- US-China tech war is headed for digital decoupling
- Why it’s imperative that India and Taiwan build deeper diplomatic ties
- Southeast Asia is now dominant in the illegal drugs trade
- Malaysia’s changing policy on Rohingya refugees
- India should rethink its policy in the emerging cold war with China
- Paper Review: COVID-19 Pandemic and Racism in the United States and India
- China’s BRI strategy and Laos
- ASEAN needs to come together over Covid-19 pandemic
- What lockdown means for India and humanity
- China asserts presence in South China Sea amid COVID-19 pandemic
- Taiwan shouldn’t be kept out of Covid-19 loop
- The Indo-Pacific needs an infrastructural alliance
- The Chahsat mayhem
- Indonesia’s dilemma over repatriation of its IS fighters
- Asia’s maritime trade torpedoed
- Tapping into Soft Power Diplomacy in a World of Increased Regionalism: India, Southeast Asia, and the Missing Odisha Link
- The Emerging Influence of Huawei and China’s Digital Silk Road
- India must rethink its decision to opt out of RCEP
- India Made a Bold Move on Kashmir
- Who wins the ICC-Duterte tussle?
- What future holds for ASEAN?
- India needs new strategy in the Indo-Pacific region
- India can do more with its Buddhist inheritance
- The need for strengthening ASEAN-Australia relationship
Nehginpao Kipgen Center for Southeast Asian Studies (NKCSEAS)
Introduction
Founder
Executive Director
Media Interviews
Seminars and Webinars
The Nehginpao Kipgen Memorial Public Lecture
Reports and Publications
Student Prizes
Activity
Commentary
Newsletter
Team
Contact Us
Introduction
This Center for Southeast Asian Studies is named after an eminent scholar of Southeast Asian Studies, Professor Nehginpao Kipgen. Prof Kipgen was the founder of this Center in 2016, with the vision of making Southeast Asia a cornerstone of teaching and research at the Jindal School of International Affairs and beyond. The Center is carrying on Prof Kipgen’s legacy after his untimely demise in 2021 under a young and committed team led by Professor Mustafa Izzuddin, who was a good academic friend of the founder.
Southeast Asia, a sub-region of Asia, consists of countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. These countries are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
These countries share historical, political, economic, cultural and social ties, and all but East Timor are members of the regional bloc called the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). This regional bloc has undertaken several initiatives to integrate its members, including developing a single market that would ensure the free flow of goods, services, investment and skilled labor, and the free flow of capital.
The region is far from being homogeneous and encompasses different political institutions, diverse economic structures, and a variety of languages and cultures, including ethnicities and religions. Due to its geopolitics, geostrategic location and a fast-growing economy, the region has generated considerable interest from its neighboring countries in Asia and beyond Asia, including countries in the Western world.
Vision
The center envisions itself to be a dedicated central hub of Southeast Asian studies in India and the wider South Asian region, and a thought leader and opinion shaper in South Asia-Southeast Asia relations.
Mission
The center intends to bridge and interconnect Southeast Asia with the rest of the world through teaching, research, publication, partnerships, collaborations, cultural diplomacy, and people-to-people exchanges.
Aims and Objectives
The Center seeks to:
- Comprehend the overarching history and politics of Southeast Asia and its significance to the world
- Underscore the importance of comparative politics in, and international relations of, Southeast Asia
- Analyze ASEAN’s history, accomplishments and challenges in regional and international affairs
- Study the economics of countries in Southeast Asia and the attendant regional economic integration
- Survey and explore the rich cultural diversity and heterogeneous societies of Southeast Asia
- Delve into the various aspects of traditional and non-traditional security in Southeast Asia
- Examine the legal factors concerning multilateral agreements vis-à-vis ASEAN and Southeast Asia
- Assess the role of great powers and the management of its contestation in Southeast Asia
- Appraise India’s engagement of Southeast Asia and its dialogue partnership of ASEAN
- Enrich the understanding of the Indo-Pacific narrative in Southeast Asian affairs
Activities
The center engages in research, carries out teaching, puts out publications, conducts media interviews, organizes talks, and convenes panel discussions. The center also seeks to establish partnerships with other Southeast Asian centers, including in universities in Southeast Asia and around the world, and collaborate with them in research projects, organizing seminars, conferences and webinars, and people-to-people exchanges. The center also offers courses on Southeast Asia to undergraduate and postgraduate students.
