Harvard Plans To Launch Thai Studies Initiative

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Harvard plans to launch Thai studies initiative

Rattana Promrak

Special to The Nation

Boston

Prof Michael Herzfeld proposes $6m fundraising move

BOSTON: -- Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States, has launched a Thai Studies Initiative in an attempt to expand knowledge and research about Thailand among the local and international academic community.

Harvard is looking to raise $6 million in funds to support this programme.

Michael Herzfeld, a Professor of anthropology at Harvard, who is spearheading the initiative, said the Thai Foreign Ministry has given a grant for an initial year with the possibility of renewal for a further year as seed money to jump start Thai studies at Harvard.

The grant from the ministry will support lectures and Thai language instruction at Harvard.

On April 18, Thai Studies at Harvard was launched with an inaugural lecture on "Thailand at Harvard." Dr Komatra Chueng-satiansup, who is director of the Society and Health Institute at the Ministry of Public Heath, addressed the topic of "After the Flood: Reaction, Relief, and Recovery in Thailand." A series of lectures is scheduled in the coming months.

The targeted $6 million in funds will enable the programme to provide Thai language instruction; fund a chair (professorship) of Thai studies; and host seminars, workshops, lectures, and a film series focusing on Thailand.

Harvard University has an extensive engagement with Asian studies. This includes the Fairbank Centre for Chinese Studies, founded in 1955, one of the world's leading centres for the study of China, the Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies, founded in 1973, and the Korea Institute, founded in 1981. Harvard's Sackler Museum also has one of the world's largest and most important collections of Thai illustrated manuscripts, and many other works of Thai art, but there is no academic forum for Thai studies in the university.

"Given the fact that there is a long symbolic association between Harvard and Thailand, it is quite shocking that Harvard and across the university doesn't have Thai studies. Having been involved in research about Thailand myself, I decided it was high time to take action," Prof Herzfeld said.

In order to achieve these goals, talks have been underway to explore sources of funding from potential donors, both corporate and individual, who have strong interests in Thailand. These include American companies investing in Thailand.

Prof Herzfeld emphasised it |was crucial to establish a Thai |programme in perpetuity at Harvard. He maintains the only way to do so was to create a dedicated professorship and a dedicated programme of Thai language instruction, and seminars and lectures on Thailand across the entire university. These facilities would provide resources for people in the community who have interests in working in, or doing research about Thailand.

According to the plan, the chair of Thai studies would be open to researchers on Thailand from any academic discipline. This would be a tenured position for a senior professor and would have a title that includes the name of the chair. The incumbent could be of any nationality.

Traditionally, Harvard will take into consideration the honouring of some person or institution proposed by a donor when naming such a chair.

Harvard University is ranked number one of the top 100 universities by reputation in 2012 as listed by The Times Higher Education and Thomas Reuters.

-- The Nation 2012-05-21

[simon43]

Perhaps a more forward-thinking action would be to drop the Thai Studies initiative and instead launch a Burmese Studies initiative...

Simon

[Wombat6]

Sounds like the Prof. i s looking to keep himself in work ?? Any money would be better spent on teaching people how to speak English that the rest of the world can understand and also teach them that the USA is not the world....there are other countries outside of America

[kirk0233]

Herzfeld has some impressive credentials. I look forward to any future scholarly articles expounding on the enigma that is Thailand.

[kirk0233]

Sounds like the Prof. i s looking to keep himself in work ?? Any money would be better spent on teaching people how to speak English that the rest of the world can understand and also teach them that the USA is not the world....there are other countries outside of America

What a negative rant on a positive educational program that might actually help open up the world to Thailand and Thais to the rest of the world. The skill with which you have contorted this issue into a contest between the anthropological study of Thailand versus the need to teach English/USA ranking in the world is outstanding.

[belg]

6$ million to teach thai, woehahahaha

they could have gotting some ex bargirls working double jobs (teaching and after ahum teaching with happy ending) for much less

[IsaanUSA]

Perhaps a more forward-thinking action would be to drop the Thai Studies initiative and instead launch a Burmese Studies initiative...

Simon

Actually how about this, a Southest Asian Studies department. There are only a few in the country (USA).

The surrounding countries share a lot of the same history and they don't need to offer languages courses for each country.

[Ijustwannateach]

It will be interesting to see what is taught, and how it relates to reality on the ground. Awfully far away and all.....

[brit1984]

While Thailand is a relatively young country, it does have an fascinating history and rich culture.

I think the study of Thailand will be interesting for the students, and greater exposure to the outside world through the medium of academic research papers will likely be of some benefit to the country.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

It will be interesting to see what is taught, and how it relates to reality on the ground. Awfully far away and all.....

Have to get safely far away in order to teach the truth.

Reckon that Thai government seed money's going to dry up pretty fast once they start publishing evidence-based facts about either/both history and/or current political issues.

Unless the fix is already in to have a captive prof in the chair. . .