REPORT of the

2018 Regional Fulbright Enrichment Conference

“Innovative and Resilient ASEAN Communities” March 14-16, 2018

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, Kuala Lumpur

INTRODUCTION

The Malaysian-American Commission on Educational Exchange (MACEE) hosted a successful 2018

Regional Fulbright Enrichment Conference at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Kuala Lumpur,

March 14-16 on the theme, “Innovative and Resilient ASEAN Communities”. The conference was

supported with a grant from the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs

(ECA). The conference covered nine plenary sessions led by U.S. Fulbright grantees in the Southeast

Asian region who gave ten-minute presentations and a keynote address. Some of the Fulbright

scholars and research students graciously served also as moderators and/or rapporteurs throughout the

conference.

Fulbrighters and other guests flank U.S. Ambassador Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir (2nd row, center, in

purple) at a reception at the Ambassador’s residence, March 15, 2018

GOALS

The conference aimed to bring together Fulbright scholars and student researchers in the ASEAN

(Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region together, to enable them to share with each other

their on-going research in a plethora of different fields that contribute significantly to the growing

U.S. partnerships with academicians, researchers, students and laypersons in this dynamic region. The

conference also aimed to update participants with a local perspective on key issues confronting the

ASEAN region and its future.

Additionally, the conference provided an opportunity for Malaysian Fulbright alumni to engage with

their U.S. counterparts, and for the entire group to meet and confer with the U.S. Ambassador, the

Deputy Chief of Mission, and other key officers of the U.S. Embassy in Malaysia. The tight three-day

agenda included a trip to the Islamic Arts Museum of Malaysia for participants to learn about some

cultural aspects of Malaysia, the conference host country, and its connections with the international

Muslim world.

PARTICIPANTS

Overall, the conference attracted about eighty participants. Among the attendees were fifty one

Fulbright scholars and student researchers (with a few of their spouses), a Fulbright specialist, three

Fulbright Public Policy Fellows, several Fulbright Alumni Association of Malaysia members, two

Fulbright program staff from the American Indonesian Exchange Foundation (AMINEF); a Malaysian

Eisenhower fellow who delivered the keynote; a Fulbright program staff from Public Affairs, U.S.

Embassy Vietnam; two Officers from Public Affairs, U.S. Embassy Malaysia; the Fulbright Program

Officer from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), U.S. Department of State; the

Interim Executive Director of MACEE, and four of his staff who managed the conference secretariat

at the hotel.

WELCOME March 14

The conference got off to a great start with receptions held in honor of the Fulbright delegates and

other U.S. Embassy guests at the DoubleTree hotel March 14 and at U.S. Ambassador Kamala Shirin

Lakhdhir’s residence March 15 (see first photo above).

At a cocktail reception at the DoubleTree

Hotel, U.S. Embassy Counselor for Public

Affairs Bradley Hurst (center) welcomed

Fulbright and other guests, and

introduced U.S. Ambassador Kamala

Shirin Lakhdhir (left), and the new interim

MACEE Director, Edward Loo, a U.S.

Foreign Service officer who had served in

several capacities in many parts of the

world, including in the ASEAN region. He

also thanked Assistant Cultural Affairs

Officer Sarah Talalay who had served as

Acting MACEE Director prior Edward

Loo’s arrival in early March, the MACEE

conference secretariat staff, and the hotel

for its room reservations, banquet and

related support services.

OPENING ADDRESS

March 15

Interim MACEE Executive

Director Edward Loo welcomed

the conference participants, U.S.

Embassy Assistant Cultural

Affairs Officer Sarah Talalay,

and Julia Findlay, the Fulbright

Program Officer from

Washington, D.C., then provided

an overview of the conference

agenda before handing the floor

over to Julia Findlay who served

as Master of Ceremonies.

(Right) Master of Ceremonies, Julia

Findlay (Fulbright Program Officer,

East Asia and Pacific) keeps the

conference flowing smoothly with

appropriate announcements.

EDUCATION AND CULTURE

Panel 1: Moderated by Dr Yvonne Rafferty (scholar – Cambodia); Rapporteur: Mr. Andrew Calvert

Presenters: Ms Kalina Silverman (student researcher); Dr Michelle McCollin (scholar-Vietnam), Dr

Thomas Payne (scholar -Philippines) ; Dr Rebecca Silverman (scholar -Burma); Dr Amy Roberts

(scholar-Burma); Dr Roger Marshall (scholar -Burma); Mr Anthony Garciano (student researcher -

Philippines); and Ms Sophie Nop (student researcher- Cambodia).

Projecting her documentary film entitled “Big Talk” which had gone viral, Ms Kalina Silverman

began the opening plenary session with her presentation entitled, “Bridging East-West

Communications through ‘Big Talk’. She said its goal was to skip “small talk” and instead engage

people in larger issues of life that actually matter. Ms. Silverman discussed her research using her

“Big Talk” method involving interviews and breaking down barriers in communication in any society.

She was concerned that in Singapore, communication between low wage migrant workers and local

Singaporeans were strained or non-existent.

Dr Michelle McCollin then presented her dynamic talk on “Using Teacher Self-efficacy Strategies and

Case Studies in Creating Culturally Responsive Inclusive Classroom in Southeast Asia”. Dr McCollin

was emphatic about breaking down barriers in the classroom and pointed out that teaching should be

conducted “the way students learn”, and “respecting students’ personal dignity as learners.” She was

particular that teachers should take cognizance of and “understand teacher and student self-efficacy”

in the teaching-learning process and pointed out that the teacher-student dynamic played an important

role. Dr McCollin concluded that case studies are “a more effective pedagogical tool.”

Dr McCollin demonstrates

“teacher efficacy” methods in

engaging students and gets the

moderator, panelists and the

entire audience involved in

classroom exercises.

