Scholarships & Fellowships
The API Fellowships aim to promote mutual learning among Asian public intellectuals and contribute to the growth of the wider public spaces in which effective responses to regional needs can be generated. To this end, 6 such people are chosen annually from each of the five nations of Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand. These fellows then conduct research projects in one of the other four nations, thus contributing both to the advancement of mutual understanding, and creating networks of the regions top thinkers--the kind of networks that are necessary to guide Asia into the future.
In order to facilitate contact and at the same time protect the privacy of the people on this list, we ask that those who wish to contact them use the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page to send us your name, email address and a brief message. We will make sure that the fellow receives your message. However, we leave any response up to the individual.
Finally, if you are a fellow and wish to request an update to your data, or if you no longer wish to have it published on our site, please do not hesitate to contact us through the program manager at the institution which runs your program.
Indonesia
 | Erna Anjarwati |
| Project Title | Engaging the Role of Non-Governmental Organizations in Prone Conflict Area: Conflict Transformation and Peace Building Process in Southern Thailand |
| Brief Project Outline | This project examines the increasing focus on issues pertaining to human security, and the emerging roles of non-state actors, particularly NGOs in the development of multidimensional peace-building initiatives and activities in the setting of Muslim societies, in Southern Thailand that has been considered as a prone conflict area. It is in this context that the roles of NGOs in conflict and complex emergencies may be usefully located and assessed as part of a socio-political fabric engaged in sustainable approaches to transform its conflict and later on to lead the process of peace building in the context of an emerging global civil society in this 21st century. |
| Position | Independent Researcher |
| Major Field of Study | Peace Building, Conflict Transformation, International Diplomacy, Terrorism Studies, Human Rights, Non-Traditional Security, Peace Education and Democratization Issues |
| Host Country | Indonesia |
 | Avyanthi Azis |
| Project Title | Finding Room for the Stateless: Locating the Rohingya in a Difficult World of Nations |
| Brief Project Outline | The project is an ethnography of statelessness that seeks to understand the complex process in which the Rohingyas who have been deprived of nationality imagine themselves as a people. Through close observations at the micro-context level, it aims to engender a ‘positioned knowledge’ that highlights human suffering that originated in the profound denial of citizenship and strategies of effacement by successive governments in Burma/Myanmar. The protracted emergencies and abusive practices by authorities in Malaysia will further critiques on the Nation-State which problematize its violence of exclusion. |
| Position | Assistant Lecturer |
| Major Field of Study | Area of specialty: International population movements, forced igration/displacement, statelessness, protracted emergencies, humanitarianism, Indonesia, Burma/Myanmar, Timor Topics of Interest: Narratives of displacement, refugee subjectivity, oral histories, medical anthropology, minority problems, multi-ethnic governance |
| Current Affiliation | Department of International Relations, University of Indonesia |
| Host Country | Indonesia |
 | Erni Budiwanti |
| Project Title | Malaysian Indian Muslims Community: Maintaining Socio-Cultural Adaptability and Strengthening The Notion of Truly Asia |
| Brief Project Outline | The Indian Muslims in Malaysia seem to be well adjusted into the Malays’ custom and tradition. There are components of culture that hypothetically make the first group to be well fitted in the culture of the second one. A selective inter-cultural adoption between the two cultural groups has presumably also taken place to form a salad bowl of Muslim Civilization in Malaysia. |
| Position | Senior Researcher |
| Major Field of Study | Cultural Anthropology |
| Current Affiliation | Research Centre for Regional Resorces, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (PSDR-LIPI) |
| Host Country | Indonesia |
 | Dwi Any Marsiyanti |
| Project Title | Socioeconomic Security for Poor People Live in around Forest Area |
| Brief Project Outline | Industrial Forrest Area is certainly occupied by the state or company work with the state. Local people live in around the forest are often neglected. This research is aimed for revealing strategies employed by the government, company and local people in fulfilling socioeconomic security for people live in around forest area. The result of this research will be compared and combined with the result of my previous research in Indonesia to build argument on the alternative of forestry business and people welfare. The research will take place in Philippine and Thailand. It will take time of 10 months for collecting data, shooting, script writing and editing the film, and building report. |
