diverse background ranging from I.T., Law, the Humanities, Engineering, Fine Arts, Performing Arts and Media, and Medicine. We would like to invite all Melbourne-area postgraduate students to contribute by presenting their thesis abstract/research proposal at the Malaysia Round Table on Monday, 20 October 2008. Presentations are scheduled to last between 10-15 minutes, including a brief question time. RSVP (essential for catering purposes) and abstracts Friday 10 October 2008 to Sven Schottmann (sasch4@student.monash.edu.au) by Friday, 10 October 2008. All Welcome. Lunch and light refreshments (halal) will be served. ----------------------- Item 4. Centre of Southeast Asian Studies Seminar Thursday 16 October 2008, 11-12.30pm Room SG02, Manton Rooms, Ground Floor, Building 11 (Menzies), Monash University Clayton campus Building disaster resilience into development: Housing reconstruction in Bangladesh and Vietnam & lessons from the Yogyakarta earthquake, 2006 Paul Grundy, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Monash University & Iftekhar Ahmed, University of Melbourne Details: http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/mai/cseas/seminars/seminar08.php#resilience Enquiries: Dr Jemma Purdey, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Centre of Southeast Asian Studies, Monash University, Jemma.Purdey@adm.monash.edu.au ----------------------- Item 5. Postgraduate Symposium 21st Century Perspective: Postgraduate Symposium The World is an Eye Thursday 30 October 2008 Manton Rooms, Monash University Clayton campus The Postgraduate Symposium is an annual event run by postgraduate students from the School of Political and Social Inquiry at Monash University. Students from various departments will come together for a number of important reasons. Academically, the Symposium operates so that new students can introduce themselves and their work to the post-graduate community, so that confirmed students can share and receive feedback on the research and ideas with which they have been concerned, and so that we can build and invigorate the general scholarly community within the School. The Symposium also offers a chance for students to fulfil part of the condition of their enrolment, that they provide regular updates on the progress of their research. Free registration and enquiries at: http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/psi/symposium/ ----------------------- Item 6. Film screening Centre for Malaysian Studies, Monash Asia Institute Friday 31 October 2008, 6:30pm Link Theatre, S Building, Monash University Caulfield Campus 'Perempuan Melayu Terakhir’ (The last Malay woman) Erma Fatimah’s 1999 film takes us to beautiful Terengganu on the east coast of Peninsula Malaysia. It tells a story of rootlessness and a quest for identity and belonging. The urbane and cosmopolitan theatre director Heikal comes to rural Terengganu. He discovers in Mustika the loyalty and innocence he sees as the essence of being Malay, which he had thought lost in the modern world. FREE ADMISSION Enquiries: Sven Schottmann (sasch4@student.monash.edu.au) ----------------------- Item 7. Latest MAI Press publications The iconic female: goddesses of India, Nepal and Tibet edited by Jayant Bhalchandra Bapat and Ian Mabbett, 2008 ISBN 9781876924669, 244pp, $44.95 The energy of the goddess fills every facet of Indian life. To her devotees, the goddess appears in myriad forms: a mother, boon-giver, destroyer of evil, a divine lover, a protector and/or a bloodthirsty ogress. The more we discover about her, the more teasingly complex and multivalent the Devi appears. She is both constant and changing, loved and feared, worshipped and forgotten only to be re-discovered and worshipped. In this book, for the first time, ten Australian researchers working on many aspects of the Devi have come together and offered, in a single collection, new research on the divine female. This book is the beginning of a renewed quest for the iconic Devi who continues to emerge in her many, unpredictably powerful forms. Enquiries: Ms Jenny Hall, Publications Officer, jenny.hall@adm.monash.edu.au ------------------------- Item 8. International Conference Thursday and Friday 4-5 December 2008 ‘Legal Development in East Asia: China – Vietnam Compared’ Hosted by the Centre of Comparative and Public Law, Faculty of Law, University of Hong Kong and the Asia Pacific Business Regulation Group, Department of Business Law and Taxation Monash University Conference Theme China and Vietnam have much in common—a Confucian past, socialist influenced legal systems, and rapidly developing economies and societies. Yet a comparative assessment of legal development in these countries has not been undertaken. This is a missed opportunity because studying their similarities and differences is likely to produce valuable insights into the role ideas and path dependencies play in shaping legal development. On the surface there is little to distinguish legal development in these countries. The sequencing of reforms