The UP Asian Center, together with the Office of Institutional Linkages and the UP Department of Political Science, is organizing a public lecture, “Democratization in Southeast Asia: Prospects and Challenges in Thailand” on Tuesday, 3 May 2016, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., GT-Toyota Asian Cultural Center, Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman. The lecture is free and open to the public; seating is first-come, first-served, but participants are encouraged to sign up to expedite the registration process on the day of the forum.
About the Lecture
The military coup of May 2014 came after nearly a decade of intense political polarization in Thailand. The military has pledged to "restore national happiness" by creating a renewed sense of unity and purpose. Yet two years on, the economy is faltering, and the timetable for fresh elections remains unclear. The ruling junta has suppressed freedom of expression and public debate, but seems to lack any overarching vision for the country's future. In this presentation, Duncan McCargo will discuss the challenges faced by Thailand and the prospects for a return to normalcy.
About the Speaker
Duncan McCargo is Professor of Political Science at the University of Leeds, UK, and Visiting Professor at Columbia University in the City of New York. He is also a Visitor in the School of Social Science, Institute of Advanced Study in Princeton University, New Jersey. Best known as a leading expert on contemporary Thailand, he has also lived in Cambodia, Japan and Singapore, and has written on Indonesia and Vietnam. McCargo's ten books include The Thaksinization of Thailand (NIAS 2005) and the award-winning Tearing Apart the Land: Islam and Legitimacy in Southern Thailand (Cornell 2008). Centrally concerned with the study of power, he is currently finishing a book on politics and justice in Thailand. VIEW FULL PROFILE.
About the Organizers
Professor McCargo’s lecture is co-sponsored by the UP Asian Center; the UP Office of Institutional Linkages; and the UP Department of Political Science. It is organized as part of the World Experts Lecture Series, one of the initiatives of the University of the Philippines to bring renowned scholars to the country where they can share their expertise.
The UP Asian Center offers M.A. degrees in Asian Studies with four fields of specialization: Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and West Asia. The Center also has an M.A. program in Philippine Studies that allows students to major in Philippine society and culture, Philippine foreign relations, or Philippine development studies. The Center offers a Ph.D. program in Philippine Studies in conjunction with the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy. Get an overview of these programs. The Asian Center also houses a peer-reviewed, open-access journal, Asian Studies: Journal of Critical Perspectives on Asia. It has published several books and monographs, and hosts or organizes various lectures and conferences.