| Position | Independent Researcher |
| Major Field of Study | Reflection on the Human Condition and the Search for Social Justice |
| Host Country | Indonesia |
 | Siti Sarah Muwahidah |
| Project Title | Muslim-Christian Dialogue: A Case Study of Interfaith Programs in Mindanao, the Philippines |
| Brief Project Outline | This project is exploring how religious background and political approach of the interfaith organizations shape the interfaith dialogue in the Philippines. My previous research found that a peace building facilitator organization plays a great role in balancing the majority and minority groups engage in dialogue. Observing interfaith programs conducted by two organizations with different religious background: Silsilah (Christian) and SALAM (Muslim) in Zamboaga, I would identify if there is any difference approach or bargaining position between them. Their program can possibly be replicated by others, while an analysis on minority and majority group relationship might produce important findings. |
| Position | Associate Researcher |
| Major Field of Study | Interfaith Dialogue, Peace Building, Religion and Ecology |
| Current Affiliation | MAARIF Institute for Culture and Humanity; Assistant Lecturer, Centre for Religious and Cross-Cultural Studies, Gadjah Mada University |
| Host Country | Indonesia |
 | Ahmad Suaedy |
| Project Title | Managing Identity: Muslim Minorities in Asia |
| Brief Project Outline | This project will examine Muslim minorities in South Thailand, Southern Philippines, and Malaysia, specifically how they peacefully manage, express and play out their identities and interests; how and to what effect they engage in dialogue in relation to this; and how the gap between these groups and their counterparts who express the same identities through more violent means may be bridged. Also this project will anticipate who to strengthen peaceful and conflict resolution in the future. |
| Position | Executive Director |
| Major Field of Study | Reflection on the Human Condition and the Search for Social Justice |
| Current Affiliation | The WAHID Institute |
| Host Country | Indonesia |
Japan
 | Saya Kiba |
| Project Title | Diverse Political Behavior among the Urban Poor and their Identities |
| Brief Project Outline | This study analyses political diversity among the poor. The poor appear to be opportunistic and fragmented. However, it can be explained as a strategy to get information from plural outsiders to choose the “right” ones. This argument can bring new aspects of the poor and their struggle for social justice. |
| Position | Ph.D. Candidate |
| Major Field of Study | Urban Poor, Social Movements, Philippines Studies, Southeast Asian Studies, Election Politics, Mass Movements |
| Current Affiliation | Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies, Kobe University |
| Host Country | Japan |
 | Michiko Sugawara |
| Project Title | Food Security in Rural Sumatra, Indonesia: Study on Roles and Capacities of Rural Leaders and NGOs |
| Brief Project Outline | This project aims at studying the roles of rural leaders and capacities of NGOs and networking leaders in Sumatra Island, Indonesia. Research will be conducted by 2 means. 1) Networking of rural leaders by conducting a study forum by local leaders, NGO workers and farmers’ group leaders in Sumatra. 2) Case study on 3 different villages, where a religious organization, a secular NGO and an international NGO work for food security of the villagers. |
| Position | Researcher |
| Major Field of Study | Sustainable Agriculture, Rural Development, Leadership |
| Current Affiliation | Asian Rural Institute |
| Host Country | Japan |
 | Kohei Watanabe |
| Project Title | Identifying the 3R potential of municipal waste in Malaysia |
| Brief Project Outline | Following the concept of "waste hierarchy" that has been advocated widely, this project aims to indicate how much of Malaysia's municipal waste can be reduced (at source), reused and recycled. In addition to identifying the existing channels for reuse and recycling, I plan to conduct a very detailed compositional analysis of household waste by a method that I have used in many locations in the world. An awareness raising event will be organised where not only the findings of the analysis will be disseminated, but also includes an environmental cartoon exhibition |
| Position | Associate Professor |
| Major Field of Study | Municipal Waste Management, Material Flows in Society, Waste Statistics |
| Current Affiliation | Teikyo University |
| Host Country | Japan |
Malaysia
 | Mohd Shaiful Ramze Endut (Aqil Fithri) |
| Project Title | Ali Shariati and Morteza Mutahhari’s Ideological Influences on Intellectual Discourse and Activism in Indonesia |
