About Southeast Asia Crossroads Podcast - CSEAS @ NIU
Southeast Asia Crossroads is a free educational podcast produced by the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at Northern Illinois University.
Teaching materials for our episodes can be found here: https://www.niu.edu/clas/cseas/resources/crossroads.shtml
To support SEA Crossroads Podcast:
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School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Melbourne
Dr Miles Kenney-Lazar takes a seat in the studio to discuss his new book Socializing Land: Plantations, Dispossession, and Resistance in Laos. His book touches on the Lao government's land development program through foreign investment. Lazar acknowledges that, in a modern post-colonial society, land is an economic resource to be turned into capital, and he elaborates on what that means for a socialist country like Laos. He breaks down what it means for land to be “socialized” within the government, both land distribution to the community and allocation for foreign investment.
He narrows in on two case studies, a private and state-owned company. Both encounter their own struggles with the bureaucratic structure within the Lao government, and both have their own way of dealing with the socialist structure. The discussion wraps up by highlighting how the Lao government understands and claims to interact with ethnicity in a self-proclaimed multi-ethnic nation.
Dr Miles Kenney-Lazar is a Senior Lecturer in Human Geography at the University of Melbourne. His research focuses on plantation and agrarian governance in Southeast Asia.
5 Jun 2026
Words as Weapons: British Black Propaganda and Psychological Warfare in Indonesia, 1963-66 with Chris Hulshof
Chris Hulshof sits down with Dr Eric Jones to discuss British methods of propaganda and psychological warfare in 1960s Indonesia. With a rising communist popularity in tandem with a growing anti-American sentiment within the country, the American and British governments saw an opportunity for propaganda within the already unstable climate. The majority of historical perspectives view this time entirely through the lens of Western powers, but Hulshof expands understanding by breaking down the different actors within Indonesia and dispelling the narrative that Western powers could exert such influence without insider aid.
On the Western side, Hulshof compares the difference between British and American methods for these campaigns, noting the British’s tact and preparation when compared to the blunt force style of the CIA. The method of this operation was primarily the news, using the hole created by the government’s hostility towards journalism, propagandists were able to isolate and drip-feed stories and shape the narrative, up to the September 30th coup.
Chris Hulshof is a historian at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, specializing in the study of post-World Word 2 globalist landscapes, specifically Southeast Asia.
21 Apr 2026
Woven Wisdom: Understanding the Visual Narratives within Sarawak Pua Kumbu with Wan Juliana Emeih Binti Wahed
Dr Wan Juliana Emeih Binti Wahed sits down with Dr Rebecca Houze to discuss her research on Pua Kumbu textiles of the Iban people of Indonesia. She emphasizes how much these textiles can show about the culture's beliefs and perceptions. Each textile is handwoven and holds a story in its creation. Each pattern and symbol holds a cultural origin. The journey of an Iban weaver is a ritualist in nature and one that lasts a lifetime. Beliefs in these rituals vary from weaver to weaver; some believe that the rituals of the weavers reveal patters through dreams to use motives within their craft. Within the ranks of the weavers lies rules about what motives and patterns are allowed when creating tapestry. Higher ranking weavers are able to use more patterns. While apprenticeship exists within the hierarchy, the ranking is very informal. While cultural preservation of the Pua Kumbu is not widely recognized, efforts still exist both locally and within organizations.
Dr Wan Juliana Emeih Binti Wahed is a Senior Lecturer at the MARA University of Technology in Malaysia. She specializes in both Industrial Design and Art history.
Help sustain the podcast by becoming a subscriber. For $7 per month or $1.75 per episode, you can help make future episodes possible. Visit foundation.myniu.com/give.php and choose your donation amount. Search for 'Center for Southeast Asian Studies' as the recipient, then put 'podcast' as your donation's special instruction. Your donation goes towards paying our student workers and maintaining the podcast studio and equipment.
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Apple Podcasts (US)
4.8 / 5
8 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 32 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
51
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
32
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