Gatty Rewind Podcast

Osad

• 
  Episode 153: Juno Salazar Parreňas, Department of Science and Technology Studies and Feminist, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Cornell University 01.10.2026 47min

  In this episode, host Namfon Narumol Choochan is joined by co-host Valentina Guerrero Chala, a PhD student in Anthropology, for a conversation with Professor Juno Salazar Parreñas about her ongoing research on global capitalism from nonhuman perspectives. In the Gatty lecture, Parreñas offers one example: the story of polar bears transported from Canada to the Singapore Zoo, shedding light on Singapore's rise in the global economy and the harmful effects of militarization and global capitalism. In the podcast, she shares several additional examples. The conversation also explores the current direction of multispecies ethnography. Tune in now to learn more! Lightning round (Lecture Summary): 3:40 Main interview:  6:25: Why did you become an anthropologist? 9:33: What are the key takeaways from the class that you took in undergrad? 15:15: What drew you to the study of human and non-human relationships?  19:20: In your new project, how many animals are you examining and why?  25:08: Who is your intended audience for this project?  29:07: There is a trend in anthropology that calls for "a return to the past" as the best solution for current environmental problems. Do you think this is a viable option? If not, what vision for the future do you imagine through your work? 32:37: What is your take on multispecies ethnography? What do you think of multispecies ethnography as a field? Where is it going?  35:06: As scholars, we always write against ideas that frustrate us. What do you find frustrating? What are you writing against? Advice for researchers and recommendations: 38:48 Dr. Parreñas's top recommendation: Daniel Lie, Contemporary Visual Artist Tommy Kha, Photographer The music on the podcast is from "14 Strings!", a Filipino-style Rondalla group established at Cornell University. Check them out here.   Produced by Adam Farihin and Cecilia Liu
• 
  Episode 152: Thuy Linh Nguyen, Department of History, Mount Saint Mary College 24.09.2026 1t 1min

  In this episode, host Namfon Narumol Choochan is joined by Anke Wang, a PhD candidate in the Department of History, to speak with Dr. Thuy Ling Nguyen, an Associate Professor of History at Mount Saint Mary College, on her new book: "From Sand Dunes to Exotic Hard Timber Forests: An Environmental History of Coastal Vietnam." Together, they unpack how Thuy Linh traces the origin of phi lao, a plant that exemplifies the scenery of Vietnam's present-day coast, back to French colonialism. To serve the growing coal mining industry, the French introduced phi lao to Vietnam. Tune in to learn how this reforestation displaced indigenous knowledge and monopolized forestry expertise!  Lightning round (Lecture Summary): 4:48 Main interview:  6:23: How did you become interested in modern Vietnamese history? What inspired you to pursue a doctoral degree?  9:16: How did you transition from your first book, which focuses on gender, medicine, society, and ordinary people, to focus on environmental history in your second book? 11:54: What made you pivot to examine the timber industry in relation to the coal mining industry in Vietnam? 18:59: What kind of primary source did you use, and how many archives did you travel to for this project? 20:54: How did the landscapes you have seen and the people you have talked to influence your writing? 23:40: Can you walk us through the options that the French considered, and how did they choose between planting timber and Phi lao? 31:48: Did the reforestation of Phi lao in central Vietnam lead to any destruction of any native plants or native landscape at the time? 36:24: In general, how do you evaluate the actions of the French Colonial Regime and the impact they brought to the landscape of Vietnam? 40:57:  How different is the indigenous knowledge of the land compared to the French knowledge of the land? 44:46: Did the plantation of Phi lao, introduced by the French, monopolize the knowledge about forests?   47:56: Since the French succeeded in planting Phi lao in Vietnam, did they also use this method for other colonies? How does the transnational connection that you see in Phi lao illuminate the history of colonizing at large?  51:44: Can you introduce what you are working on for your next project? Advice for researchers and recommendations: 53:44 Dr. Nguyen's top recommendation:  Indochina: An Ambiguous Colonization, 1858-1954 by Pierre Brocheux and Daniel Hémery Viet Nam: Borderless Histories by Nhung Tuyet Tran and Anthony Reid The music on the podcast is from "14 Strings!", a Filipino-style Rondalla group established at Cornell University. Check them out here.   Produced by Adam Farihin and Cecilia Liu
• 
  Episode 151: Bradley Davis, Department of History, Eastern Connecticut State University 17.09.2026 44min