| Brief Project Outline | The aim of this project is to investigate how two Iranian ideologists, Ali Shariati and Morteza Mutahhari, have influenced the changes in the social, cultural and religious landscape of Indonesia. It is particularly interested in their impact on several groups such as progressive Islam, Leftist Islam, Shi’ah movement and also to other intellectuals. The project will focus on the extent to which the discourse of Ali Shariati and Morteza Mutahhari’s have impacted the activism environment and intellectual discourse in Indonesia. |
| Position | Editor |
| Major Field of Study | Cultural Theory, Sociology of Religion, Iranology |
| Current Affiliation | Ummahonline.com |
| Host Country | Malaysia |
 | Amin Shah bin Iskandar |
| Project Title | Monitoring Elections: Resistance against Authoritarian Regimes |
| Brief Project Outline | To record, document and analyze roles of election monitoring in the Philippines and Indonesia, particularly during the eras in which Soeharto and Marcos ruled. This study will look at the importance of elections as a pillar for democratic process--especially the civil and political rights of citizens to monitor electoral process under the experience of authoritarian leadership. Election under these two regimes have been marked with fraud, intimidation, corruption, abuse of power, used of government machinery, money politics and a long list of unfairness, unclean and injustices. However the existence of local monitoring group like NAMFREL of the Philippines and KIPP Indonesia helps to bring back the power to choose to the people and exposed hypocrisy of the system. |
| Position | Executive Director |
| Major Field of Study | Politics, Democracy, Election, Election Monitoring and History |
| Current Affiliation | National Institute for Electoral Integrity (NIEI) |
| Host Country | Malaysia |
 | Zawiah Yahya |
| Project Title | Western Texts in Uncolonised Contexts: English Studies in Japan and Thailand |
| Brief Project Outline | The objective of this research is to identify, describe and analyse critical approaches that are currently adopted for English Studies in some selected universities in Japan and Thailand. It is intended to highlight how countries that have had no history of colonisation by a western power negotiate a western critical tradition in their educational institutions. |
| Position | Guest Scholar |
| Major Field of Study | Postcolonial Literature and Critical Theory |
| Current Affiliation | Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia |
| Host Country | Malaysia |
Philippines
 | Ramon G. Guillermo |
| Project Title | A Comparative Historical Study and Analysis of the Translation of Joachim Heinrich Campe's Robinson der Jungere (1779/1780) into Tagalog (Bagong Robinson [1879]) and Bahasa Melayu (Hikayat Robinson Crusoe [1875]) |
| Brief Project Outline | The study aims to explore a previously unknown dimension of the the history of political and ideological discourses in the Philippines and Indonesia, and bring to light some aspects of the discursive construction of colonial, post-colonial and anti-colonial subjectivities in Southeast Asia. It shall also be an opportunity to further develop the basis for the computer-aided, language-independent techniques for the analysis of textual corpora in Tagalog/Filipino and Bahasa Melayu/Indonesia. Lastly, it can serve as a preliminary study for a more detailed comparative history of translation in the Philippines and Indonesia. |
| Position | Professor |
| Major Field of Study | Philippine Studies, Translation Studies, Social Movements, Discourse Analysis, Alternative Education |
| Current Affiliation | University of the Philippines |
| Host Country | Philippines |
 | Ma. Regina Hechanova |
| Project Title | Winds of Change: Globalization and Transformation in Southeast Asian Organizations |
| Brief Project Outline | This study examines the impact of globalization on Southeast Asian organization. Specifically, it looks at how local business organizations have transformed themselves, the drivers and barriers to becoming competitive in a global economy. |
| Position | Executive Director |
| Major Field of Study | Organization Development, Human Resource Management, Psychology of Technology, Organizational Behavior |
| Current Affiliation | Ateneo Center for Organization Research and Development |
| Host Country | Philippines |
 | Arsenio Nicolas |
| Project Title | Early Musical Exchange in Southeast Asia |
| Brief Project Outline | The project is aimed at writing a book on a history of music in Early Southeast Asia, based on my dissertation entitled “Musical Exchange in Early Southeast Asia. The Philippines and Indonesia, ca. 100 to 1600, C.E.” (Cornell University, 2007). Expanding the scope to Asia, a history of music would illuminate some ambiguities of regional and national identities in this region. The analysis and study of musical artefacts, inscriptions and texts examines historical memory as this is inscribed in these data. Musical exchange in the context of maritime trade and the diffusion of musical ideas frame histories of musics in maritime Asia. |
