Keynote Speakers

Keynote Address

Language, Culture, and Identity in Southeast Asia: Diversity or Uniformity?

In recent decades, Southeast Asia has not simply become more uniform or, conversely, more diverse. Rather, both processes have unfolded simultaneously, as can be observed across several domains, including language, culture, and the arts. This concurrent movement toward uniformity and diversity constitutes one of the most significant dynamics in the formation of Southeast Asian identity.

From a linguistic standpoint, Southeast Asia is a multilingual region in which language policy strategies seek to balance national, local, and international languages. Historically, across countries in the region, national identity has been pursued in part through language policy. Indonesia’s Youth Pledge Declaration of 1928, for instance, marked a pivotal moment in the making of the Indonesian nation, as the Indonesian language was established as a language of unity and a marker of national identity. This event stands as a concrete example of uniformization, a moment in which language became a force capable of uniting people under a shared identity. At the same time, however, similar linguistic practices have emerged among young people across Southeast Asia today. A young person in Jakarta, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, or Manila may not speak the same language, yet they share comparable ways of using it. What becomes observable is a pattern of code-switching and code-mixing among national, local, and global languages, particularly English, alongside the emergence of forms of slang that are not confined to any single country. This suggests that language is no longer merely a marker of national identity. It has also become a relational practice, through which individuals position themselves not only within their own nations but also within broader Southeast Asian and global contexts.

Global cultural flows, circulating through media, technology, and cross-border mobility, also constitute a significant element in the formation of Southeast Asian identity. The movement of popular culture, the translation of literary works across countries, cultural exchange in diplomatic contexts, and even solidarity shaped by shared moments of conflict, as seen in the case of SEAblings (a regional expression of online solidarity) earlier this year, all mark instances that help give shape to this identity. Beyond exchange, there is also the adaptation and translation of global influences in ways specific to Southeast Asia, evident in the blending of global elements with the traditional or the local. In Indonesia, for example, batik has been recontextualized across a range of contemporary fashion forms. Similarly, in other parts of Southeast Asia, such as Vietnam, the áo dài, Vietnam’s traditional garment, has undergone modernization through more practical cuts, lighter fabrics, and more experimental motifs.

Taken together, these processes of exchange and development in language, culture, and the arts across Southeast Asia, processes that produce uniformity on one hand yet are lived and experienced differently on the other, constitute what may be understood as a distinctly Southeast Asian identity. More than that, this distinctiveness suggests the potential of Southeast Asian society as a force within the Global South in navigating multidimensional transformation.

Keynote Address

Is a cultural values framework needed for Vietnamese people in Thailand in the current Southeast Asian context?

In the context of globalization, transnational migration, and increasing cultural exchange, the Vietnamese diaspora plays an increasingly important role in maintaining national identity, strengthening community cohesion, and promoting the image of Vietnam. However, the transmission of culture to second, third, and subsequent generations faces many difficulties due to declining Vietnamese language proficiency, generational gaps, the impact of local cultures, and a lack of uniformity in learning materials, methods, and transmission tools.

This article analyzes the necessity of developing a cultural value framework and a set of cultural transmission tools for Vietnamese people abroad, specifically in Thailand. Based on the distinction between "value systems" as a social reality and "value frameworks" as guiding tools, the article proposes a flexible, multicultural, and interactive approach. The value framework should not be built as a rigid catalog imposed from within the country, but should be formed through a combination of Vietnamese cultural values, overseas community practices, and universal values of modern society.

The transmission toolkit should include books, bilingual learning materials, videos, digital platforms, and experiential activities. The Vietnamese community in Thailand is proposed as a suitable area to pilot, evaluate, and refine the model before scaling it up.

Keynote Address

Repositioning Knowledge in an AI-Driven World: Southeast Asian Socio-Cultural Studies Between National Priorities and Global Knowledge Systems

In the era of Artificial Intelligence, knowledge production is increasingly shaped by technological innovation, data-driven methodologies, and global metrics of academic performance. Within this rapidly transforming landscape, socio-cultural studies—particularly in Southeast Asia—face a critical challenge: how to remain relevant to national priorities while simultaneously engaging with global knowledge systems.

This keynote argues that the issue is not the marginalization of the humanities per se, but the need for strategic repositioning. In many Southeast Asian contexts, research that addresses local social realities, cultural complexities, and policy needs often operates within national frameworks that do not always align with international ranking-driven expectations. This structural tension creates a dual arena in which scholars must navigate between societal impact at home and visibility abroad. Rather than viewing this as a dilemma, this lecture proposes it as a vital site of opportunity.

Furthermore, as algorithms increasingly mediate culture, identity, and governance, socio-cultural knowledge becomes indispensable. True interdisciplinarity must move beyond symbolic collaboration toward integrative knowledge production, where social insights shape technological design from the outset. By reframing Southeast Asian socio-cultural studies as active producers of knowledge rather than passive case providers, this keynote calls for a more balanced and strategic engagement between national relevance and global scholarship in an AI-driven world.