  In this episode, host Namfon Narumol Choochan and co-host Chunhao Luo, a PhD student in History and co-chair of the SEAP Graduate Committee, speak with Professor Bradley Davis about his new project on the Nguyễn dynasty of Vietnam (1802-1880). Together, they discuss how a multicultural and interdisciplinary approach could shed new light on the understandings of modernity in Vietnam. They also discuss how conversations with local communities can offer new ways to understand archival sources and produce historical knowledge. Tune in to learn more!  Lightning round (Lecture Summary): 5:29 Main interview:  10:35: How did you become interested in Vietnamese history, and what inspired you to pursue a doctoral degree?  12: 23: What is your PhD project about? 15:15: Your doctoral project focuses on a space situated between Southeast Asia and East Asia. How do you situate Vietnamese history within these two regional frameworks? What are the advantages and limitations of thinking about Vietnamese history in these terms? 18:20: Do you see differences between the perspectives of scholars studying Vietnam in the Anglophone world and those studying Vietnam within Vietnam? 21:18: You discuss how textual practices shaped the categorization of people and other species. Were there particular epistemological or intellectual developments among Vietnamese-speaking elites during this period that prompted greater production of ethnographic knowledge? 23:48: What are the primary sources for your project? 27:00: Can you tell us about your experience conducting ethnographic research? 32:18: Can you tell us more about how people perceive and understand elephants(in the ongoing new project)? 34:10: What does it mean to be a multicultural society?  36:11: When we talk about modernity, we often think primarily about Western modernity, particularly in the context of Southeast Asia. How did internal factors within Southeast Asia shape processes of reform and Vietnam's own pathway toward modernity? Advice for researchers and recommendations: 39:03  Dr. Davis' top recommendation:  Keith Weller Taylor, Li Tana, Alexander Woodside's books The music on the podcast is from "14 Strings!", a Filipino-style Rondalla group established at Cornell University. Check them out here.   Produced by Adam Farihin and Cecilia Liu  
• 
  [Hot Ones Special] Episode 150: Win Kyaw, PhD student in Asian Literature, Religion, and Culture, Cornell University 10.09.2026 48min

  In this special episode, host Namfon Narumol Choochan flips the script by interviewing co-host Win Kyaw, a PhD student in Asian Literature, Religion, and Culture and co-chair of the SEAP Graduate Committee. This episode is inspired by Sean Evan's Hot Ones series, where they eat progressively spicy wings with hot sauce. To add a touch of Southeast Asia, Namfon and Win take on spicy sauces from Thailand and Malaysia. Win shares a snippet of his doctoral work and his experience as an integral part of the Cornell Southeast Asia Program. Tune in to discover hot sauces from Southeast Asia and find out if Namfon and Win can handle the heat! Lightning round (Lecture Summary): 5:53 – Thai Sweet and Spicy Chili Sauce Main interview:  13:12  – น้ำจิ้มแจ่ว (Nam Jim Jaew); What would be the title of your Gatty Lecture? 16:08 – Sriracha; What inspires you to stay in academia and pursue a PhD? 20:26 – น้ำจิ้มซีฟู้ด (Nam Jim Seafood); What made you become interested in 19th Century Burmese literature? 26:22 – Extra Spicy Sukiyaki Sauce; Why did you choose to come to Cornell? What's the best part of being in Cornell Southeast Asia Program (SEAP)? 30:34 – Sambal Gepuk; What is your favorite moment of being a co-chair of the SEAP Graduate Committee? 35:35  – Sambal Belacan; What is your favorite Gatty lecture and why? Advice for researchers and recommendations: 42:18 – Brown Sugar Boba Mochi Win's top recommendation:  Gatty Rewind Podcast by Cornell Southeast Asian Program Spotify Apple Podcast Kiss My Cat by Nightingale Music  The music on the podcast is from "14 Strings!", a Filipino-style Rondalla group established at Cornell University. Check them out here.   Produced by Adam Farihin and Cecilia Liu  
• 
  Episode 149: Aurore Candier, Department of History, Northern Illinois University 03.09.2026 42min

  In this episode, host Namfon Narumol Choochan is joined by co-host Win Kyaw, a PhD student in Asian Literature, Religion, and Culture and co-chair of the SEAP Graduate Committee. Together, they speak with Aurore Candier, Associate Professor of History and Director of the Center for Burma Studies at Northern Illinois University. Professor Candier shares her journey into Southeast Asian studies and discusses her theoretical and methodological approaches, including the use of postcolonial frameworks and the reading of Burmese sources to challenge Eurocentric perspectives. Tune in to learn more! Lightning round (Lecture Summary): 4:27 Main interview:  9:00  – How did you become interested in Burmese history and culture? What inspired you to pursue a doctoral degree? 10:50 – How did you become interested in your current project? 12:20 – How is your experience serving as the Director for the Center for Burma Studies at Northern Illinois University? 15:58 – Can you walk us through the basic assumptions of Burmese Historiography? 19:55 – Can you give us more information about why you split Konbaung history into two periods? 23:30  – Can you give us a brief preview of French scholarship on Myanmar? 28:59 – How do you use a decolonial approach while also using some theoretical frameworks from European scholars? 31:48 – Can you tell us about your experience doing archival research in Myanmar? 34:25 – Can you give us the source that you use to examine the contact and circulation of the ideas between the British and Burmese elite? Advice for researchers and recommendations: 36:06 Dr. Candier's top recommendation:  Buddhist Backgrounds of the Burmese Revolution by Emanuel Sarkisyanz The music on the podcast is from "14 Strings!", a Filipino-style Rondalla group established at Cornell University. Check them out here.   Produced by Adam Farihin and Cecilia Liu  
• 
  Episode 148: Arnisson Ortega, Associate Professor from the Department of Geography and the Environment, Syracuse University 23.04.2026 52min