differs, but each country has enacted comprehensive legislative frameworks, and gradually reformed their legal institutions. Since differences reside below the surface of statutory norms and legal institutions, conference speakers will comparatively analyse how different legal ideas and practices arose and shape the trajectory of legal development. This investigation is likely to deepen and broaden existing knowledge by producing a nuanced account of how legal reforms in these countries have responded to global and domestic challenges. Enquiries: Flora Leung, Faculty of Law, University of Hong Kong email fkleung@hku.hk or Leanne Hunt, Department of Business Law and Taxation, Monash University email Leanne.Hunt@BusEco.monash.edu.au ------------------------- Item 9. Call for Papers The External Relations of the European Union: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives Monash University, Melbourne, 24-25 September 2009 A global Conference of the Monash European and EU Centre, the Monash Asia Institute (Monash University, Melbourne), the National Centre for Research on Europe (University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand) and the University of New South Wales, Sydney Given the changing architecture of global economic and political power, the role of the EU in the world is increasingly the focus of a vigorous debate. As a powerful trade negotiator and a leading player in global issues such as the environment, development aid, social policy and human rights, the EU is increasingly recognized as a new force for global security and welfare. Certainly the EU sees itself as a growing political and strategic presence. But is this perception shared by non-EU countries and organisations? Exactly how is the EU perceived by the international community and how have these perceptions developed since the creation of the European Communities in the 1950s? Has the EU been perceived to be more of an economic actor or a political force? Is the EU seen as a regional model that could be emulated? Which countries are favourable and which hostile to a growing EU influence in their region or internationally? In particular, the conference aims to promote the collaboration of academics and scholars on the following themes: • The EU, its origins and evolution from the 1950s to the 21st Century as seen from the perspective of non-EU countries and regions (e.g. China, India, the Asia-Pacific, New Zealand, Australia, the US, Russia, the Middle East, Africa etc) • The postcolonial heritage in EU external relations • The EU and its view of the Asia-Pacific • The EU and international organizations: past and future challenges Scientific Committee Dr. Andrea Benvenuti (Lecturer, European Studies Coordinator, University of New South Wales, Sydney), Dr. Natalia Chaban (Senior Lecturer, National Centre for Research on Europe, Christchurch, New Zealand), Professor Anne Deighton (Oxford University, UK), Professor Martin Holland (Director, National Centre for Research on Europe, Christchurch, New Zealand), Professor Eric Remacle (Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium), Professor Marika Vicziany (Director, Monash Asia Institute, Melbourne), Professor Pascaline Winand (Director, Monash European and EU Centre, Melbourne) Selected papers from the conference will appear in a refereed publication and/or a major journal. Papers should be submitted one month prior to the conference. Abstracts of up to 500 words for papers aligned with the above themes, along with your affiliation and full contact details should be submitted via email to: Ms Patricia Arnold, Event coordinator, Monash European and EU Centre: patricia.arnold@general.monash.edu.au Ph. +61 3 9903 4638. For updates about the conference please see our website: http://www.monash.edu.au/europecentre/ The closing date for abstracts is 31 March 2009 ===================================== Other News and Events ===================================== Item 10. Saturday 11 October 2008, 10am–4pm (registration 9.30am) Symposium – Across the desert: Aboriginal Batik from Central Australia Don’t miss a unique opportunity to hear an extraordinary group of experts speak about the work in this landmark exhibition. Every presenter has extensive and intimate experience working with artists and communities in the production of batik, and will cover a wide range of topics, including the origins of the movement, commercial impacts and the women’s movement. See www.ngv.vic.gov.au/batik Cost $80 Adult / $65 NGV Member / $70 Concession / $55 Student (includes symposium, morning and afternoon tea) Venue Clemenger BBDO Auditorium, NGV International (enter North entrance, via the Arts Centre forecourt) Event code P08123 Program Bookings (03) 8662 1555, 10am-5pm daily ----------------------- Item 11. Asialink Public Lecture Tuesday 14 October 2008, 6.30pm start Carrillo Gantner Basement Theatre, Sidney Myer Asia Centre, The University of Melbourne ASIA: Asia and the US - A veteran reporter's perspective The Tiannamen Square Crisis, the subsequent