Asian Studies Commons^™

Asian American Navigation In Higher Education: Do We Belong At Colby College?, Amanda Rose Alpert

Honors Theses

This thesis explores how Asian American students navigate their belonging at Predominantly White Institutions (PWI), specifically a case study at the higher educational institution Colby College. In understanding how Asian American students navigate the spaces around them, this thesis dives into the history of Asian immigration to the U.S., the Asian American politicized label, and the different diasporas and cultural nuances Asian Americans experience that make up the complicated, diverse, and misunderstood label. Through exploring global racializations of Asian bodies and legacies of Western imperialism and colonialism, this gives a basis of how Asian Americans understand themselves as persons living …

From Colony To Classroom: British Rule And Contemporary Educational Outcomes In India, Yashvita Shukla

Honors Theses

This study analyzes the modern day legacy of British colonial ruling structures on Indian educational outcomes. In directly ruled areas, the British retained total control, while Indian princes in indirectly ruled areas had administrative agency. I find that directly ruled districts have higher literate population shares across both genders over three census years, but no significant difference by 2011 in primary, secondary, and tertiary education, controlling for colonial geographic conditions. Gender-disaggregated results generally find stronger colonial effects for women than men. This thesis challenges earlier findings and implies that the British effort to create an educated administrative class and their …

Ideologies And Fears As Mechanisms Of Military Regime Legitimation : A Comparative Analysis Of Sarit Thanarat In Thailand And Ne Win In Burma, Hyeon-Min Kim

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This thesis examines how Sarit Thanarat in Thailand and Ne Win in Burma legitimized their military regimes through ideological narratives and threat discourses. Both leaders, who came to power through coups d’état without democratic legitimacy, sought to justify their authoritarian military rules by constructing discourses that transformed coercion into moral guardianship. Sarit emphasized traditional Thai values, lak-thai, aligning them with the monarchy and anti-communism to portray his military regime as the protector of national identity. Ne Win, by contrast, promoted Burman ethno-nationalism and the Burmese Way to Socialism and emphasized the Burmese Armed Forces (Tatmadaw)’s role in safeguarding the unity …

A Comparative Case Study Of Face-To-Face Vs Virtual Fortune Telling In Bangkok In The Aftermath Of Covid-19 : Relevance And Adaptation, Jade Evalyn Di Donato

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This study explores the adaptation of Thai fortune telling practices, specifically astrology and tarot card reading, in response to increasing digitization and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. While the practice has been traditionally rooted in face-to-face interactions, it has transformed in recent years with the growing prevalence of online consultations. Utilizing Catherine Bell's theory of ritualization alongside the Transfer of Ritual theory, this research analyzes how the ritual meaning and symbolism of Thai fortune telling are preserved across digital and physical spaces, especially in a post-pandemic world. Relying on a comparative case study of two female fortune tellers—one who …

The Representation Of The Lgbtq2+ Community In The Context Of Pride Month In Thai Online Media From 2022 To 2025, Julia Borawska

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This thesis examines the representation of Thai Pride Month and the LGBTQ+ community in Thai online media between 2022 and 2025. It provides a comprehensive analysis of content featured on both individual- and organization-based media, distinguishing between social media and mainstream news outlets. Within the social media sphere, the study further differentiates between influential Thai celebrities—particularly actors and actresses involved in queer-portraying productions—and organizational entities involved in LGBTQ+ advocacy as well as BL/GL production companies. The first two groups rarely feature queer-related content or express explicit support for Pride Month and the LGBTQ+ community, choosing to engage only when personally …

Identity, Norms And Recognition : A Constructivist Account Of Singapore–Taiwan Relations Under Strategic Constraint, Mohamad Faisal Bin Jamain