  In this episode, host Namfon Narumol Choochan speaks with Arnisson Andre Ortega, Associate Professor from the Department of Geography and the Environment at Syracuse University. First, they discuss his current project, "City of Imperialism," which examines the legacy of former U.S. military bases in the Philippines. Then, they unpack his lecture, "Geonarratives of Hope and Resistance," which is a part of a collaborative project with human rights defenders in Negros Island. It shows that mapping is more than a technical tool, but can be used to support resistance and justice, especially in a place suffering from authoritarian violence like the Philippines. Tune in to find out more about how Prof. Ortega and his colleagues turn cartography into a tool of care and resistance! Lightning round (Lecture Summary): 3:33 Main interview:  8:13  –Could you tell us about your intellectual journey—how you became interested in geography, colonialism, and what ultimately led you to pursue a PhD? 15:15 –How does the tradition of mapmaking connect to the history of colonialism in the Philippines? In what ways does countermapping challenge or push back against those inherited frameworks? 19: 20 –Could you share more about your current book project—its central arguments and what you hope it contributes to the field? 24: 41 – Your work involves collaboration beyond academia. How did these partnerships come about, and what does meaningful collaboration look like in your project? 27:36 – What drew you specifically to Negros Island as a focal point for your research? 34:13  – Could you walk us through the process of your project? Who are the key participants, and how do they shape the knowledge that emerges? 36:40 – In your lecture, you discuss how violence operates within everyday, seemingly mundane life. This brings to mind Hannah Arendt's idea of the "banality of evil." How does this concept help us understand the normalization of violence in the Philippine context? And how do human rights defenders resist within these conditions? 44: 48 – Finally, what advice would you give to students or scholars who want to use academic work to build infrastructures of care and support justice-oriented initiatives? Advice Advice for researchers and recommendations: 44:40 Dr. Ortega's top recommendation:  Urban Ecologies on the Edge: Making Manila's Resource Frontier by Kristian Karlo Saguin The music on the podcast is from "14 Strings!", a Filipino-style Rondalla group established at Cornell University. Check them out here.   Produced by Neen Yada Tangcharoenmonkong, Adam Farihin, and Cecilia Liu  
• 
  Episode 147: Courtney Wittekind, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Purdue University 16.04.2026 59min