Kalina Silverman presenting her

“Big Talk” with videos and slides.

Next, Dr Thomas Payne, presented his research on the topic, “Mother Tongue Based Multilingual

Education in the Philippines”. Dr Payne pointed out the importance of mother tongue stressing that it

is “the most cognitive”, and that it is the language in which “sociocultural development occurs”.

However, he emphasized that students in multilingual programs performed better than those in

traditional programs and discussed how the best option is for “mother tongue and national language

education --“both/and” rather than “either/or”.

“Teacher Education in Burma” was the next topic presented. Led by Dr Rebecca Silverman, the

presentation demonstrated how education in Burma, a rapidly developing country, used to top-down

lecture style teaching and learning, is undergoing a major transition towards more autonomy and best

practices where syllabi is also trying to be more student- focussed. From her research with surveys

and interviews, she found students very responsive, there was a deep desire for rapid change in

teaching and learning, implementation of newer teaching methods by teachers was hampered by stress

of work and lack of resources, despite more autonomy and empowerment there was no clear direction

from the top for teachers.

Dr Amy Roberts who spoke on the topic, “Academic Writing at Mandalay University: Emerging

Insights and Themes” began with a theoretical framework to provide support for academic writing,

and discussed how identified faculty could serve as writing coaches. Dr Roberts opined that

“academic writing in English is a way for (Burmese) students to engage with the world”.

The next presenter was Mr Anthony Garciano whose topic, “Becoming a Nation: History Education

as a Tool for Nation-building in the Philippines” covered how his research explored Filipino science

high school students’ attitudes toward nationalism between 1964 and 1983. He provided an analysis

of a University of Philippines thesis and original textbooks from the early 20th century up to the post-

Marcos era, examining how that government “packaged” Philippine nationalism.

Dr Roger Marshall who is in Burma showcased his on-going Fulbright research in a presentation

entitled, “Myanmar’s Digital Awakening: How the Internet is Shaping Communications”. Dr

Marshall said that Burma was leapfrogging into the smart phone age and that universities were

preparing to fit into the information age (and was including ethics courses, etc.). He shared his

experience adapting a course on computers which he had offered each semester while in the U.S. but

which he fit into the Burmese context. Dr Marshall also discussed how social media played a role in

bridging the digital divide and pointed out Facebook’s dominance, and the challenges encountered by

internet service providers (ISPs) and the government.

(L-R) Sophie Nop, Anthony Garciano, Kalina

Silverman Dr Roger Marshall

Silverman

Sophie Nop concluded the segment on Education and Culture with her presentation on “Narrowing

the Digital Divide through Mobile App Development”. Ms Nop’s presentation centered on her

research in Cambodia which has some of the lowest rates of internet access in Southeast Asia. She

discussed her pilot project--a mobile app for development curriculum to test which are the methods

most conducive to students’ learning of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (or

STEM) concepts. Her Fulbright project also included training young girls in computer programming.

She highlighted a success story where her group consisting eight mentors recruited from all over

ASEAN won U.S. Government seed money for YSEALI STEM education (YSEALI is the Young

Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative).

During the lively Q & A session that ensued, Ms Kalina Silverman explained to the audience that the

hypothesis behind “Big Talk” is that people are actually eager to share deep universal sentiments and

just need the right forum to do so. Dr Michelle McCollin drove home the point that it is important for

educators to use their efficacy and change learning environments to suit students. Dr Rebecca

Silverman said she learned that communal hope is critical for implementing change while Dr Roger

Marshall said he was impressed by his Burmese students’ memorization capacity. Dr Thomas Payne

emphasized the importance of validating minority languages and Dr Amy Roberts cautioned that

while teacher-student relationship is valuable, it is underappreciated.

PUBLIC HEALTH

Panel 1: Moderated by Ms Sana Haider (student researcher – Philippines); Rapporteur: Mr. Joss

Whitaker. Presenters: Dr James Laskin (scholar – Thailand), Mr. Moiz Munir (student researcher –

Malaysia).

Public health is a global issue and despite only two presenters, the segment garnered much interest

with Dr James Laskin beginning his presentation on the topic, “Quality of Life, Physical Activity, and

Fall Risk in Elderly Lao.” Dr Laskin’s research identifies a growing aging population in Laos but he

faces challenges as there is little or no data about the elderly’s health and of life, levels of physical

activity, and risk for falls. With the increase in urbanization he says mortality is shifting from

infectious diseases to preventable and chronic diseases, e.g. diabetes and heart disease. Dr Laskin’s

research also attempts to answer the question, “how does healthcare (for the elderly) interact with the

rest of the Lao social structure? His team of eight survey volunteers (trained for practical

interviewing) is working with questionnaires from the Lao Ministry of Health and are adapting U.S.

risk assessment tools to Lao context, and have surveyed 400 people. Twenty percent of these

individuals had fallen. Dr Laskin intends to develop more of these surveys and to expand it to a

broader sample of the population. He noted more people are being “abandoned” in elder care

facilities.

Dr James Laskin Mr Moiz Munir

Mr Moiz Munir’s presentation on “Use and Opinions of Complementary and Alternative Medicine to

Supplement Conventional Care among Cancer Patients in Kuala Lumpur”, was about his study to

assess opinions of cancer patients on supplementing conventional care with complementary and

alternative medicines (CAM). Mr Munir said CAM uses natural products, mind-body therapies,

Chinese, Ayurvedic, ritual, and spiritual therapy. People using these methods, he lamented, “do not go

to conventional medicine early” and “this has become a policy issue in Malaysia”, he added. Mr

Munir conducted twenty (semi-structured) interviews with Malay, Chinese and Indian patients. He

noted that patients often did not realize some of the symptoms indicated cancer. He pointed out

further that “patients fear disapproval or blame from doctors if they were to discuss CAM treatments.”

