New York Southeast Asia Network

ABOUT US

The NYSEAN Public Universities Consortium (PUC) aims to foster and facilitate interdisciplinary Southeast Asian studies throughout the SUNY and CUNY systems. At a time when institutional support for less-commonly-taught languages, innovative international programs, “niche” classes, and interdisciplinary area studies is scarce, the PUC will support the many faculty and students with interests in Southeast Asia from across New York State’s public universities and colleges. It will serve essentially as a virtual, state-wide center for Southeast Asian studies.

Bringing Southeast Asia specialists across the state into conversation and facilitating collaboration, information-sharing, and network-building, this consortium offers benefits for academic faculty, undergraduate and graduate students, and professional staff alike. PUC programs will, for instance, give graduate students from across SUNY and CUNY opportunities to explore how to meld region and discipline, and how to market oneself as an area specialist when applying for grants and jobs; they will offer both undergraduate and graduate students information and resources on language-training, study-abroad, and internship possibilities; and they will help graduate students and faculty not only navigate challenges of preparing for and conducting field research in the region or teaching Southeast Asia-focused courses, but also to find a community of colleagues with similar interests close to home. In short, the PUC will provide wide-ranging, sustainable support for academic engagement with Southeast Asia across New York State.