  In this episode, host Namfon Narumol Choochan speaks with Courtney T. Wittekind, Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Purdue University. Together, they discuss Dr.Wittekind's lecture, which is part of her forthcoming book, City of Speculation: Unsettled Futures in Urban Myanmar (Stanford University Press), and explore how speculation unfolds amid political, economic, and social instability. Focusing on Southwest Yangon, Dr. Wittekind examines everyday practices of speculation and gambling in a suburb where the Myanmar government proposed a plan to build a new city that never came to fruition. The conversation reflects on navigating the unexpected and uncertainty during fieldwork, especially the pandemic, and how these challenges reshaped her methodology and her scholarly work. Tune in to learn more!  Lightning round (Lecture Summary): 1:15 Main interview: 6:36 6:50 – What did you do before you started a PhD, and what made you pursue a doctoral degree?  9:54 – Did you have a topic in mind when entering grad school, and how did it change? 14:21 – Did you intend to choose Southwest Yangoon as your research focus in your first fieldwork, or did it come afterward? 25:43 – Your research deals with instability. Meanwhile, speculation involves futurity. How do you think of speculation in Southeast Asia, which is fraught with political instability? 31:55 - Who speculates? What does this speculation reveal about Southwest Yangon? 35:03 – Your lecture mentioned the organizing movement advocating for the New City plan. This challenges my understanding of the grassroots movement, which usually organizes against real estate developers. What does this organizing movement reveal about the politics of urbanization in the context of Myanmar? 39:42 – One audience member asked about how to identify the people's desire in the movement, and you admitted that it is hard to identify the real agrarian desire, and one of your chapters discusses the two categories of authentic and inauthentic farmers. How do you distinguish between the two? Are the lines fixed, or are they more fluid? And how do you examine whether the movement stemmed from the real agrarian desire? 44:13 – How did the Coup in 2021 complicate the speculation you're looking at?  47:44 - Since speculation is about futurity, it is always a process involving hope. Given the context of political instability, would speculation be possible without hope? Advice Advice for researchers and recommendations: 50:28 Dr. Wittekind's top recommendations:  Yangon Film School: an institution based in Myanmar, making cutting-edge films Purin films:  a film fund that supports independent cinema in Southeast Asia Don't forget to check out Dr. Wittekind's forthcoming book: City of Speculation, Unsettled Futures in Urban Myanmar. Description:  In 2018, amidst a celebrated political transition, Myanmar's first democratically elected government since 1962 proposed a built-from-scratch "new city" just outside Yangon, the country's former colonial capital and current economic center. 20,000 acres of once-barren rice fields became the site of extraordinary developmental dreams. Farmers on Yangon's outskirts traded cultivation for speculation on land and property, betting on uncertain futures and weighing what, exactly, was worth risking for a chance at transformation. As plans for the new city stalled amid political turmoil, economic liberalization, a pandemic, and a military coup, speculation became both a source of hope and a means of survival when urban dreams faded. Drawing on three years of site-based fieldwork and digital ethnography, Courtney T. Wittekind shows how speculation reshapes citizens' contemporary demands and forward-looking dreams—for themselves as well as their country—in times of crisis. Adopting the lens of "vernacular speculation," she reveals how ordinary people create value, interpret ambiguity, and act on possible futures, even as the promises of democracy and development collapse around them. A powerful account of how hope, anticipation, and uncertainty reconfigure everyday life, City of Speculation captures what it means to imagine—and gamble on—the future in the wake of profound upheaval. The music on the podcast is from "14 Strings!", a Filipino-style Rondalla group established at Cornell University. Check them out here.   Produced by Neen Yada Tangcharoenmonkong, Adam Farihin, and Cecilia Liu  
• 
  Episode 146: Taomo Zhou, Associate Professor of Chinese Studies, National University of Singapore 09.04.2026 37min

  In this episode, host Namfon Narumol Choochan and Carrie Mo, a master's student in Asian Studies, interview Taomo Zhou, Associate Professor of Chinese Studies at the National University of Singapore, about her research on the life of Francisca Casparina Fanggidaej, an Indonesian transnational activist in the Afro-Asian movement and the mother of seven. Because of her involvement with the Communist Party of Indonesia (Partai Komunist Indonesia, PKI), Francisca went into exile in China after the 1965 Indonesia massacre, forcing her to separate from her family for many decades.  By examining Francisca's life and activism in Indonesia, China, and the Netherlands, Prof. Zhou tells us how contested international politics shaped gender roles and expectations, redefining what motherhood meant. Lightning round(Lecture Summary): 4:20 Main interview: 8:12 8:12 – How did you first discover Francisca Casparina Fanggidaej, and how did you piece together her story through archival materials and oral history interviews? 10:17 – Can you walk us through Francisca's background and life trajectory? What led her to political activism? 11:26 – How did Francisca become involved in politics, and what shaped her early political commitments? 13:44 – How does Francisca's life reflect shifting gender ideologies, particularly across the Sukarno and Suharto eras in Indonesia? 16:54 – During her exile after the 1965 political violence, Francisca arrived in Beijing. How should we understand China's role within a more rigid gender framework at the time? 19:54 – In her diaries, Francisca attempts to tell her story to her daughter. How do you interpret these writings in relation to the politics of maternal absence? 23:17 – Why is motherhood a critical lens for rethinking internationalism?   26:27 - How does the case of Francisca become useful to think about the gender roles and expectations in the present, especially for mothers? 27:38 – Your upcoming book, Made in Shenzhen, shifts focus geographically—what drew you to Shenzhen, and are there connections between this project and Francisca's story, particularly around migration? 31:33 – How does the concept of maternal absence reshape our understanding of domestic labor and caregiving? Advice Advice for researchers and recommendations: 33:50 Dr. Zhou's top recommendations:  The Majesties: A Novel by Tiffany Tsao The music on the podcast is from "14 Strings!", a Filipino-style Rondalla group established at Cornell University. Check them out here.   Produced by Neen Yada Tangcharoenmonkong, Adam Farihin, and Cecilia Liu
• 
  Episode 145: Liang Wu, SEAP/Science and Technology Studies, Cornell University 02.04.2026 57min