However, he had observed that patients are enthusiastic about having CAM therapy administered in

hospitals alongside conventional therapies. Mr Munir concluded his presentation asking, “Can we

educate physicians more on the efficacy of combining alternative medicines with traditional therapy?”

KEYNOTE ADDRESS

YAM TUNKU ZAIN AL-‘ABIDIN IBNI TUANKU MUHRIZ

“ASEAN: CURRENT ISSUES AND FUTURE DIRECTION”

Despite jet lag after arriving late from abroad the night before, YAM Tunku Zain Al-‘Abidin Ibini

Tuanku Muhriz arrived punctually to deliver his keynote address. He screened a short video clip on

President LB Johnson’s visit to Malaysia in 1966 before his keynote.

Following the video screening, Assistant Cultural Affairs Officer Sarah Talalay introduced keynoter

Tunku Zain, an Eisenhower Fellow and Founding President of IDEAS (Institute for Democracy and

Economic Affairs), a leading think tank in Malaysia.

He gave kudos to the Fulbright conference, saying “it’s great to see that the mission of international

educational exchange continues to thrive”. Referring to the presentation titles in the conference

agenda, he particularly admired the fact that the Fulbright scholars “encompass every field of

academic study”. He then discussed ASEAN’s challenges and pointed out the spectrum of differing

voices within the Association’s member countries: some support the benefits of globalization while

Keynote Speaker YAM Tunku Zain

Tunku Zain with some conference participants

some others fear the forces of “neo-imperialism” and “neo-colonialism” while their governments

grapple with the domestic dynamics of ethnicity and religion.

According to the keynoter, some thought leaders within ASEAN countries argue that “greater

connectivity and movement of goods and people is necessary, that tariff and non-tariff barriers should

be knocked down across the board”. Tunku Zain believes ASEAN “is an obvious platform through

which many (of the member countries’) same goals can be realized. He traced ASEAN’s story for the

audience and described how the Association evolved from a regional security organization (during the

Cold War) to one of economic cooperation and a platform to discuss 21st century transboundary issues

such as haze pollution and human trafficking. He gave credits to ASEAN for having managed

peaceful co-existence among the countries despite the diversity of race, creed, color, etc.

Tunku Zain made a special mention of U.S. engagement with young people in ASEAN through the

Eisenhower Fellowship and YSEALI (Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative) which was launched

during President Obama’s tenure. He said these initiatives made massive contributions to the lives of

peoples in both countries and bilateral relationships. See appendix for Tunku Zain’s keynote, verbatim.

Q & A with Tunku Zain

At the end of his keynote Tunku Zain held an interactive dialogue with the audience. They discussed

a series of ASEAN issues from human rights, especially the Rohingya crisis, to multilateral trade

(given the Trans-Pacific Partnership or TPP proposal failed) to sifting facts from a fake news

environment to mitigating problems encountered by abuse of girls, women and children, and to

ASEAN playing a more active role to harness the benefits of regionalism and partnerships. A

Fulbright scholar also inquired if Malaysian Federal Unity could reform enough to democratize and

thereby serve as a pathway or model for greater ASEAN unity; a unity beyond common defense to

include trade liberalization and common humanitarian/social policing of, say, human trafficking.

Tunku Zain said that ASEAN’s policy of “non-interference” and respect for sovereignty of individual

member nations, somewhat restricts what it can do to resolve crises such as the tribulations of the

Rohingya people. He emphasized that not-for-profit organizations within ASEAN could play a

significant role in addressing certain issues where governments cannot. In this regard, Tunku Zain

cited Yayasan Chow Kit’s (a not-for-profit organization where he is a trustee) help for Rohingya

children. A Fulbright scholar suggested that more should be done to publicize the benefits of ASEAN

partnership in order to maintain positive perceptions about the Association across the member nations.

DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT – PART 1

Panel 1: Moderated by Dr Andrew Garner (scholar - Indonesia); Rapporteur: Ms Thao Nguyen

(student researcher – Indonesia); Presenters: Dr Yvonne Rafferty (scholar – Cambodia), Dr Vincent

Johnson (scholar – Burma), Dr Mathew Koschmann (scholar – Philippines), Dr Maryann Bylander

(scholar – Thailand), Dr Andrew Garner (scholar – Indonesia)

In this Plenary, Dr Yvonne Rafferty presented her talk entitled, “Prevention and Protection Practices

for the Successful Identification, Recovery and Reintegration of Victims of Child Trafficking in

Southeast Asia. Her talk centered on mental health and psychosocial recovery of child victims of

sexual exploitation and human trafficking. According to Dr Rafferty, among the challenges include

unreliable data and uncoordinated data collection. Her work attempts to also address gaps in the

literature covering her topic. Very young girls (more than adults) and boys have now become victims

of commercial sex where they are bought and sold. The problem is no longer brothel based but cyber

based. There is unequal attention and some countries do not recognize domestic trafficking. She

highlights the fact that mental health care is one of the biggest gaps in aftercare services. Trauma

informed care is not well developed and caregivers do not know how to help the child victims.

Next in the plenary session was Dr Vincent Johnson who presented a summary of a new course

entitled “Law, Ethics, and Anti-Corruption” that he teaches law students in Mandalay, Burma. The

course includes such topics as, rule of law, due process, and judicial independence and how these fit

into anti-corruption efforts. The course explores how a legal framework for ethics in public life can be

built by adopting and enforcing ethical standards to govern the conduct of lawyers, judges, public

officials, government employees, lobbyists, and others. Dr Johnson’s efforts includes the training of

members of Parliament. He pointed out that housing problems loom as a huge challenge.