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This thesis examines the enduring resilience of the Singapore–Taiwan relationship, which persists despite intensifying geopolitical constraints, rising diplomatic risks and modest material incentives. This persistence presents a realist paradox: while traditional materialist accounts establish the structural constraints (such as the “One China” policy and great-power rivalry) that rationally predict disengagement, they fail to systematically account for the specific mechanisms and ideational strategies that underpin the relationship's resilience. Addressing this critical theoretical gap, this study applies a constructivist framework centred on identity, norms and recognition, situating these ideational insights alongside material and geopolitical constraints to offer a holistic explanation. The primary …

Chilean Perceptions Of Thailand As Seen Through Social Media (2015 – 2024), Nicolas Agustin Castillo Aldunce

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This thesis has two main objectives: 1) to examine the perception of Thailand as seen in Chilean social media between 2015 and 2024 and 2) to identify the prevailing narratives and stereotypes and underline the factors responsible for these perceptions. 120 social media posts about Thailand from 11 institutional and independent Chilean content creators are collected and analyzed and Richard Gregory’s theory of perception is applied as its theoretical framework. It is found that there was an increase in online contents related to Thailand since 2015 after the ratification of Chile-Thailand Free Trade Agreement, particularly between 2022 to 2024 when …

Imagining Peace From Abroad : How Myanmar Students In Bangkok Define Peace, Shinhyoung Choi

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This thesis examines how Myanmar students living in Bangkok understand and define peace through their everyday experiences, social positions, and transnational lives. Drawing on a multi-stage, qualitatively driven research design—including a narrative survey, a structured follow-up survey, and in-depth interviews—the study investigates how students’ peace perceptions emerge while they navigate between Myanmar’s instability and Bangkok’s relative institutional order.Findings from 105 participants show that students’ peace orientations cluster into two dominant narratives: a Development-Oriented Narrative emphasizing education, opportunity, and gradual change, and a Resistance-Oriented Narrative emphasizing justice, accountability, and structural reform. Although the initial hypothesis assumed that Bangkok’s stability would directly …

Walkable City Development In Bangkok : A Case Study Of The Ari-Pradiphat Area, Shengnan Li

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Walkable city development has become an important concept in sustainable urban mobility development, because it can create multiple benefits to improve people’s quality of life. Bangkok city has joined this walkability initiative, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), promoted “Bangkok Good Walk Project”. However, it still faces challenges in improving walkability, such as lack of safety, discomfort, and inaccessibility. Previous walkability study have focused more on physical walking conditions and fewer in people’s walking perception, although perception is a key step for improvement. It is necessary to supplement the existing knowledge of people’s walking perception to promote walkable city development. Following this …

The Popularity Of The Untamed In Thailand And I Told Sunset About You In China : Reciprocal Fandom And Cultural Diplomacy, Yuanwei Gao

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This study aims to explore cross-cultural fan interactions between China and Thailand and their influence on cultural diplomacy. In recent years, television dramas from both China and Thailand have gained remarkable popularity in the respective countries. Among various types of dramas, BL (Boys’ Love) dramas stand out as a typical case of transnational fan interaction due to their large cross-border audience and highly active online and offline interaction. Among them, the Chinese TV drama The Untamed (Chen Qing Ling) has received wide attention in Thailand, and the Thai TV drama I Told Sunset About You (แปลรักฉันด้วยใจเธอ) has sparked heated discussions …

Peripheral Rebels: Western-Derived Symbols Of Resistance In Thai And Colombian Films About Male Youth Subculture, Andres David Garcia Suarez

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This paper examines how Thai and Colombian films portrays marginalized male youth reworking Western countercultural symbols as forms of empowerment and resistance. Focusing on Nonzee Nimibutr’s Dang Bireley’s and Young Gangsters (1997) and Víctor Gaviria’s Rodrigo D: No Future (1990), it examines how Thai gangsters in 1950s Bangkok and Colombian punks in 1980s Medellín confront structural violence and generational alienation through the rearticulation of American rock and roll and British punk. Drawing on Homi K.Bhabha´s notion of cultural resignification, García Canclini´s theory of cultural hybridization, and Theodor Roszak´s understanding of counterculture, this paper analyzes how both films depict the adoption …

