There has been much discussion in recent years of the inevitable decline of area studies in general and Asian studies in particular. A key influence cited to explain this ostensible change is the heightened emphasis accorded today on discipline-based as opposed to area-oriented writing, research and publication. This panel brings together several distinguished scholars and organizational leaders from the fields of political science, sociology, history, and anthropology to assess and compare research, publication, and funding trends in their respective fields. The question all panelists are invited to discuss is: Are area-oriented research and publishing actually in decline today in favor of discipline-specific trends? If changes of this sort are indeed taking place, how should Area Studies specialists with inter-or multi-disciplinary interests respond?
Speakers
Hyaeweol Choi (Religious Studies, University of Iowa, United States; AAS President)
Pujo Semedi (Anthropology, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia)
Fadjar Thufail (Research Center for Area Studies, the Indonesian National Research and Innovation Agency, Indonesia)
Robert Cribb (Asian History, Australian National University, Australia)
Robert Hefner (Anthropology, Boston University, United States)
Heidi Wiederkehr (Executive Director, Council of American Overseas Research Centers, United States)
Megan Hewitt (Executive Director, American Institute for Indonesian Studies, United States)
Helena Kolenda (Former Asia Program Director, Henry Luce Foundation, United States)