Dr Mathew Koschmann then took the discussion further about democracy and social development

with his presentation on the topic, “Comparative Case Studies of Civil Society Collaboration in the

Philippines”. He discussed “people’s involvement in democracy in Metro Manila” and showcased

his Fulbright project to better understand civil society collaboration in the Philippines. His study

examined this in the context of disaster risk reduction management, comparing successful and

unsuccessful initiatives. Hazard maps were created and he observed social interactions associated with

flood mitigation meetings and projects. Among his findings was that collaborative groups were

formed to address tensions of housing relocation, etc.

Dr Yvonne Rafferty

Dr Mathew Koschmann

Cambodia is a major source of illegal immigration to other countries in the region. Dr Maryann

Bylander added another dimension to the theme on democracy and social development in her

presentation on “Borrowing across Borders: Migration, Debt and Development in Southeast Asia”.

She spoke about the many difficulties migrant workers encounter to obtain legal documents. For

example, Cambodian migrant workers in Thailand pay legal recruitment agencies to smuggle them

across the border with illegal brokers to “be recruited” into jobs they already had. They pay about

U.S. $700 to get a passport, then they are smuggled back to work. The workers become indebted to

their employers and their freedoms are grossly curtailed. Smuggled migrant workers are often abused

in many ways.

Dr Andrew Garner shifted the segment’s focus towards Indonesia when he spoke on “A Cultural

Exchange: Sharing Knowledge and Insight about Democracy and Quantitative Political Science

Methods in Indonesia”. He began his talk by helping to define democracy. Dr Garner said the ability

to change government and freedoms are ‘procedural’ democracy while reducing income inequality

and the government providing food and housing to citizens, for example, are ‘substantive’ democracy.

His work involved trying to ascertain what democracy means to Indonesians. His study showed how

concepts about democracy, elections, and voting differ from how the subject is understood in the

United States (other developed economies). Many Indonesians do not consider vote buying as a

corrupt practice. Cigarettes and ‘coffee money’ for example may be viewed as respect and friendship,

not corruption.

DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT – PART 2

Panel 2: Moderated by Ms Jenna Davidson (student researcher – Indonesia); Rapporteur: Ms Shelby

Hayden (student researcher – Thailand); Presenters: Ms Caitlin Walker (Public Policy Fellow – Timor

Leste), Dr Courtney Welton-Mitchell (scholar – Malaysia), Ms Andrea Welsh (Public Policy Fellow –

Burma).

Caitlin Walker discussed “Gender Equality Policy in Timor Leste” the poorest country in Southeast

Asia. Ms Walker provided background on Timor Leste and discussed gender responsive disaster risk

reduction after 2010 (when most robust data exists). Ms Walker said that “women and girls are more

likely to suffer morbidity, mortality, and economic setbacks” on the one hand, and on the other,

“women and girls bring unique experiences and skills to disaster risk reduction.” She lamented the

fact that women and girls are left out of the conversations and education about disaster preparedness

and emergency response. Among her findings was that gender roles vary widely across the country

and gaps in understanding the importance of including women in disaster risk reduction initiatives.

Caitlin Walker (at the podium) Courtney Welton-Mitchell (front row, right)

The next topic covered was “Development and Testing of a Gender-based Violence Intervention to

Address Intimate Partner Abuse among Rohingya in Malaysia” presented by Courtney Welton-

Mitchell. Ms Welton-Mitchell said that intimate partner abuse (IPA) is the most common form of

gender-based violence worldwide, yet it is rarely addressed by humanitarian agencies and other

service providers.

She discussed her current research which included data collection, workshops where Rohingya

develop IPA-focused messages and posters, and the posters are tested to determine effectiveness and

changing attitudes about the acceptability of violence. It was alarming that most Rohingya women do

not seek help for IPA for fear of the abuser, stigma within the community and concerns about the

custody of children.

Concluding the segment on Democracy and Social Development was Ms Andrea Welsh whose

presentation was entitled, “Women’s Role in Building Myanmar’s Economy through TVET”. Ms

Welsh presented her brief on Mynamar’s economic development through the Technical Vocational

Education and Training (TVET) initiative with a focus on female students’ experience. She believes

that if current and future female students of TVET are supported and encouraged effectively by the

government, it will tell upon Myanmar’s sustainable economic growth. These role models, Ms Welsh

contends, will also have a positive effect on boosting gender equality and women’s rights.

AGRICULTURE

Panel 3: Moderated by Dr Robert Thaler (scholar – Vietnam); Rapporteur: Mr. Jake Myers;

Presenters: Dr Michael Farmer, (scholar – Malaysia), Dr Krisnawati Suryanata (scholar – Indonesia),

Mr Jonathan Davies (student researcher – Philippines), Ms Tsechu Dolma (Public Policy Fellow –

Timor Leste)

Dr Michael Farmer’s presentation (changed from Agenda) on “Agricultural Led Economic

Development in Rural Borneo: Agroforestry in the Tambunan District of Sabah” centered on

restoring abandoned highland areas to use as sustainable high valued tropical mixed fruit and timber

products in forest friendly ways. He elaborated that his study was also to support the local industry

processing fruits into purees for export (to be used in hotels and health food drinks), to a fair trade

cooperative to share both risks and rewards, to restore forest function, and to establish a model for

locally owned and capitalized rural enterprise. Dr Farmer explained further that Tambunan was

selected because it has less wealthy rice farmers and short of labor, plus Tambunan had unused or

under-used land.

Dr Krisnawati Suryanata then followed up with her presentation on “The Political Ecology of

Agriculture and Rural Change in Indonesia”. Dr Suryanata helped the audience better understand

what political ecology means: It “combines the concerns of ecology with broadly defined political

economy” which is “an explicit alternative to apolitical ecology”. She stressed the importance of

local histories, meanings and culture, and discussed how all these fit and interface with policy on the

use of resources. Dr Suryanata’s study also explores the flow of capital into the (built) environment

and provides an analysis of rural change.

