Welcome to Monash Asia Institute (MAI)!
MAI is a multi-disciplinary research centre representing the Asian research expertise in all ten faculties on all Monash campuses located in Australia and abroad. Founded in 1988 as the Institute for Contemporary Asian Studies, it was reconstituted as the MAI in 1992 to bring together a wide range of Asia-related activities in the University and develop collaborative links with like-minded institutions in Australia, Asia, the USA and Europe. Now located in the Arts Faculty, MAI endeavors to facilitate innovative research on Asian regions and promote cross-disciplinary and trans-Asian intellectual dialogue within and outside Monash.
MAI Research Day on “Global Asia” (27 April 2018)
See the forthcoming events & news in the MAI April 2018 BULLETIN
FOCUS THEMES & REGIONAL COORDINATORS (**Inaugural Seminar on 31 March**)
MAI establishes four focus themes to promote inter-disciplinary and trans-Asian research collaboration and dialogue. Coordinators of focus themes will organize trans-Asia seminar series. MAI will also invite international scholars who are working on the below themes to give a talk at trans-Asia seminar series.
- Migration, Diaspora and Belonging (Coordinated by GIl Soo Han and Mridula Chakraborty)
- Diversity, Mobility and Inclusion (coordinated by Julian Millie & Koichi Iwabuchi)
- Media, Culture and Performance (coordinated by Ariel Heryanto & Olivia Khoo)
- Cultural Citizenship and Public Pedagogy (coordinated by Koichi Iwabuchi & Philip Chan)
MAI also appoint regional coordinators who are responsible for facilitating cross-regional exchange and responding to inquiries about the research of the region:
East Asia: Gil Soo Han and Gloria Davies/Jonathan Benney
Southeast Asia: Ariel Heryanto and Julian Millie
South Asia: Mridula Chakraborty and Chandani Lokuge
MAI International Conference & Seminar
Cultural Expressions and Diversity Promotion: Dialogue with Immigration Museum, Melbourne
22 April 2018 at Keio University, Tokyo
Diversity Promotion and Multicultural Inclusion in East Asia ***Program***
17-18 March 2018 at Rikkyo University, Tokyo
The Sense of Time in a Hyper-Mobile Digital Age: Nostalgia, Presentism and Hope
19-20 May 2018 at Doshisha University, Kyoto
Trans-Asia Human Mobilities and Encounters
23-24 January 2017 at Chularongkorn University, Bangkok ***PROGRAM UPLOADED***
Trans-Asia as method: Exploring new potentials of “trans-Asian” approaches
12-13 June 2017 at Monash University, Prato Centre
OTHER ASIANS, ASIA’S OTHERING: Inclusionary Utopias, Exclusionary Politics
30 & 31 October 2017, Monash University Caulfield Campus
Public Seminar Series with Immigration Museum
From Asia Literacy to Australia Literacy
“Narrating my story as a member of multicultural society”, 24 September 2017
-Video of the seminar on 24 Sep 2017 uploaded!
-Video of the seminar on 12 April 2017 uploaded!
– A report on the session on media representation of Asian-Australians in 13 Nov
-Video of the inaugural seminar on 22 Sep 2016 uploaded!
–Video of the second seminar by Andy Trieu uploaded!
MAI-Supported Conference & Event
Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) Chair of Indian Studies Public Lecture on India 2017 by Professor Vanashree: The Spectrum of Many Indias and the Theatre of Girish Karnad
19 May 2017, 3pm to 5pm, Consulate General of India, Melbourne
Embodiments and Inhabitations -The 6th Asian Australian Identities (AAI6) conference of the Asian Australian Studies Research Network
25-26 October 2017, Immigration Museum, Melbourne
MAI Seminar series
Mon@sia is a public forum that aims to critically rethink fundamental questions around why and how we study about “Asia” and go beyond the compartmentalization of the studies of “Asia” as something happening “over there”. Trans-Asia as method is an academic seminar series that aims to facilitate trans-Asian and cross-disciplinary dialogue by comparatively and collaboratively and develop new conceptualization and theorization from Asian experiences and de-Westernizing the production of knowledge. In addition, there are regular and occasional seminars organized by Centre for Southeast Asian Studies, Japanese Studies Centre, National Centre for South Asian Studies, and Centre for Malaysian Studies. For the details of those seminars, please see Calendar and Events page.
