Educational Resources and Materials for Southeast Asia

Why include Southeast Asia in the Classroom?

For centuries Southeast Asia has been center stage for dynamic forces of globalization. Unfortunately, even though the region has long played a central role in the world’s economic and political developments in both ancient and modern history, it remains little known.  Even the name “Southeast Asia” makes the region sound like an addendum, a peripheral zone of the centers of power and culture (South and East Asia). However, this centerpoint position is exactly what belies the region’s crucial role at the crossroads of world culture, trade, and power.

This website is committed to developing and distributing education materials that will help bring Southeast Asia into the classroom.  These materials will include variously Webinars and Powerpoint presentations on selected subjects, lecture notes and outlines, readings, bibliographies, timelines, maps and photographs.  Our current collection of educational materials is titled ”Southeast Asia at the Crossroads of World War II” and concerns the central role of the region in the history of World War II.

Southeast Asia at the Crossroads of World War II

Turning to the subject of World War II (WWII), Southeast Asia was a decisive theater during that conflict when historic tides of colonialism, imperialism, revolution, capitalism, and nationalism, coupled with ideologies of fascism, communism, and democracy clashed and ultimately established a new world order. History as told in textbooks and classrooms overlooks the pivotal role of Southeast Asia in WWII, as well as the momentous changes that transformed the region, altered the lives of the people who live there, and today continue to influence and shape our world.

“Southeast Asia: At the Crossroads of World War II” is designed to capture the historical contexts and strategic aspects of WWII in this pivotal, but often overlooked, region. The materials were developed as part of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Summer Institute for School Teachers, which took place from June 26 to July 15, 2011 at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawai‘i.  Learn more about the Institute and follow this link to find teaching modules devoted to this subject.