Dr Michael Farmer (left) Dr Krisnawati Suryanata

Mr Jonathan Davie was the next presenter and his topic was, “Utilizing Natural Compound Sources to

Extend Brown Rice Shelf Life.” Mr Davies informed the audience about how important rice was in

Philippine society where malnutrition and diabetes are on the rise. He said that while Filipinos favour

white rice, brown rice has superior value and lower glycemic index and is more costly. However

brown rice has a lower shelf life and Mr Davies is exploring treatments using food stuffs rich in

phenolic compounds which inhibit rice bran lipase and extend shelf life. If the experiments are

successful the strategy could help improve the Filipino population’s health in the long run.

Ms Tsechu Dolma concluded the segment on agriculture summarizing her project entitled, “Local Responses to Food Security and Climate Change Policy in Timor Leste”. She began her presentation with some essential background on the country: Timor Leste has a high vulnerability for climate and natural disasters, two-thirds of the population are self-subsistence farmers reliant on raid-fed agriculture, forest cover decreased by thirty percent in the past thirty years, and the country’s population is set to triple in three to four decades. Her study recommends several policy priorities including, improved collection of water, its storage, and delivery; enhanced knowledge and training for improved agricultural production techniques; improved income and food production from improved management of water harvesting, storage and distribution; and increased production of trees, crops and animals using sustainable agriculture techniques.

ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT – PART 1

Panel 4: Moderated by Dr Krisnawati Suryanata (scholar – Indonesia); Rapporteur: Mr. Tyler Butkus

(student researcher – Indonesia); Presenters: Ms Diana Parker, (student researcher – Indonesia), Dr

Robert Thaler (scholar – Vietnam), Mr Justin Weinstock (student researcher – Malaysia), Dr Susan

Lappan (Scholar – Malaysia), Mr David Kurz (student researcher – Malaysia), Mr. Justin D’Agostino

(student researcher – Indonesia), Mr. Jake Myers (student researcher – Cambodia), Ms Katie Lee

(student researcher – Indonesia).

Ms Diana Parker spoke on the topic, “Understanding Conservation and Land Use Change Dynamics

in Indonesia”. Ms Parker discussed the integration of remote sensing and social science research to

evaluate conservation policy and inform qualitative research in Indonesia (the third largest tropical

forest in the world), forest loss and degradation (covering spatial and temporal needs 1990-2016).

She said that while there were few clear successes in conservation in Indonesia, the Wehea Forest

which was once used for logging, was later established as a protected area. Remote sensing enables

the researcher to ascertain why deforestation occurs and to what extent. She provided an analysis of

Landsat photos archived since the 1970s, showed changes over time and the benefits derived for

protected areas.

A Vietnamese pig farm

Dr Robert Thaler was the next presenter; his topic, “Enhancing the Sustainabilty of Vietnamese Pork

Production While Enhancing Environmental Quality”. Dr Thaler’s project goal is to provide the

technical assistance to Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development which is re-

structuring their swine industry. To this end he conducts research and presents seminars to producers,

students, faculty, and industry leaders in the country. He said, currently the bulk of Vietnam’s pork is

produced by small, backyard operations, and a lot of feed is wasted and costly compared to pork

production in the U.S., for example. Dr Thaler’s work and study will try to increase the pork

production through more modern and efficient means that is also environmentally friendly.

On March 15th afternoon, the captive audience listed to several other presentations in this segment and

appreciated both the diverse issues and the depth of research. These included Mr Justin Weinstock

talk on “Living with Giants in the Anthropocene: Interspecies Relations at Malaysia’s National

Elephant Conservation Center” in which he also covered modern methods of managing conservation

of Elephants; Dr Susan Lappan’s talk on “Conservation of the Malaysian Siamang in a Changing

World”, in which she covered forest loss (about 33 percent) and discussed the managing

sustainability; Mr David Kurz’s talk on “Migration and Movement Ecology of the Bearded Pigs (Sus

barbatus) where he discussed the challenges of managing and tracking large migrations or the

bearded pigs looking for fruits in Borneo forests; Mr Justin D’Agostino’s talk on “Effects of

Anthropogenic Noise on the Natural Calling Behavior of Wild Siamang, where included highlights of

his study of the Siamang which enables a better understanding of human communication as well; Mr

Jake Myers ‘talk on “Fire Management and Policy Analysis in Prek Toal” in which he presented the

extent of the destruction of Tonle Sap wetland conservation area and its vegetation; and Ms Katie

Lee’s talk on “Anthropogenic Influences on Ocean Water Quality in Bali, Indonesia” in which she

informed the audience about the huge problems with plastic and other trash destroying water quality

her study of major rivers in Bali.

RECEPTION AT THE U.S. AMBASSADOR’S RESIDENCE MARCH 15

According to Dr Lappan, the

Siamang is a small ape (or

gibbon) endemic to

peninsular Malaysia and

Sumatra.

At a reception held at her residence,

U.S. Ambassador Kamala Shirin

Lakhdhir (far right) reminded the

Fulbrighters of the important role

they play in fostering mutual

understanding with academics,

students, and citizens of the

countries in which they conduct

their research.

ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT – PART 2

March 16

Panel 1: Moderated by Dr Michael Farmer (scholar – Malaysia); Rapporteur: Mr. Justin Weinstock

(student researcher – Malaysia); Presenters: Ms Georgia Schmitt, (student researcher – Brunei), Mr.

Eric Rex Gulson (student researcher – Indonesia), Ms Thao Nguyen (student researcher – Indonesia),

Ms Hayden Shelby (student researcher – Thailand).