Founder
Prof. (Dr.) Nehginpao Kipgen (25.5.1978–2.5.2021) was a Professor and Executive Director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS) at the Jindal School of International Affairs, O.P.Jindal Global University. He was a renowned Political Scientist and thinker whose concentrations were in Comparative Politics and International Relations. His general teaching and research interests included Democratization, Global/World Politics, Ethnic Conflict and Identity Politics, Human Rights, Refugees, Maritime Disputes, International Organizations, and Government and Politics of Southeast Asia.
His scholarly work was focussed on Asia, with a specialization in Southeast Asia and Burma/Myanmar. He had presented papers and served as a chair and discussant in several international academic conferences, including International Political Science Association (IPSA) and International Studies Association (ISA). He was also a Board Member (RC18 – Asian and Pacific Studies) of IPSA.
Executive Director
Dr Mustafa Izzuddin is Associate Professor and Executive Director of the Nehginpao Kipgen Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the Jindal School of International Affairs, O.P. Jindal Global University. Dr Mustafa also holds and has held adjunct and visiting teaching and research fellowships in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, China, Morocco, United Kingdom, and the United States. He also serves as a Senior International Affairs Analyst at Solaris Strategies Singapore. Dr Mustafa has also been appointed as the first Singaporean to serve as an international or external expert in civilizational dialogue for the Center of Civilizational Dialogue at the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), which comes under the aegis of an international organization, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). A Fulbright Scholar and a keen observer of Southeast Asian affairs for the past 15 years, Dr Mustafa received his PhD in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) after successfully completing his dissertation on a neoclassical realist interpretation of Malaysia-China relations.
Dr Mustafa serves on several international advisory or editorial boards of academic journals of repute. Dr Mustafa is a known political pundit and media commentator related to matters pertaining to Singapore and Southeast Asia. He has pioneered work on neoclassical realism in Southeast Asia and has helped encourage more research to be conducted on small states and middle powers in Southeast Asia, diasporic studies, and internationalization of interfaith dialogue. He is also interested in analysing the multifaceted relations at the regional and country levels between South Asia and Southeast Asia, and Central Asia and Southeast Asia.
Dr Mustafa has written more than 200 articles and commentaries, supervised, and mentored over 100 youths and students, and has spoken at more than 150 seminars and conferences. He has briefed and provided consultancy services to more than 50 institutions and organizations, including universities in South and Southeast Asia, places of worship such as mosques, government ministries, non-governmental organizations chiefly in the social service sector, private sector companies, and Diplomatic Corps. Dr Mustafa is an award-winning educator, having taught over 20 university courses in the past 10 years and provided educational leadership in curriculum development, especially in the field of culture and international relations. He is proficient in several languages spoken in the countries of Southeast Asia and South Asia.
Outside of academia, Dr Mustafa has served more than 25 years as a volunteer-leader with the Malay/Muslim community and the wider society. He also serves or has served on several management boards, including at Yayasan Mendaki, Muslim Kidney Action Association (MKAC) and the Malay Youth Literary Association (4PM), garnering a wealth of leadership experience in public relations, business management and raising funds. During the pandemic period, Dr Mustafa raised around US$450,000 to help the underprivileged in Singapore society. Since 2020, he has been inducted as a member of the Inter-Religious Organisation of Singapore and serves as an advisor to the National Youth Achievement Award Gold Award Holders’ Alumni of Singapore.
Dr Mustafa has received a number of local, regional and international awards for his voluntary leadership and community service, including the Junior Chamber International (JCI)’s Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World 2019. A modest philanthropist, Dr Mustafa has donated several university prizes to Singapore, Indonesia, India and Pakistan so as to inspire graduating students to achieve academic excellence, give back to society and embrace regional or global citizenship in their respective countries of residence.
At both the academic and non-academic fronts in the past eight years, Dr Mustafa Izzuddin has been playing a pivotal role as an interlocutor in forging regional and global partnerships and international collaborations between universities, institutions, and non-governmental organizations.
Dr Mustafa Izzuddin can be contacted at mizzuddin@jgu.edu.in.