  In this episode, host Namfon Narumol Choochan, joined by Yi-Jen Chen, a Cornell PhD student in Anthropology, interviews Liang Wu, a postdoctoral associate in Environmental Humanities in the Southeast Asia Program and the Department of Science and Technology Studies. Together, they explore what it means to rethink "maritime Southeast Asia." Rather than treating Southeast Asia as a fixed geographic region, the conversation focuses on the circulation of labor and commodities across Southeast Asia and the globe. Dr. Wu highlights the central—yet often overlooked—role of Filipino seafarers, tracing how their prominence historically emerged from U.S. colonial training, postcolonial labor policies, and the expansion of the global shipping industry since the 1970s. Tune in to learn more about Dr. Wu's work, methodologies, and fieldwork experiences! Lightning round(Lecture Summary): 3:45 Main interview: 8:18 8:18 – What first sparked your interest in maritime Southeast Asia? 9:37 – The traditional framework divides Southeast Asia into "mainland" and "maritime" regions. Do you think this distinction still holds? What are its limitations, and how does your work challenge or move beyond it? 13:24 – Could you share your ethnographic experience—how did you first gain access to the field, and what were some of the most striking moments early on? 17:28 – As your fieldwork progressed, what observations or turning points led you to refine your core research questions and focus? How did you navigate and plan your work in such an unpredictable and high-risk environment? 20:35 – Where and when did you conduct your ethnographic research? 23:00 – What does "containerization" mean in your work? How does this concept help us understand maritime labor and organization at sea? 26:29 – What historical period does your research focus on? How do contemporary trade routes compare to those of the 16th century, when Southeast Asia is often described as a cosmopolitan hub? 30:29 – When you place these two moments side by side, what key contrasts and insights emerge? 34:35 – While ships are largely male-dominated spaces, the industry depends heavily on the "immobile" labor of women at home. How does the prolonged absence of seafarers reshape gender roles and power dynamics within Filipino families? 39:27 – In the confined, hyper-masculine environment of cargo ships, how do seafarers navigate intimacy, friendship, and vulnerability? Did you observe moments where the "tough sailor" persona breaks down, and how do they support each other emotionally? 43:33 – After years of listening to seafarers' stories—especially narratives of sacrifice—how have you grappled with the ethical dimensions of your research? Has this shaped your perspective or influenced your career trajectory? Advice for researchers and recommendations: 49:49 Dr. Wu' top recommendations:  In Asian Waters: Oceanic Worlds from Yemen to Yokohama by Eric Tagliacozzo Intertidal History in Island Southeast Asia by Jennifer L. Gaynor Maritime Southeast Asia: Not Just a Crossroads by Jennifer L. Gaynor   The music on the podcast is from "14 Strings!", a Filipino-style Rondalla group established at Cornell University. Check them out here.   Produced by Neen Yada Tangcharoenmonkong, Adam Farihin, and Cecilia Liu  
• 
  Episode 144: Lydia O'Meara, Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability, Cornell University 11.03.2026 47min

  In this episode, host Namfon Narumol Choochan is joined by Francine Barchett, former host of the Gatty Rewind Podcast and a Cornell PhD candidate in Natural Resources & the Environment. Together, they interview Lydia O'Meara, a postdoctoral fellow at the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability. Lydia studies how diets in coastal communities can reveal links between human nutrition and marine ecosystem health. Her research focuses on Timor-Leste in the Coral Triangle, a biodiversity hotspot where many people rely on fish but face growing threats from climate change and biodiversity loss. Using mobile phones to collect frequent dietary data, she works to fill important data gaps and track changes over time. Tune in to learn more about how her work connects nutrition and environment!    Lightning round(Lecture Summary): 3:45 Main interview: 9:36 9:55 – How did you become interested in nutrition and food security, particularly with a focus on women and children? 13:39 – Why did you decide to focus on Timor-Leste? How did your research experience in Uganda help you navigate research in the context of Timor-Leste? 17:27 – What does fish species diversity look like in the region? 20:16 – Are there differences in fish consumption between men and women? 22:57 – What are the dynamics of mobile phone use, and how is the system structured? 26:38 – How did you develop the method of using mobile phones to collect data? 29:46 – How did the technical process work? What recommendations do you have for scholars using technology in their research? 31:59 – What languages are used in the project? 33:40 – Who are the main stakeholders in the current project? Did your experience collecting data in Uganda help you use or interpret the data differently in this context? 36:46 – What does development and growth look like in Timor-Leste? 38:00 – What are the implications if we overlook the data and marginalized women in Timor-Leste? Advice for researchers and recommendations: 40:34 Dr. O"Meara' top recommendations:  The End Of The Line by Charles Clover My Octopus Teacher Books by Naila Kabeer The music on the podcast is from "14 Strings!", a Filipino-style Rondalla group established at Cornell University. Check them out here.     Produced by Neen Yada Tangcharoenmonkong, Adam Farihin, and Cecilia Liu  
• 
  Episode 143: Patrick Daly, Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis 26.02.2026 42min

