Selamat Datang!

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Association for Asian Studies (AAS), I welcome you all to this year’s AAS-in-Asia Conference in Yogyakarta, organized by the Universitas Gadjah Mada in collaboration with the AAS. Since its inception in 2014, AAS-in-Asia has grown in scope and content, enriching our understanding of “Asia” in all its complexity and diversity. The conference has been hosted in countries such as Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, India, and Thailand, providing unique and important opportunities to shape and reshape the scholarly dialogue.  

This year we gather here in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, where pluralism has been so central to the history, society, and culture. Along with pluralism, the theme of this year’s conference centers on the concept of “Global Asias” as a new historical and methodological lens for examining deeper interconnections within the region and beyond in the past, present and future. The conference program amply illustrates the richness of cutting-edge research, innovative perspectives, and visions for present and future challenges and opportunities for coexistence. I hope that panel discussions and casual conversations between sessions and social hours will spark new ideas, deepen existing knowledge, and cultivate future research collaborations.

I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the exceptionally dedicated members of the organizing committee, the program committee, sponsors, and volunteers at UGM and AAS whose outstanding work has made this conference possible. I hope that the conference will provide you all with insights, inspiration, camaraderie and memorable experiences.