Media Interviews
Seminars and Webinars
The Nehginpao Kipgen Memorial Public Lecture
Reports and Publications
Student Prizes
The following student prizes will be awarded on an annual basis:
The Nehginpao Kipgen Memorial PhD Dissertation Prize
This prize is awarded to the author of an outstanding doctoral dissertation in Southeast Asian studies, particularly in the area of comparative politics and international relations. Named in memory of a doyen of Southeast Asian Studies, this prize comes with a cash award and an official certificate.
The Mustafa Izzuddin Outstanding International Affairs Graduate Prize
This prize is awarded to an exceptional graduate of the Jindal School of International Affairs who had excelled in a course on Southeast Asia, and has embraced global citizenship regardless of nationality. Donated by the center’s executive director, this prize comes with a cash award and an official certificate.
The Nehginpao Kipgen Center for Southeast Asian Studies Prize
This prize is awarded to the top student of the course on ‘Government, Politics and Foreign Policy of Southeast Asia’ at Jindal School of International Affairs. This prize comes with a certificate of achievement.
Friends of NKCSEAS
We would like to thank the following organizations or institutions which have supported or partnered us over the years. Without them, which we consider as our friends, NKCSEAS would not have made progress as an aspiring hub of Southeast Asian Studies in bringing South Asia and Southeast Asia closer together.
Organizational Structure
NKCSEAS is headed by an Executive Director, who leads a team of senior and junior researchers and editors. While the editors focus on publications, the researchers oversee clusters, namely Politics & Security, Indo-Pacific Studies, ASEAN Regionalism, Non-Traditional Security, Economics, and Culture & Society.
Activity
ACTIVITY
The center engages in a range of activities, such as research, publication, organizing talks and panel discussions. The center aims to establish relationship with other Southeast Asian centers around the world and collaborate with them in research projects, organizing seminars and conferences. The center also offers courses on ‘Government and Politics of Southeast Asia’, ‘Foreign Policies of Southeast Asian Countries’, and ‘International Relations of Southeast Asia’ to undergraduate and graduate students.
- A Report of the Public Lecture on China’s Belt and Road Initiative in Southeast Asia: Using Buddhism as a Tool of Influence
- A Report of Discussion on ‘The State of Democracy in Thailand’
- YOUTUBE VIDEO: The State of Democracy in Thailand
- INVITATION: A Discussion on ‘The State of Democracy in Thailand’ on March 27, 2021
- DD India: A Discussion on ‘Myanmar in Turmoil’ on March 14, 2021
- A Report of Discussion on ‘Myanmar Military Coup: The Way Forward’
- YOUTUBE VIDEO: Myanmar Military Coup: The Way Forward
- ANC TELEVISION: Scholar says world leaders should unite, urge Myanmar military to respect constitution, democracy
- BBC WORLD SERVICE: Professor Nehginpao Kipgen discusses how recent developments are impacting countries that have trade relations with Myanmar
- INVITATION: A Discussion on ‘Myanmar Military Coup: The Way Forward’ on Feb 20, 2021
- DD INDIA: A Discussion on ‘Myanmar: Army Grabs Power, Again’ on Feb 2, 2021
- YOUTUBE VIDEO: Kuki Nationalism and Political Aspiration
- A Report of Discussion on ‘Kuki Nationalism and Political Aspiration’
- YOUTUBE VIDEO: Myanmar’s 2020 Election: The Way Forward
- A Report of Discussion on ‘Myanmar’s 2020 Election: The Way Forward’
- INVITATION: A Discussion on ‘Kuki Nationalism and Political Aspiration’ on Nov 12, 2020
- INVITATION: A Discussion on ‘Myanmar’s 2020 Election: The Way Forward’ on Oct 15, 2020
- A Report of Discussion on ‘Southeast Asia: A Strategic Region for Competition and Power Rivalry’
- YOUTUBE VIDEO: Southeast Asia: A Strategic Region for Competition and Power Rivalry
- A Discussion on ‘Southeast Asia: A Strategic Region for Competition and Power Rivalry’ on Sep 3, 2020