  In this episode, host Namfon Narumol Choochan is joined by Trifosa Simamora, a PhD candidate from the New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, to interview Patrick Daly, a research scientist for sustainability and resilience in the Department of Anthropology at Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Daly gave us a rundown of his lecture, Using Archaeology, History, and Geology to Build a Paleo-Tsunami History for Southeast Asia. We discuss his 20-year endeavor to craft a long history of tsunamis in this region through collaboration between the arts and sciences. Tune in to find out more!  Lightning round(Lecture Summary): 3:27 Main interview: 6:58 6:58  - Remembering the 2004 Tsunami in North Sumatr 15:50 - What is Paleo-tsunami history? Why is it important in and for Southeast Asia 19:55 - Scholarly disciplines involved in the project? 23:34 - Involvement with Aceh community 26:35 - Oral history about the 2004 Tsunami, check out https://maritimeasiaheritage.cseas.kyoto-u.ac.jp/ 30:10 - Data from the research and the prediction of natural disasters Advice for researchers and recommendations: 35:48 Dr. Patrick Daly' top recommendations:  Beyond Nature and Culture - Philippe Descola The Will to Improve: Governmentality, Development, and the Practice of Politics -  Tania Murray Li Markets of Sorrow, Labors of Faith: New Orleans in the Wake of Katrina - Vincanne Adams   The music on the podcast is from "14 Strings!", a Filipino-style Rondalla group established at Cornell University. Check them out here.   Produced by Neen Yada Tangcharoenmonkong, Adam Farihin, and Cecilia Liu  
• 
  Episode 142: Mark Sanchez, Department of Asian Studies, Vanderbilt University 19.02.2026 1t 2min

  In this episode, host Namfon Narumol Choochan is joined by Elissa Domingo Badiqué, a recent doctoral graduate from the Department of Performing and Media Arts. Together, they interview Mark John Sanchez, Assistant Professor of Asian Studies at Vanderbilt University. Dr. Sanchez recapitulates his lecture on the legal tactics used by the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) to defend civil liberties during the martial law era under Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines. He then reflects on how his personal journey and positionality have shaped his research. The conversation further explores the ongoing challenges of historical revisionism and collective amnesia. Tune in to learn more! Lightning round(Lecture Summary): 4:06 Main interview: 13:24 Advice for researchers and recommendations: 53:01 Mark Sanchez' top recommendations:  Incomplete Conquests - Stephanie Joy Mawson Beauty Regimes - Genevieve Alva Clutario Spiderweb Capitalism - Kimberly Kay Hoang  Betting on Macau - Tim Simpson The Profligate Colonial - Lisandro E. Claudio Bibliotactics - Cindy Anh Nguyen   The music on the podcast is from "14 Strings!", a Filipino-style Rondalla group established at Cornell University. Check them out here.    Produced by Neen Yada Tangcharoenmonkong, Adam Farihin, and Cecilia Liu  
• 
  Episode 141: Kevin D. Pham, Assistant Professor of Political Theory, University of Amsterdam 12.02.2026 1t 4min

  In this episode, host Namfon Narumol Choochan interviews Kevin Pham, Assistant Professor of Political Theory at the University of Amsterdam. Professor Pham's talk is titled "A Postcolonial Theory of Free Speech," in which he focuses on North Vietnamese intellectuals and their perspective on new speech in the 1950s. He argues that although the meaning and value of free speech have long been contested in the West, they overlook how people outside of the West, in illiberal conditions, theorize free speech. Growing up in San Jose, Professor Pham was intrigued by a trip to the Middle East and wanted to learn more about conflict and tensions. Tune in for Professor Pham's journey from wanting to be a doctor, to a tattoo artist, and to a political science professor!   Lightning round(Lecture Summary): 3:05 Main interview: 6:45  Advice for researchers and recommendations: 54:39 Kevin Pham's top recommendations:   Vietnam: A New History by Christopher Goscha Vietnamese Tradition on Trial by David Marr Vietnamese Anticolonialism by David Marr Radicalism and the Origins of the Vietnamese Revolution by Hue-Tam Tai Understanding Vietnam by Neil L. Jamieson Documentary: Vietnam Geburt einer Nation The music on the podcast is from "14 Strings!", a Filipino-style Rondalla group established at Cornell University. Check them out here.    Produced by Adam Farihin, Neen Yada Tangcharoenmonkong and Cecilia Liu  
• 
  Episode 140: Jangai Jap, Department of International Affairs, The University of Georgia 04.12.2025 1t 8min

