Academic Milestone: First Southeast Asian Studies Student Colloquium Hosted by Leong Institute and AISEAS
The Ricardo Leong Institute for Global and Area Studies, in collaboration with the Ateneo Initiative for Southeast Asian Studies under the Dr Rosita G. Leong School of Social Sciences, successfully convened the inaugural Southeast Asian Studies (SEAS) Student Colloquium on 22 April 2026. The event was held in celebration of Social Sciences Month, highlighting the growing academic engagement in regional studies.
The colloquium brought together 27 undergraduate students, who presented research papers on a wide range of Southeast Asian themes. Participants were welcomed by Mr Javier Rico Israel Tionloc, Coordinator of AISEAS, who underscored the importance of student-led inquiry in understanding the region’s diverse social, political, and cultural landscapes.
Most presentations were drawn from fieldwork conducted in Vietnam and Sabah under the SEAS 101: Southeast Asian In-Country Field Study programme. Other students shared research from interdisciplinary courses including Comparative ASEAN Health Policies, Comparative Analysis of Contemporary Development Challenges in Southeast Asia, and Dynamics of Regional Integration: EU and ASEAN.
The event provided a platform for students to showcase experiential learning and academic research, fostering critical discussion on regional development and integration. It also reinforced the commitment of both institutions to nurturing future scholars in Southeast Asian Studies through field-based learning and interdisciplinary education.