Religion And Culinary Practices In Thailand : From Buddhist And Islamic Dietary Restrictions To Social Hierarchy And Identity, Gao Yaxuan

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This study adopts the analytical framework of "food as a moral economy" to explore how the dietary practices of Buddhism and Islam in Thailand constitute two parallel yet complementary religious ethical systems, and further shape social relations and cultural identities. The research holds that in the social environment of Thailand, "eating" and "giving food" are not only the satisfaction of physiological needs, but also important ways for religious values to be practiced, expressed and negotiated in daily life. The Buddhist mechanism of almsgiving and accumulating virtue emphasizes the establishment of emotional networks and social reciprocity through diet. The halal dietary …

From Chinese Danmei To Thai Y-Series : A Case Study Of The Sino-Thai Co-Produced Y-Series My Stand-In, Xinyi Su

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This study examines the Sino-Thai co-produced series My Stand-In as a case of cultural translation and dissemination of Chinese Danmei (Boys’ Love) fiction through transnational screen adaptation. It analyzes narrative transformation, localization, and cultural reproduction across three levels: text, industry, and audience. Reviewing the development of Chinese Danmei from 2006 to 2025, the study shows that My Stand-In exemplifies a collaborative production model in which Chinese platforms provide financing and distribution while Thai teams lead production. The series retains the original storyline while adapting visual and cultural elements to the Thai context. At the communication level, the series’ circulation is …

Opportunities And Challenges Of Thailand's Durian Exports To The Chinese Market, Yafang Tang

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Thailand remains the world's leading durian exporter, with China emerging as its most dynamic and influential import market. This thesis explores the competitiveness of Thai durian exports to China amid intensifying regional rivalry. Its objectives are threefold: (1) to evaluate Thailand's internal strengths and weaknesses; (2) to identify opportunities and threats in the Chinese market; and (3) to benchmark Thailand against Vietnam and Malaysia to formulate strategic recommendations. The study employs a mixed approach, combining SWOT analysis with Porter's Diamond Model and using secondary data, policy documents, and industry reports. Findings reveal that Thailand's competitive advantage lies in large-scale production, …

Liberalizing The Nuclear Energy Sector: Small Modular Reactors, Net-Zeros, And Perceptions In India, Hely Desai

International Journal of Nuclear Security

The experimental small modular reactors (SMRs) have come to gain immense attention and importance given the global quest to quickly achieve net-zero goals. The Indian Government, too, has been pushing for SMRs to aid its industrial decarbonization targets and eventually wield the supply mediation in the race to acquire this novel technology. However, one of the key debates driving SMR discourse in India is the dilemma of allowing the involvement of the private sector into the nuclear energy realm. Although this idea seems to be an exciting solution to India’s energy woes, the reevaluation of a 60-year-old energy law comes …

The Rise Of Mao: Chinese Civil War And The Role Of Sub-State Actors, 1924-1949, Jackson Trahant

Tenor of Our Times

Mao Zedong led one of the most successful peasant rebellions in human history, changing the global stage of politics forever. Analysis of the 30 year war between Mao’s CCP and the Nationalist Party regime, led by Chiang Kai-shek, reveals the vital role of the Chinese peasant class as a force for revolution. Through ideological pedagogy, Mao formed a highly loyal army that in turn transformed him into a premier political figure of the 20th century, both hated and revered. His story informs the modern field of comparative politics as to how intrastate conflicts rely on sub-state actors for their success.