| Position | Senior Lecturer |
| Major Field of Study | Ethnomusicology of Southeast Asia, Music Archaeology, Asian Music, Anthropology, Music Composition, Literature |
| Current Affiliation | Department of Musicology, Archaeological Studies Program, Department of Anthropology, and Center for International Studies, University of the Philippines, Diliman |
| Host Country | Philippines |
 | Soliman M. Santos, Jr. |
| Project Title | Constructively Engaging Non-State Armed Groups in Asia |
| Brief Project Outline | This project seeks to synthesize in an extended essay the fellow’s own study of and his own experience-based reflections on the work of constructively engaging non-state armed groups (NSAGs) from a Southern perspective, supplemented by research in good libraries and resource centers as may be accessed in and from Malaysia, and by collegial discussions with other scholars, practitioners and policy researchers there who are in related fields. The main concern of this inquiry is how to develop the argument, principles, frameworks, approaches, instruments, mechanisms and intellectual resources for this work which has been limited by the state-oriented global order. |
| Position | Human Rights and IHL Lawyers, Peace Advocate; Book Author |
| Major Field of Study | Constructive engagement of non-state armed groups (NSAGs); Peace advocacy, research and writing (esp. involving Philippine internal armed conflicts); International campaigning to ban landmines and cluster munitions; Various fields of law (human rights, international humanitarian and criminal law, public international law, international dispute resolution, comparative law, Philippine constitutional law, Islamic law, and indigenous customary law); Philippine and world history; Alternative politics, local governance, and non-governmental organizations |
| Host Country | Philippines |
 | Kidlat Tahimik |
| Project Title | Local Rice-Terrace-Cultures as Tested Immune-Systems vs Global Rice Shortage: Can Kultur-Fests Rejuvenate such Ancient Survival Kits |
| Brief Project Outline | Early 2008 saw the rice-devouring Asian continent jolted by price-quakes. Suddenly TV screens were dominated by faces of panic-buying, by agriculture-ministers calming markets, by rice-hoarders being herded into jail. And yes, by the blood-and-gore of rice riots. Instead of such sensationalist disruptions, can an Asian filmmaker collect footages that show how peoples, who carved rice paddies in mountainous areas (Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand) not only developed self-sufficiency, but also their lifestyles embody a cultural shield against artificial global rice “shortages?” Can images of such “kultur-immune-systems” celebrate the strengths of local culture--juxtaposed to the seduction by emperor’s-new-clothes global kultur? |
| Position | Independent Filmmaker; Artistic Director, Sunflower Collection |
| Major Field of Study | Area of Speciality: Filming of Kultur Kontradictions Topics of Interest: Observing Round-Peg Cultures (indigenous) vs Square-Peg Institutions (colonial) |
| Host Country | Philippines |
Thailand
 | Bampen Chaiyarak |
| Project Title | A Study of Community State on Mining Industry Context |
| Brief Project Outline | A comparative study of Philippines mining industries country, where civil society is going under taking intensive effective of research, campaigns and in Japan, an industry country, to learn and exchange experiences cross-culturally about the mining industry with Asia neighbor countries. The stud could contribute to the knowledge base of public intellectuals in the Asian region on mining issues, open public forums to exchange information and to a parliamentary debate about the related issues. This project would critically analyze how mining has affected communities in this Asian region, using creative and multidisciplinary approaches. This info will then applied to campaign mining issues in northeast Thailand, Where there are 7 potash mining project planned to drive industrialization in Mekong region. |
| Position | Coordinator |
| Major Field of Study | A researcher regarding Cultural and ecological issues with the perspective of sustainable development and greater participation of local communities water management within River basil in northeastern Thailand and Thailand Mekong territory and also to monitor explore the implementation or plan in the northeastern Thailand interlinked with the Mekong regional countries especially on rock salt and potash mining industries and water management. |
| Current Affiliation | Ecological And Cultural Study Group |
| Host Country | Thailand |
 | Alan Feinstein |
| Project Title | International Philanthropy in Southeast Asia: Case Studies from Indonesia and the Philippines |