- Scholars discuss Kipgen’s book ‘The Politics of South China Sea Disputes’
- YOUTUBE VIDEO: Author Talk and Book Discussion of ‘The Politics of South China Sea Disputes’
- INVITATION: Author Talk and Book Discussion on ‘The Politics of South China Sea Disputes’
- YOUTUBE VIDEO: Book Launch and Panel Discussion of ‘The Politics of South China Sea Disputes’
- FACEBOOK LINK: Book Launch and Panel Discussion of ‘The Politics of South China Sea Disputes’
- Justice Carpio released ‘The Politics of South China Sea Disputes’ book
- Book Launch and Panel Discussion on ‘The Politics of South China sea Disputes’
- A Report on ‘Pandemic Challenges and Looking Beyond; Our Eastern Neighbors: Bangladesh and Myanmar’
- A Report of Panel Discussion on ‘‘Contested Identity and Competing Claims Along India-Myanmar Border Region’ on Oct 12, 2019
- A Report of Public Lecture on ‘The Role of Indonesia as a Big Brother in ASEAN: Past, Present and Future’
- Panel Discussion on ‘Contested Identity and Competing Claims Along India-Myanmar Border Region’ on Oct 12, 2019
- Public Lecture by Dr. Dani Muhtada on ‘The Role of Indonesia as a Big Brother in ASEAN: Past, Present
and Future’ on Oct 4, 2019 - A Report of Panel Discussion on ‘Myanmar’s Democratization and Refugee Problems’ on April 27, 2019
- VIDEO: Panel Discussion on Myanmar’s Democratization & Refugee Problems
- Panel Discussion on ‘Myanmar’s Democratization and Refugee Problems’ on Apr 27, 2019
- A Report of Panel Discussion on ‘Act East Policy and the Importance of Myanmar and Northeast India’
- VIDEO: Panel Discussion on ‘Act East Policy, Myanmar and Northeast India’ on Sep 27, 2018
- Panel Discussion on ‘Act East Policy and the Importance of Myanmar and Northeast India’ on Sep 27, 2018
Commentary
- Quad’s vaccine initiative can be of benefit to Asean
- Biden’s Asia policy and the Iranian conundrum
- Why a military coup cannot be the solution in Myanmar
- Trump’s legacy in Southeast Asia
Newsletter
- Snippets of Southeast Asia, Issue 12, October 2022
- Snippets of Southeast Asia, Issue 11, June-July 2021
- Snippets of Southeast Asia, Issue 10, May 2021
- Snippets of Southeast Asia, Issue 9, April 2021
- Snippets of Southeast Asia, Issue 8, March 2021
- Snippets of Southeast Asia, Issue 7, February 2021
- Snippets of Southeast Asia, Issue 6, January 2021
- Snippets of Southeast Asia, Issue 5, December 2020
- Snippets of Southeast Asia, Issue 4, November 2020
- Snippets of Southeast Asia, Issue 3, October 2020
- Snippets of Southeast Asia, Issue 2, September 2020
- Snippets of Southeast Asia, Issue 1, August 2020
Team
Prof. Harsh Mahaseth
Assistant Director
Ms. Shivangi Dikshit
Senior Research Analyst
Prof. Aayushi Singh
Research Analyst
Prof. Subhrajit Chanda
Research Analyst
Join Our Team
We have a rolling application for internships and fellowships without remuneration. If you are keen to be a part of the center, even if you are not physically present, please drop us an email at cseas@jgu.edu.in.
Join Our Mailing List
It would be our pleasure to add you to our mailing list. If you are amenable for us to put you on our mailing list, please drop us an email at cseas@jgu.edu.in with your name, organization (or as an individual) and preferred email address for this mailing list. You are welcome to unsubscribe at any time.
Partner with Us
We are open for collaboration and forging partnerships to promulgate Southeast Asian studies globally, including in India and South Asia. Please contact the center’s Executive Director, Dr Mustafa Izzuddin at mizzuddin@jgu.edu.in or Harsh Mahaseth, Assistant Director at hmahaseth@jgu.edu.in.
Contact Us
Nehginpao Kipgen Center for Southeast Asian Studies (NKCSEAS)
Jindal School of International Affairs
O.P. Jindal Global University
Sonipat 131001, Haryana, India
E-mail: cseas@jgu.edu.in
Website: http://jsia.edu.in/center-southeast-asian-studies-cseas
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/mwlite/in/center-for- southeast-asian-studies-opjgu-4445671b1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CSEASJGU/
Twitter: @cseas_jgu
Instagram: cseas_jgu