Friday morning’s segment showcased more presentations on environmental topics beginning with

George Schmitt’s talk entitled, “Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Monitoring the Elusive Carnivores of

Brunei” where Ms Schmitt shared her perspectives about the importance of carnivores for their

ecosystems and which “are often among the most vulnerable and elusive to conservation. In his topic

on “Providing Artificial Nest Cavities on Sulawesi”, Mr Eric Gulson spoke about his study on the

intimate details of birds in Sulawesi and their nesting habits and engaging the local communities and

students in bird conservation. Ms Thao Nguyen then presented a summary of her project on

“Comparative Analysis of Co-Management in Wakatobi and Karimunjawa, Indonesia” in which she

discussed how co-management of marine protected areas augments Indonesian national goals to

protect biodiversity and maintain resource sustainability. Dr Andreas Schwab then presented a

summary of his work on “Comparative Case Study of Two Entrepreneurial Eco-systems” in which he

compared the Solo Batik Industry and the Bandung Hijab Industry and showed how both systems

emerged. Ms Hayden Shelby concluded the segments summarizing her research entitled, “Making

‘Secure Housing’ in Thailand: An Investigation into Participatory Policy.” Ms Shelby’s on-going

research explores the various practical and ideological factors that have driven the formation of

participatory slum upgrading policy by legally defined communities (or chumchon in Thai).

MUSIC AND THE ARTS

Panel 2: Moderated by Dr Amy Robert (scholar – Burma); Rapporteur: Ms Kalina Silverman;

Presenters: Ms Andrea Decker (student researcher – Indonesia), Ms Hannah Standiford (student

researcher – Indonesia), Mr Corey Keating (student researcher – Vietnam), Mr Kurt Baer (student

researcher – Thailand), Mr Joss Whitaker (student researcher – Indonesia), Ms Emilie Coakley

(student researcher – Indonesia), Mr Andrew Calvert (student researcher – Philippines).

Ambassador Lakhdhir (left) and

Assistant Cultural Affairs Officer

Sarah Talalay (right) strike a pose

with a couple of guests at the

reception.

The appreciation of the aesthetics-- art and culture--was also a component of the Fulbright conference.

To this end, Ms Andrea Decker presented a summary of her project entitled, “Dangdut is the Music of

My Country”: Dangdut as National Product in D’Academy Asia”. Ms Decker discussed how

dangdut, the most popular Indonesian folk and traditional music is infamous for large, outdoor

concerns in which scantily-clad women singers entertain massive, mostly-male audiences. It is being

made a viable national product by D’Academy Asia, an Indonesian television station’s competition

show. Adding another layer to Indonesian art and culture, Ms Hannah Standiford presented a

summary of her work project on “Keronchong: Keeping Traditions Alive”. Ms Standiford pointed out

that keronchong, a popular Indonesian musical style (and ukulele-like instrument) had assumed a

nationalistic tone during Indonesia’s struggle for independence. Although it is known for nostalgia,

she argues it is a living tradition. Mr. Corey Keating then talked about musical traditions in Vietnam

in his topic entitled, “Revolution, Globalization, and Technology: Transformation and Preservation

of the Musical Traditions of Vietnam.” He focused on the transformations of Vietnamese musical

traditions which “highlight regional differences.” Mr Kurt Baer followed this up with his presentation

about “The Performance and Negotiation of Thai Culture: Pong Lang Performance and Meaning

Making”. Pong lang ensemble, he said, is one of the most recognizable and influential forms of

Northeastern Thai musical performance. The next presenter, Joss Whittaker took a different spin and

talked about his archaeological project in Indonesia’s Aru Islands, “Trade and Power in Northwest

Aru”. He described how the Ujir community in Indonesia has been at the center of trade and cultural

exchange long before European contact.

ADDITIONAL PRESENTATIONS Panel 3: Moderated by Dr Susan Lappan (scholar – Malaysia); Rapporteur: Ms Diana Parker;

Presenters: Mr Mathew Libassi (student researcher – Indonesia), Mr Tyler Butkus (student researcher

– Indonesia), Ms Jenna Davidson (student researcher – Indonesia), Mr Steven Gu (student researcher

– Singapore.

Mr Mathew Libassi presented a summary of his work entitled, “The History and Development of

Informal Gold Mining Institutions in Indonesia” in which he examines small-scale mining’s social

and historical entanglement in the communities around Gunung Pongkor in West Java. Tyler Butkus

talked about his specialized project on organic waste recycling in the topic, “Optimization and

Evaluation of H. illucens Recycling in the Indonesian Supply Chain.” He also talked about the

potential for transborder collaboration between ASEAN and American researchers. The next

presenter, Ms Jenna Davidson discussed “Using Vector Bionomics to Inform Arboviral Intervention

Strategies” where her survey of potentially pathogenic arboviruses from mosquitoes help demark

general risk of infection. Concluding the conference presentations was Steven Gu who talked about

“Shifting Gears: Examining Bike Culture in Singapore”. His project examines the opportunities and

challenges Singapore faces in incorporating biking into everyday transit and how the city-state can

serve as a model for other cities in Southeast Asia.

“Women have desire! Of course

they do! But women can handle

their desire. Men can’t handle it.

It’s just physical.”

CULTURAL VISIT: ISLAMIC ARTS MUSEUM

On March 16th afternoon, the Fulbright conference participants were treated to a cultural tour and

were very impressed by Malaysia’s most modern Islamic Arts Museum. Many took photos and selfies

as they moved from exhibit to exhibit which depicted Malay and Muslim traditional and modern art

and architecture, historical costumes, decorative fabric, tapestry, jewellery, and various other intricate

Islamic products and motifs from around the Muslim world.

