The 2014 International Conference of ISEAS-BUFS

1. Date        : May 29~31, 2014

2. Venue      : D109/D117, Busan University of Foreign Studies, Busan, Republic of Korea

3. Theme      : Explication of the Regional Characteristics of Southeast Asia and Inter-regional Comparative Studies

4. Organizer  : Institute for Southeast Asian Studies, BUFS

5. Sponsors   : National Research Foundation of Korea; BUFS; UP College of Music, Philippines; ISEE Foundation, Korea

Background and Concepts:

The ISEAS-BUFS has been conducting a 10 year HK(Humanity Korea) project since 2009, which is focused on Southeast Asian Studies, supported by National Research Foundation of Korea. The main research agenda is “The Recognition and Construction of Southeast Asia as a Holon: Building Southeast Asian Studies on Compounding Area Studies and Cultural Studies.” The fluid concept of ‘culture’ here applies in a broad sense, which includes not only the artistic outcomes but also the idea of a general process of intellectual that influenced the sociological and historical progress. The period of the research project consists of three stages with 3-3-4 years. Each stage has its own research topic to focus on. The first stage of the research under the topic of “Outer Civilizations and Infra-Culture of Southeast Asia” was successfully concluded by the end of August 31, 2013.

Now, the ISEAS-BUFS entered at the second stage of research agenda under the specific topic of “Explication of the Regional Characteristics of Southeast Asia and Inter-regional Comparative Studies.” In the course of historical progress Southeast Asia has been opened to the various outer civilizations, which competed with the infra-culture of Southeast Asia. In the process, the regional characteristics of Southeast Asia have been modified and developed into the contemporary form. It implies that within the regional characteristics of Southeast Asia one could find the ‘relativeness’ to other civilizations and the ‘uniqueness’ of its own.