| Brief Project Outline | A comparative and critical look at how international grant-giving foundations, including Japanese foundations, have been operating in Southeast Asian countries over the last few decades. It will look particularly at grant support for social science and humanities in the three countries, and evaluate goals, impact, and influence on local conditions, and how success is or should be measured. How do international foundations affect the growth or strengthening of civil society? How does shifting donor focus affect continuity and sustainability of civil society growth and strengthening? |
| Position | Consultant |
| Major Field of Study | Grant-making foundation philanthropy, especially support for humanities and social science research institutions and cultural NGOs; Role of civil society resource organizations; Southeast Asian studies; Anthropology; Performance studies; Ethnomusicology |
| Current Affiliation | World Bank, Jakarta; Independent Consultant to Non-profit Organizations |
| Host Country | Thailand |
 | Thitipol Kanteewong |
| Project Title | Changing Identity of Japanese Traditional Music in 21st Century |
| Brief Project Outline | The understanding of relationship between the change in the traditional to neo-traditional music and the shift in social paradigm is highly and mutually beneficial to all in the field of art and culture. Disseminate this understanding among musicians and it should steer new approaches in the exposure of traditional music could lead to more acceptance and ultimately bring us to the state of “Unity in Diversity” in the society. |
| Position | Ethnomusicologist, Music Lecturer, and Music Composer |
| Major Field of Study | Contemporary Music, Japanese Traditional Music, Lanna Music, and Southeast Asian Music |
| Host Country | Thailand |
 | Thanyathip Sripana |
| Project Title | The Situation of the Vietnamese Labour in Malaysia |
| Brief Project Outline | Malaysia is importing a big number of labour from abroad each year, while Vietnam is considered a new market exporting increasingly labour to abroad in order to reduce the unemployment rate in the country. This study is to explore and study the situation of the Vietnamese labour in Malaysia who are ingsuch as violation of work contract, bad working and living conditions, lack of welfare, etc. Though most of them are professionally unskilled, they are very attractive probably due to their cheap wages and hard-working character. The issue can also reflect on the problems that the migrant workers from other countries are facing in Malaysia. |
| Position | Researcher |
| Major Field of Study | Malaysia is importing a big number of labour from abroad each year, while Vietnam is considered a new market exporting increasingly labour to abroad in order to reduce the unemployment rate in the country. This study is to explore and study the situation of the Vietnamese labour in Malaysia who are ingsuch as violation of work contract, bad working and living conditions, lack of welfare, etc. Though most of them are professionally unskilled, they are very attractive probably due to their cheap wages and hard-working character. The issue can also reflect on the problems that the migrant workers from other countries are facing in Malaysia. |
| Current Affiliation | Institute of Asian Studies, Chulalongkorn University |
| Host Country | Thailand |
 | Wiwat Tamee |
| Project Title | Entitlement and Accessibility of Right to Resource Management of Indigenous Peoples: Comparative Study of Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines and Indonesia |
| Brief Project Outline | It aims to understand the context of accessibility of right to resource management of indigenous peoples in Philippines and Indonesia, to identify the factors of accessibility of this right as well as the impact towards their life. At the end, lesson learnt for entitlement this right will be drawn up. |
| Position | Independent Researcher |
| Host Country | Thailand |
 | Prabda Yoon |
| Project Title | New Evidence of Naturalistic Pantheism in Contemporary Art and Culture of Japan and the Philippines |
| Brief Project Outline | Many serious and well-meaning organizations and individuals have proposed ideas to reduce the harm that humans are doing to nature. My belief, however, is that humans will never get passed this crisis if we do not start to change our perspective on nature herself. The problem has become too big to retract by simply asking people to boycott plastic bags or to start riding bicycles to work. If we still see ourselves as separate and foreign from nature, we will never have the right sentiments we need to want to be kinder and more respectful to it. We have to start feeling the pain we are causing before we can have the heart to stop causing it. We have to feel empathy for nature in order to stop the activities that are threatening her life. |
| Position | Writer, Publisher, Artist |
| Major Field of Study | Nature, Philosophy, Literature, Art, Science |
| Host Country | Thailand |