Fulbrighters get a guided tour

Zooming in on intricate objects

Striking a pose outside the Islamic Arts Museum

CONCLUDING DINNER: AU REVOIR

The Fulbright Conference was officially closed in the evening of March 16th with dinner and

fellowship at the DoubleTree Hotel graced by the U.S. Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM)

Dean Thompson. The DCM delivered concluding remarks after final thanksgiving by interim

MACEE Executive Director Ed Loo.

APPENDIX

KEYNOTE ADDRESS

ASEAN: Current Issues and Future Direction

Keynote at 2018 Fulbright Regional Enrichment Conference

Tunku Zain Al-’Abidin

15 March 2018

DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur

Good morning ladies and gentlemen, and to our international guests, welcome to Kuala Lumpur.

I think I’m right in saying that the Fulbright programme has had a presence here for some decades

now, and it’s great to see that the mission of international educational exchange continues to thrive.

Having been on an educational tour across the United States myself on an Eisenhower Fellowship, I

know there is no substitute to actually visiting and absorbing realities on the ground. One of the things

I admire most about the Fulbright programme is that scholars encompass every field of academic

study.

Indeed, looking through the conference programme today I see that the sessions are divided into

sessions headed education and culture, public health, democracy and social development, agriculture,

environment and sustainable development, music and the arts, plus additional presentations including

an intriguing one by Mr Steven Gu on bike culture in Singapore.

MACEE Executive Director Ed Loo

DCM Dean Thompson

The titles of the presentations suggest highly specialised areas of interest, many of which are

incomprehensible to me, but they also express the range of how scholars, communities and

governments think about ASEAN as an entity. On the one hand, for the majority of papers, a specific

country or region within one is mentioned in the title, for example Mr Eric Rex Gulson’s paper on

Providing Artificial Nest Cavities in Sulawesi, or Dr Rebecca Silverman’s work on Teacher

Education in Burma. Only in some cases in an ASEAN-wide or cross-border treatment alluded to,

such as in Dr Maryann Bylander’s piece on Migration, Debt and Development in Southeast Asia, or

Dr Yvonne Rafferty’s research into child trafficking.

Of course some topics lend themselves more to broader geographical areas than others, but this

dynamic between nationhood - or rather, nationhoods - and regional cooperation is, perhaps rather

ironically, one of the commonalities that each of the ten countries enjoys.

In each of the ten ASEAN countries, there are those who call for more insularity from the outside

world, for a hardening of national borders with the neighbours, accompanied by a suspicion of

immigrants and a desire for economic and social policies to protect people from foreign influences.

As common with xenophobic fringes throughout the world, ‘globalisation’ is often targeted as the

enemy, but in the ASEAN context you are just as likely to hear accusations of ‘neo-imperialism’ or

‘neo-colonialism’ alongside more religiously-tinged rhetoric. And of course, in some countries, the

domestic dynamics of ethnicity and religion augment the imagining of ‘enemies within the state’.

Where such dynamics are directly linked to political power, these concepts can acquire the status of

state sponsorship, or at least an acquiescence from the political elite, with potentially disastrous

consequences. The situation in Myanmar is perhaps the most egregious example of this, but here in

Malaysia you don’t have to look very hard to find similar sentiments: all you need to do is swap some

of the labels around.

But in each of the ten ASEAN countries, you also have those who frame the future differently. They

will say that greater connectivity and movement of goods and people is necessary, that tariff and non-

tariff barriers should be knocked down across the board, that common standards and regulations are

desirable, and that our societies will be enriched by greater professional, intellectual and cultural

exchange with the outside world. This will include the organisations, like my own Institute for

Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) that broadly support initiatives like the Trans-Pacific

Partnership Agreement, now called the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific

Partnership following the exit of the United States, even though there is much room for improvement

in several areas. And for us, ASEAN is an obvious platform through which many of the same goals

can be realised.

Now I don’t need to tell an audience of Americans how divisive the contest between the two camps

can be: nor their willingness to interpret key documents and agreements in a way that best suits their

agenda. And throughout the world, we have seen a resurgence of aggressive nationalism, not just with

the election of Donald Trump, but in Europe too, where the rise of the extremes of politics has also

been tempered by a new willingness for moderates to come together to beat back the fringes -

although another, less ideological explanation might be that the clamouring for fresh faces means that

populists, whether they are on the right, left or middle, have a better chance of winning.

The story of ASEAN since its inception has certainly not been one of populism. Its transition from

being a regional security organisation in the context of the Cold War, to one of economic cooperation

and a platform to discuss 21st century transboundary issues such as haze pollution and human

trafficking has been an incremental one. And on this road it has been driven by political elites: or

more specifically, the factions of political elites amongst the member countries who have subscribed

to a regionalist agenda.

It is of course difficult to accurately ascribe the extent to which the current state of affairs in Southeast

Asia is due to ASEAN - political science does not afford the luxury of controlled experiments - but

even among its supporters there is a range of views about its efficacy thus far.

On one hand, you have those who credit ASEAN for serving as the principal agent for peace in this

part of the world: “look at the diversity of cultures and religions here,” they will say, “which would

have ordinarily caused a regional war: it is ASEAN that stopped that from happening. Instead, there

has been stability and prosperity as a result.” Indeed, Kishore Mahbubani has argued that ASEAN

deserves a Nobel Peace Prize. In similar vein, these enthusiasts will laud the ASEAN Economic

Community as a stunning achievement that will solidify economic links that may one day lead to a

fuller common market and a common currency.