Indopacom Force Structure: A Trajectory Into The 2030s, Robert Burke

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Over the past ten years Taiwan has become a major point of friction between the United States and People’s Republic of China with both militaries preparing for a potential conflict over the island. China vastly expanded its military forces and capabilities over the past thirty years and is intent on obtaining the ability to both seize Taiwan by force and prevent the United States from generating enough combat power to intervene and defend the island. The Pentagon began to restructure its conventional forces in the Western Pacific at the end of the 2010s, implementing new operational concepts designed to fight …

A Forgotten Piece Of History: The Story Of The First Municipal Council Of Colombo, Sri Lanka, Chandra Richard De Silva

History Faculty Publications

The website of the Municipal Council of Colombo asserts that it was founded in 1865 (Colombo Municipal Council, 2015). This is also the story that is recounted in scholarly histories of Colombo, in modern websites and in popular accounts of the history of the city. The objective of this article is to demonstrate that Colombo had a municipal council as early as the sixteenth century and to illuminate the story of its existence for over 70 years - until well into the seventeenth century. It also explores the functions of the council, its relationship with Portuguese officials who ruled the …

Risk And Crisis Communication Research In Singapore, Augustine Pang, Jerena Ng, Jason Shi-Yang Lim

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This chapter aims to capture the latest insights on the state of risk and crisis communication research in Singapore, examined through the theoretical lens posited by Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) (Coombs, 2023). This chapter is divided into three sections: the first, consolidates risk and crisis communication research studies, the second examines the state of research, and the third offers a case study on the research conducted. Last but not least, we offer some suggestions on how research can grow. It is hoped that this chapter can offer a comprehensive view of risk and crisis communication research in Singapore and …

Governing Intelligence: Singapore’S Evolving Ai Governance Framework, Jason G. Allen, Jane Loo, Jose Luna

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

This paper provides an outline analysis of the evolving governance framework for Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Singapore. Across the Singapore government, AI solutions are being adopted in line with Singapore’s “Smart Nation Initiative” to leverage technology to make impactful changes to the nation and the economy. In tandem, Singaporean authorities have been assiduous to release a growing number of governance documents, which we analyse together to chart the city-state’s approach to AI governance in international comparison. Characteristics of Singapore’s AI governance approach include an emphasis on consensusbuilding between stakeholders (particularly government and industry but also citizens) andvoluntary or “quasi” regulation, …

How Can Chinese Culture Go Abroad? Evidence From Successful Establishment Of Chinese Academic Foreign Translation Projects, Tian Lan

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Compared to Chinese economy scale, the global understanding and recognition of Chinese culture are quite superficial, it is crucial to promote Chinese culture go abroad through academic exchanges between China and other countries. This study explores and validates the relationship and applicability of Chinese culture “Going Global” based on the translation project of Chinese academic works. Through case analysis and the development of data models, it aims to provide theoretical guidance and practical tools for relevant institutions and individuals.

The study begins with qualitative research on cases, describing and analyzing typical examples to demonstrate how Chinese Academic Translation (CAT) projects …

Instruments Implementation Audits And Development Strategies For Taiwan As A Non-Member State Of The Imo, Hui-Huang Tai, Tun-Hao Hsu

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has formulated numerous maritime-related conventions. The promotion of mandatory audits is required to ensure that the implementation of maritime management systems in various countries complies with the IMO Instruments Implementation Code (III Code) and that both member states and non-member states implement these conventions. This is not only an obligation but also a responsibility for all countries to promote the development of the maritime industry. This study investigates how Taiwan, one of the non-member state of the IMO, implements the audit process and develops future implementation strategies for various maritime conventions. This issue is of …

Meteorology, Weather And War In South East Asia: Malaya C. 1940-1960, Fiona Williamson

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

This article interrogates the positioning of British colonial meteorology in Malaysia and Singapore from the 1940s to 1960. This period spanned a global conflict and an internecine war, effecting profound sociopolitical changes from which neither Malaysia nor Singapore would emerge the same. The meteorological services were essential to Britain's armed conflicts, providing vital weather information to the army, navy and, especially, the air forces, as well as supporting the aviation and shipping industry often in difficult and dangerous circumstances. This article argues that British military policy in South East Asia and the specific concerns of the colonial government in Malaya …

Risk Spillover Effect Of China-Asean Supply Chains: Insights Of Industrial Transfer, Zeyang Bian, Yuning Zhang, Keng Siau, Yaqian Zhang, Jianjia He

