The UP Asian Center, in partnership with Social Science Diliman, will be holding the hybrid lecture "Knowledge in Motion: Japanese Intellectual Contributions to Research on Southeast Asia: Japanese Intellectual Contributions to Research on Southeast Asia" on 18 February 2026, 1:00 - 4:00 PM, PST (GMT+8), at the Seminar Room, UP Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman. The event is free and open to the public. Online pre-registration is recommended due to limited seating. On-site attendees will receive a copy of Social Science Diliman.
ABOUT THE LECTURE
Social Science Diliman in cooperation with the Asian Center would like to continue its Seminar Series with the invitation of Dr. Mario Lopez from Kyoto University Center for Southeast Asian Studies Center to give a talk showcasing the intimate connections between SEAn Studies scholars in Japan. This event is a conversation for the Asian Center’s Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia Studies faculty and students. Furthermore, with partnership with Social Science Diliman, this can encourage students and faculty to submit manuscripts to the journal.
This is a hybrid lecture (in-person and online) exploring how Japanese scholars have shaped Southeast Asian Studies through distinctive research traditions and collaborations. Discover Japan's unique role in regional knowledge production and Asia-Pacific academic networks. Participants preferring to join online will be provided details after pre-registration.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
MARIO IVAN LOPEZ, Ph.D.
Center for Southeast Asia Studies, Kyoto University
Mario Ivan Lopez is an Associate Professor at the Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS), Kyoto University, specializing in cultural anthropology, Southeast Asian studies, and migration studies with additional engagement in indicadores and interdisciplinary research. At CSEAS, he conducts comparative research on transnational migration, care work, and aging in super-aging societies, particularly focusing on the international mobility of nurses and caregivers within the Asia-Pacific and Japan, as well as on the development of frameworks like the Humanosphere Potentiality Index to address sustainable human well-being and intellectual knowledge formation in area studies. He has been involved in diverse projects including visual documentary initiatives that explore plural coexistence in Southeast Asia, and his work draws on both quantitative and qualitative methods to inform policy and academic understanding of migration, care, and interdisciplinary scholarship in the region.
AYAKO FUJIEDA, Ph.D.
Faculty of Global Culture, Kyoto Seika University
Ayako Fujieda is an Affiliated Associate Professor in the Global Humanosphere division at the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University, focusing on global environmental studies, international cooperation, area studies, and traditional architecture. Her research centers on the sustainability and maintenance of traditional architecture, the relationships between natural disasters and human settlements, and the interdisciplinary foundations of area studies in Japan, contributing to understanding how diverse disciplinary approaches shape knowledge of Southeast Asia. She brings to this work a broad background in environmental and human environment design, engaging with issues of cultural heritage, disaster resilience, and built environments, and collaborates with researchers across fields to explore networks and trends in interdisciplinary research on the region.