  In this episode, guest co-host Drake Avila, a master's student in Asian Studies, joins host Namfon Narumol Choochan to interview Assistant Professor Jangai Jap from the Department of International Affairs at the University of Georgia. They discuss her recent research on ethnic rebellion in Myanmar and why the current explanation of post-independence political exclusion falls short in accounting for the rebellion's onset. Professor Jap shares how her Kachin heritage and NGO work experience in Myanmar have sparked her academic curiosity and shaped her doctoral and current research. Tune in for Professor Jap's insights and advice for aspiring scholars who are interested in Myanmar!   Lightning round(Lecture Summary): 2:50 Main interview: 6:20 Advice for researchers and recommendations: 1:00:00 Jangai Jap' top recommendations:  Miss Burma by Charmaine Cragg Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh   The music on the podcast is from "14 Strings!", a Filipino style Rondalla group established in Cornell University. Check them out here.    Produced by Adam Farihin, Neen Yada Tangcharoenmonkong and Cecilia Liu  
• 
  Episode 139: Analyn Salvador-Amores, Department of Anthropology, University of the Philippines Baguio 27.11.2025 46min

  In this episode, host Namfon Narumol Choochan interviews Analyn Salvador-Amores (Ikin), Professor of Anthropology and former Director of the Museo Kordilyera at the University of the Philippines Baguio. Together, they discuss how the recent tourism trend has revitalized Kalinga tattoos, a tradition of the ethnolinguistic group in Buscalan village, northern Luzon, Philippines. Having conducted anthropological research on traditional tattoos for over 30 years, Professor Ikin provides nuanced insights into how tourism has changed the village's landscape, tattoo practices, and reshaped gender dynamics among tattoo practitioners. They also explore various meanings and narratives behind the tattoos of each generation, including Professor Ikin's first tattoo, given by Apo Whang-ud, now the renowned 108-year-old female tattoo artist in Buscalan. Lightning round(Lecture Summary): 4:00  Main interview: 7:30 Advice for researchers and recommendations: 39:48 Analyn Salvador Amores' top recommendations:  Fine Description: Ethnographic and Linguistic Essays by Harold Conklin's   The music on the podcast is from "14 Strings!", a Filipino style Rondalla group established in Cornell University. Check them out here.    Produced by Adam Farihin, Neen Yada Tangcharoenmonkong and Cecilia Liu  
• 
  Episode 138: Anocha Suwichakornpong, Associate Professor of Film, Columbia University 20.11.2025 45min

  In this episode, host Namfon Narumol Choochan speaks with "Mai" Anocha Suwichakornpong, independent filmmaker, producer, founder of Electric Eel Film, and Associate Professor in Film at Columbia University. Anocha shares how films and filmmaking can be a form of resistance by rethinking the boundary between truth and fiction. They discuss how her previous and upcoming features have engaged with the politics of remembering and forgetting of state violence in Thai history. The conversation also delves into Before It Gets Dark, her most renowned feature, and what the Thammasat Massacre means to her on a personal level. Lightning round: 3:01  Research and Lecture Summary:  7:36 Advice for researchers and recommendations: 41:24 The music on the podcast is from "14 Strings!", a Filipino style Rondalla group established in Cornell University. Check them out here.    Produced by Adam Farihin, Neen Yada Tangcharoenmonkong and Cecilia Liu  
• 
  Episode 137: Chiara Formichi, Department of Asian Studies, Cornell University 30.10.2025 50min

  In this episode, host Namfon Narumol Choochan interviews Chiara Formichi, H. Stanley Krusen Professor of World Religions, Director of the Religious Studies Program, and Professor of Asian Studies at Cornell University. They discuss how Prof. Formichi's personal and intellectual journey shaped her research trajectory in Islamic and Southeast Asian studies. Drawing from her latest monograph, Domestic Nationalism: Muslim Women, Health and Modernity in Indonesia, she explores how Indonesian women envisioned their own versions of modernity through gendered care work, from the colonial Dutch East Indies to postcolonial Indonesia. Departing from her earlier research on elite political actors, she turns to examining women's vernacular magazines, visual sources, and advertisements to uncover the overlooked yet central role of Indonesian Muslim women in shaping Indonesia's postcolonial future. Lightning round: 3:16  Research and Lecture Summary:  11:00 Advice for researchers and recommendations: 44:57 Chiara Formichi's top recommendations: The Jakarta Method: Washington's Anticommunist Crusade and the Mass Murder Program that Shaped Our World, Vincent Bevins The Nutmeg's Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis, Amitav Ghosh The music on the podcast is from "14 Strings!", a Filipino style Rondalla group established in Cornell University. Check them out here.    Produced by Adam Farihin, Neen Yada Tangcharoenmonkong and Cecilia Liu  
• 
  Indonesia in 10 Films: "Soegija" with Arnoud Arps 30.10.2025 1t 4min