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

As labour costs in China increase, labour-intensive industries are migrating to ASEAN countries, attracted by lower labour costs and market potential. This shift not only affects the economies of China and ASEAN but also reshapes the global manufacturing landscape. This paper investigates the correlation and spillover of supply chain risks using production exposure indicators derived from inter-country input-output data and the R-Vine Copula model. We assess the risk spillover of each country within the global supply chain. Our findings indicate that industrial relocation can significantly alter supply chain structures, thereby affecting the concentration and direction of risks. While China's role …

To Negotiate A Labyrinth: Indonesia Within And Without Asean During The Third Indochina War (1978-1991), Daniel Mccoy

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

When the Vietnam War ended in 1975, Southeast Asia arrived at its most stable condition since the close of World War II. In Indochina, international communism triumphed over Western democracy. However, regional peace was fleeting and tenuous. Disparate communist ideologies and combustible, extra-regional power designs soon clashed. American retrenchment emboldened the Soviet Union and China, two competing communist forces, to fill the power vacuum and inflame the enmity unfolding between their respective client states: Vietnam and Cambodia. Mounting violence between the pair culminated in late 1978 when Vietnam invaded Democratic Kampuchea, unleashing the Third Indochina War. The Vietnamese-Cambodian War, the …

Smu At 25: Celebrating A Legacy Of Innovation And A Bold Vision For The Future, Singapore Management University

SMU Press Releases and News

Twenty-five years ago, Singapore Management University (SMU) started out as a bold experiment in transforming the higher education in Singapore. Today, it has already gained the recognition of being a globally recognized institution at the forefront of transformative education and cutting-edge research, shaping future leaders in Asia and beyond. As SMU marks this milestone, the university is not just reflecting on its achievements but charting a path forward with renewed purpose.

Smu Announces New Leadership Appointments: Mr Kuok Khoon Ean And Justice Judith Prakash, As Pro-Chancellors, Singapore Management University

SMU Press Releases and News

Singapore Management University (SMU) is pleased to announce key leadership appointments that will further strengthen its governance and strategic direction. These appointments underscore SMU’s commitment to delivering excellence in education, research, and community engagement. Effective 1 January 2025, SMU welcomes two distinguished individuals, Mr Kuok Khoon Ean and Justice Judith Prakash, as Pro-Chancellors.

40 Years Passing By In (A) “Heartbeat”, Christopher Janney

Monsoon: South Asian Studies Association Journal

This article outlines the forty-year history go Christopher Janney’s iconic performance work “HeartBeat.” Trained as an architect and jazz musician, Janney combines these two disciplines to create large interactive light/sound installations and performances. On the one hand, he attempts to make architecture more like music, more “alive” using real-time sensing devices as on his “Harmonic Convergence” installation on the Miami International Airport. On the other hand, he attempts to make music more like architecture, more physical more visual. In his “HeartBeat” performance, a dancer wears a heartbeat device that amplifies his/her heartbeat in “real time.” Over this pulse, live musicians …

Yoga Sūtra Book Four And The Yogabindu, Christopher Key Chapple

Monsoon: South Asian Studies Association Journal

Four themes from the fourth pāda of Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtra are examined here: karma (IV:2-13), individuality (IV:16), humility (IV:20-22), and freedom (IV:29-34). Affirmations and variant interpretations of these four are provided from Haribhadra Virahāṅka’s Yogabindu, most likely composed a century or two later.

Collective Karma: From The Yogasūtra To Taylor Swift, Zoë Slatoff

Monsoon: South Asian Studies Association Journal

The Indian knowledge traditions speak at length about karma, which is divided into three categories—accumulated (saṃcita), ripe (prārabdha), and future (kriyamāṇa). While much is said about our individual karma and how it affects our repeated reincarnation in cyclic existence, how does this affect others and how do others affect us? In other words, as this paper explores, what is our reciprocal and collective karma?