Call For Papers: International Conference
“Korean Wave” Still Matters? Present and Future Directions
7-8 June 2018
Monash University Caulfield Campus, Melbourne
Monash Asia Institute (MAI), Asian Cultural and Media Studies Research Cluster (ACMSRC) and Korean Studies Program of Monash University are pleased to welcome submissions of paper abstracts for the conference, “Korean Wave” Still Matters? Present and Future Directions”, which will be held on 7 & 8 June 2018.
Since its initial appearance in Taiwanese and Chinese media in 1997, the term Hallyu has meant different things to different people. It proved to be an effective nationalistic marketing and soft power strategy for the South Korean government and entertainment industries while many fans and casual users alike consumed South Korean cultural contents without any conscious regard for the interests of the state. It also has been received in diverse ways by a wide range of followers in terms of regions, gender, sexuality, ethnicity. As such, Korean Wave has been attracting scholarly interests of many researchers of diverse disciplines across and beyond Asian regions.
Acknowledging the recent vicennial of the Korean Wave, we welcome papers that revisit studies of the Korean Wave and discuss its present and future directions both in and outside of South Korea and Asian regions. Topics of interest include but are not limited to whether or how the discourse of Korean Wave or Hallyu remains relevant today and to whom, new and old sociocultural issues to be explored, South Korean popular culture’s interaction with other national/regional popular cultures and cultural industries such as Indonesian pop or the hip hop culture in China, global implications for the critical study of popular culture in a digital age.
Please submit your proposed title, abstract (200 words max), and brief bio-data (50 words max) to MAI-Enquiries@monash.edu by 20 November 2017. Please clearly put “Korean Wave” in the subject line. Acceptance of proposals will be notified by mid December. Please kindly be advised that we will not be able to offer financial support for participants’ travel costs, but we will try to cover postgraduate students’ accommodation, if partially. There will be no registration fee for the conference.
Any enquiries should be directed to MAI-Enquiries@monash.edu
We look forward to receiving your proposals!
Upcoming Events

MAI Research Day
S901/S902 Building S, Monash University Caulfield campus
Event Date: 27/04/2018
Teaching and Learning about Asia in Australia
In 2019, a new major “Global Asia” will be commencing in the Bachelor of Arts at Monash University. This seminar will take this opportunity to discuss what and how we teach and learn about “Asia” in a globalised world. After informal talk over luncheon, the seminar will start with the introduction of the “Global Asia” major, followed by comments on the curriculum and wider issues regarding the study of Asia.
Key issues to be discussed will include:a)responding to student interests; b) content vs method vs skills; c) collaboration with Malaysian campus; d) postgraduate study of “Asia”; e) university and “Asia literacy/capability” cultivation in Australian schools and society.
SPEAKERS
Beatrice Trefalt
Gloria Davies
Hongzhi Zhang
Anubha Sarkar
Mridula Chakrabory
PROGRAM
12.15 - 1.00 Informal talk over luncheon
1.00 - 2.20 Session 1: “Global Asia” major program
2.40 - 4.00 Session 2: Towards innovative learning about
“Asia” in a globalised world.
RSVP by 23 April 2018
News
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Professor of Japanese Studies, Carolyn Stevens talks about her new book The Beatles in Japan. Read more
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On Friday 16 February, Monash Asia Institute (MAI) in collaboration with Monash University's Office of Global Engagement hosted a public lecture entitled “Islam with progress: lessons learnt from Muhammadiyah“.... Read more
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How can we improve relations between Australia and Indonesia? Researchers on the “Celebrating Everyday Lives in Indonesia-Australia Neighbourhood” project seem to think the answer might lie in a cup... Read more
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Billed as the ‘greatest literary show on earth’ the Zee Jaipur Literary Festival (JLF) welcomed more than 350,000 visitors in 2017. Those numbers look set to grow in 2018... Read more
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As a Faculty, we have had an excellent year of achievement in education. Both Dr Jonathan McIntosh and Associate Professor Kirsten McLean were recipients of Australian Awards for University teaching and... Read more
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Monash Arts Professor Ariel Heryanto’s lecture “The Role of the Global Left Movement in the Fight for Indonesia's Independence” has gone viral on YouTube, with the number of viewers reaching well... Read more