  Indonesia in 10 Films: "Soegija" with Arnoud Arps In this second episode of "Indonesia in 10 Films," host Michael Kirkpatrick Miller explores the film Soegija (2012), an ambitious historical drama by director Garin Nugroho. Soegjia follows the non-traditional Catholic national hero Monsignor Albertus Soegijapranata, during one of the most volatile periods in Indonesian history — from the Japanese occupation to the return of Dutch forces after World War II. Rather than focusing solely on its titular figure, the film paints a multifaceted image of intersecting lives of diverse characters.    Michael first speaks with Neen about the film's cinematography, then interviews Dr. Arnoud Arps, Assistant Professor of Extended Cinema, Film Heritage and Memory at the University of Amsterdam. Dr. Arps, who previously interviewed Garin Nugroho, shares the director's intention to create a film grounded in humanity and emotional resonance. He also collaborated with the Eye Filmmuseum and the National Museum of Indonesia to curate a special screening series on Indonesian War of Independence films, with Soegija selected as one of the featured works. Together they discuss the three major waves of the Indonesian Independence War films, the evolution of how nationalism, heroism, and "Merdeka" are portrayed, and the film's subtle treatment of colonizers and revolutionaries, particularly through the conflicted character Robert.   Intro: 0: 38 Producer's Insights: 10:31 Conversation with Guest: 13: 25 Conclusion: 58:30 Professor Arp's Film recommendations:  Kadet 1947, Rahabi Mandra, Aldo Swastia Trilogi Merdeka (Merah Putih, Darah Garuda, Hati Merdeka), Yadi Sugandi, Conor Allyn Professor Arp's rating on Soegija: 8/10   Host: Michael Kirkpatrick Miller Producer: Adam Farihin, Cecilia Liu  and Neen Yada Tangcharoenmonkong
• 
  Episode 136: Aditya Bhattacharjee, Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow from Asian Studies, Cornell University 16.10.2025 1t 8min

  In this episode, host Namfon Narumol Choochan interviews Dr. Aditya Bhattacharjee, Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow in Asian Studies at Cornell University. Together, they discuss how growing up in Bangkok led him to study the localization and globalization of Hinduism. Focusing on the transnational appearances of Ganesha in Thailand and Thai restaurants in the United States, Dr. Bhattacharjee explains how and why this deity becomes a visible conduit for understanding the globalization of religious practices and religious belonging beyond the exclusively Thai-Buddhist framework. He shares his insights from fieldwork in Bangkok and New York, showing how cosmopolitanism enables such religious phenomena.  Lightning round: 3:00 Research and Lecture Summary:  18:48 Advice for researchers and recommendations: 1:01:54 Dr. Bhattacharjee 's top recommendations: Siam Mapped: A History of the Geo-Body of a Nation by Thongchai Winichakul Justin McDaniel' s books    The music on the podcast is from "14 Strings!", a Filipino style Rondalla group established in Cornell University. Check them out here.    Produced by Neen Yada Tangcharoenmonkong, Adam Farihin, and Cecilia Liu  
• 
  Episode 135: Ian Baird, Professor of Geography and Southeast Asian Studies, University of Wisconsin–Madison 09.10.2025 1t 2min

  In this episode, host Namfon Narumol Choochan interviews Ian Baird, Professor of Geography at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Together, they discuss how his travels across southern Laos, northeastern Thailand, and northern Cambodia inspired his study of the House of Champassak. This interview uncovers how and why the Champassak royalty maintained its influence even after the dissolution of  Champassak as an independent polity in 1778. Baird's lecture, named after his book, Champassak Royalty and Sovereignty: Within and Between Nation States in Mainland Southeast Asia, challenges the conventional concept of sovereignty tied to territory. Through the example of the House of Champassak, he argues that sovereignty is contingent and constantly in flux. He examines how the royal family endeavors to exert its form of sovereignty through symbols, rituals, and other practices over a span of three hundred years. He also underscores the importance of oral histories in recovering marginalized voices, especially those who live in the borderlands between nation-states.   Lightning round: 3:11  Research and Lecture Summary:  7:20 Advice for researchers and recommendations: 57:045 Ian Baird 's top recommendations: Forsaken Causes: Liberal Democracy and Anticommunism in Cold War Laos (2024) by Ryan Wolfson-Ford  The music on the podcast is from "14 Strings!", a Filipino style Rondalla group established in Cornell University. Check them out here.    Produced by Neen Yada Tangcharoenmonkong, Adam Farihin, and Cecilia Liu