On the other hand, you have those who say ASEAN has not evolved appropriately and quickly

enough. It has been “two steps forward, one step back” for too long, and a change is needed. It is still

too elitist, too inefficient at responding to natural or manmade disasters and, on a similar note, too

powerless. Especially in light of the persecution of the Rohingya and the resultant refugee crisis, there

have been increasing calls to reconsider the long-standing principle of absolute non-interference: the

much-touted ASEAN Way. And from an economic standpoint, the ASEAN Economic Community is

not yet helping the real drivers of the economy: instead of augmenting the access and skills of SMEs,

only big, already multinational corporations are deriving the benefits from the AEC.

Whichever version is closer to the truth, the challenge moving forward is how to create an ASEAN

that delivers what its 600 million people want. Of course, as I have already mentioned, some might

not want ASEAN at all - they don’t see it as making their lives better in any way. But even among

those that do, how do work out what it is they want? There are no directly elected ASEAN

institutions. So in determining legitimacy we have to fall back on the heads of government. But even

they aren’t equally legitimate in their own countries: in terms of forms of government ASEAN has

contains them all: a one-party state, military-dominated regimes, presidential republics, constitutional

monarchies and an absolute monarchy. And then, if the focus on people, surely population numbers

should be taken into consideration? Or is it right that Indonesia’s 260 million people should have as

much say as Brunei’s 400,000?

These are questions worthy of the framers of the United States Constitution, who determined that a

bicameral parliament could enable both the principles of state sovereignty and population into

account.

But unlike the United States, ASEAN is not an aspirational country throwing off the yoke of a

common historical experience. Our stories of liberty and freedom remain at the national level, and we

cannot mythologise an ASEAN Dream like you have your American Dream.

Indeed, this is why comparisons of ASEAN to the European Union also miss the mark: Europe has

the institutional and social memory of the Roman Empire and the trauma of two World Wars that

ravaged their continent. And to a much greater extent, they have a shared religious heritage. ASEAN

does not have a similar historical experience.

This includes the historical relationships that territories have had with neighbouring major powers.

Formal vassalage, tribute relationships or favoured trading status with China and India all shaped how

these societies developed, and today the same dynamics are in play as China and the US compete for

military, diplomatic, economic and political influence in this region. We’ve just given it a new name:

geopolitics. And in an environment where authoritarian strongman leadership and the politics of

personality is in vogue, the potential ramifications on the political elites are stronger than ever now.

As such, it is in this context that the voice of young people should be heard.

Over the last few years I have visited all ten countries on policy forums and youth exchanges and

have found that the greatest enthusiasm for ASEAN tends to come from the newer entrants in the

north. The memories of the ravages of war are fresher in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar

than in other countries, and this seems to be spurring educated young people to think of ASEAN as a

regional platform to prevent such catastrophes from happening again. Unfortunately for them,

competing narratives from political elites are standing opposite them; in the case of Myanmar, the

latter has won for now. Conversely, if you ask even educated young Malaysians about ASEAN, you

will probably get an acknowledgement of the ASEAN Community pillars, but no real hope that it

should do much more. Ironically, since we have been politically stable for too long, the solution to our

problems are conceived primarily in domestic terms.

A special mention must be made of US engagement with young people, though. You don’t just send

your nuclear-powered aircraft carriers to our waters, but programmes like today’s conference with its

Southeast Asian focus; the fellowship I attended in the US that brought together leaders from

ASEAN; and of course the Young South East Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) launched during

President Obama’s tenure.

Over the decades the alumni of these and similar initiatives have made massive contributions to the

lives of people in both countries, and to the bilateral relationship in general. It is truly a testament to

the enduring, long-term benefits of soft power and track two diplomacy, and it is my hope that with

this new regionally focused approach, a new legacy can be forged between the United States of

American and the Association of South East Asian Nations.

To me, this is an absolutely necessary step to defend us against the wave of populism, of the rise of

fringe politics, the continuous centralisation of power and the erosion of check and balance

institutions. The historical relationship between the United States and this region has long been

motivated by the principles of freedom and democracy. Unfortunately, the primary manifestation of

this was Vietnam, and I hope the lessons from that will have been learnt. But as you saw in the video

clip earlier, when Lyndon Baines Johnson visited a new village in my state of Negeri Sembilan in

1966, he spoke of infrastructure, of sound economic policy, of reaching out to neighbours, and of

emphasising shared human values.

I certainly believe that before ASEAN oversteps itself and sets up new institutions that may lack

sufficient democratic legitimacy, leading to our own Brexits, it is vitally important that the people of

ASEAN come together to define, in a transparent way, what it is they want ASEAN to do for them.

Without that prerequisite, ASEAN’s development will be at the mercy of political elites whose

incentives seem to be diverging further apart from those they are supposed to serve.

I wish you all a wonderful conference. Thank you. (End of Keynote)

Conference End Notes:

1. Apologies: The Conference Coordinator apologizes for any oversight and/or inconveniences

caused in preparations leading up to, and during, the Fulbright conference, including the

occasional technical glitches with the microphone audio and with projection glitches for some

of the video clips and PowerPoint slides.

2. Agenda:

http://www.macee.org.my/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Fulbright-Enrichment-Conference-

Agenda.pdf

3. Fulbright Conference bag for participants contained the conference Agenda, tourism

Malaysia brochures. Participants also received a list of participants and feedback forms.

4. Digital materials submitted by the Fulbright participants to further enrich the record of

conference deliberations. The website includes scanned copies of rapporteurs’ notes. See:

http://www.macee.org.my/about-fulbright/fmc2018macee/

5. Conference photos; See:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1b4sQ78rLWyKq4K3y4wmFVkwZnaBWt-

54?usp=sharing and

https://www.flickr.com/photos/usembassykl/albums/72157692769526681 Gerard George Fulbright Conference Coordinator Malaysian-American Commission on Educational Exchange (MACEE) 18th Floor, Menara Yayasan Tun Razak 200, Jalan Bt Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Tel: (603) 2166.8878; Email: bruneigerard2013@gmail.com