rise of China, the war in Afghanistan, the overthrow of Indonesia President Suharto, and the former US President Jimmy Carter’s peace making trip to Pyongyang. For all these consequential events in Asia, Mike Chinoy was there as the face of CNN. After joining CNN in 1983 as a correspondent in its London bureau, Mike Chinoy became the Senior Asia Correspondent with eight years as Beijing Bureau Chief and five years as Hong Kong Bureau Chief. He is an acclaimed journalist who has received an Emmy Award, an Award for Cable Excellence, a Dupont Award and a Peabody Award. Mike Chinoy is now the Edgerton Senior Fellow on Asia at the Pacific Council on International Policy in Los Angeles. He is visiting Australia promoting his most recent book Meltdown: The Inside Story of the North Korean Nuclear Crisis, a highly-acclaimed expose based on hundreds of interviews and 14 trips to North Korea. Join Mike Chinoy to share his unique and expansive insider’s perspective on the North Korean nuclear crisis and other issues central to the security of Asia and the US in this rare appearance in Melbourne. This event is co-presented by Asialink at The University of Melbourne and the US Studies Centre at the University of Sydney and supported by Readings Books, Music and Film. COST: Free RSVP: Email events@asialink.unimelb.edu.au with “CNN-Mike Chinoy” in the subject line WEBSITE: http://www.asialink.unimelb.edu.au/events/upcoming_events and http://sydney.edu.au/us-studies/ ----------------------- Item 12. Islamic Finance Colloquium Presented by Asialink and the National Centre of Excellence for Islamic Studies Tuesday 23 October 2008, 9:00am start – 1:00pm Novotel, 270 Collins St., Melbourne Islamic Banking is the fastest growing sector of the banking industry with funds up to US$200 billion, growth at more than 15% per annum and 150 financial institutions operating in more than 40 countries. Bringing together industry experts such as Mr Mohamed Ridza Abdullah from Malaysia, Dr Abdul Rahim Ghouse, CEO of the Kuwait Finance House, Professor Abdullah Saeed from the National Centre of Excellence for Islamic Studies as well as other leading regulators, financial and legal practitioners, and key academia, this event will introduce the foundations and principles of Islamic financial practices, as well as explore the growing global and local opportunities for the industry. This event is also supported by the Financial Services Institute of Australasia and the Melbourne Centre for Financial Studies. COST: $85 (full) / $70 (Asialink, FINSIA & MCFS Members) / $55 (concession) Details: http://www.nceis.unimelb.edu.au or http://www.asialink.unimelb.edu.au/events/upcoming_events Enquiries and Registration: Ken Lee , k.lee@asialink.unimelb.edu.au or Tel: +61 3 8344 3583 ----------------------- Item 13. UKM Student mobility partnership programme The Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia will be offering two programmes under the new UKM-Global Student Mobility Partnerships in June 2009. Expressions of interest are now invited for the two 4-week programmes, Sustainability of Tropical heritage, and Indigenous Communities, comprising lectures, presentation, discussions and fieldwork in Tasik Chini or Cameron Highland, Langkawi GeoPark, Sarawak Cultural Village, and Mount Kinabalu, Sabah. For information about the programmes, credit transfers and funding opportunities, contact: UKM Student Mobility partnerships The Chancellor's Foundation Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor D.E., Malaysia email: kbyc@ukm.my Australian students accepted by UKM under this programme may be eligible to apply for the Australian-Malaysia Institute Student Mobility Scholarships worth AU$1,500. ----------------------- Item 14. Website of the month: Disability Classification and Research Centre http://www.dcrc-asia.org/sg/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=60&Itemid=50 Research has become a prominent part of disability sports. Within Asia, however, there is a shortage of research institutions that focuses on the study of disability sports discipline which is unique to the Asian Paralympic athletes’ physique and climate. DCRC is the region’s first classification and research centre, envisioned to further grow the base of researchers and interest in disability sports in Asia. DCRC establishes linkages with institutions to raise the standard and quality of research. In a further vision, DCRC looks towards establishing Intellectual Properties (IPs) presence as well as the commercialisations. =========================================================== The Monash Asia Institute Newsletter incorporates news items from the six research centres of the Monash Asia Institute, partner organisations and other groups working to promote Asian Studies in Australia. For further information about the Monash Asia Institute and this newsletter: http://www.monash.edu.au/mai/ To unsubscribe, please send an email to: Monash-Asia-Institute Enquiries ===========================================================