Expertise
I have been involved in tertiary education for more than ten years. My research on identity, multiculturalism, religion, education and business has been published in the form of books, journal articles, book chapters, op-ed articles and commentaries (see here). At present, I am directing the Centre for Advanced Research at the University of Brunei Darussalam. Prior to this, I was the convenor of the International and Asian Studies program at SMU, and I taught courses on Asia, Indonesia and diversity management.
I was a founding member of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee (D&I) at SMU, which drives policy changes that reflect inclusion and equity for all students, staff, and faculty across the university. I co-developed a novel course on 'Managing Diversity in Asia'. The course was described by the BBC as 'unconventional' in preparing students 'ready for work' (see here) and was reported by The Straits Times as 'first of its kind in Singapore' (see here). The objective of teaching D&I is help students "to appreciate and be aware of the diversity in their surroundings so they will be able to appreciate those differences as assets rather than liabilities" (cited in The Straits Times, 27 March 2016).
My work on D&I has also brought me to working with and speaking at organizations and multinational companies such as the American Embassy in Singapore, Diversity and Inclusion in Asia Network (Hong Kong), GIC (Singapore), Deutsche Bank, and Barclays.
Besides teaching and research, I regularly present papers in international conferences, facilitate workshops and intercultural dialogue sessions, organize conferences, and engage in various consultancy activities with government ministries and government-funded agencies. I have delivered keynote speeches and presentations in more than 80 international conferences, workshops, and seminars. Recently, I have been invited to speak at the International Peace Conference in UNESCO, Paris; the ASEAN Forum at the University of Sydney, the International Think Tank Forum in Beijing, the Shanghai Forum, Asia Forum on Enterprise and Society in Manila, and China-ASEAN Think Tank Strategic Dialogue Forum in Nanning, China.



Research
My research interests encompass the following areas:
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Chinese diaspora
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ASEAN-China Relations
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Social Issues in Brunei Darussalam
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Asian business networks
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Contemporary Asia/Indonesia
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Multiculturalism
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Race and ethnicty
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Diversity and inclusion
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Interfaith dialogue
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Multicultural education
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Reflexivity in practice and research
Teaching
I have taught various university-level courses on Asia, Indonesia and diversity:
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Introduction to Asian Modern History, Politics and Economics
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Asia Foundation Course
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Exploring Asian Identities
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Managing Diversity in Asia
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Sociology of the Body
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Anthropology of Religion
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Understanding Culture
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Study Mission to Indonesia
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Interdisciplinary Course
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Bahasa Indonesia
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Issues in Asia-Australia Relations
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Society and Culture in Indonesia
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Popular Culture in Asia
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Advanced Social Theory
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Approaches to Asian Studies
Public Speaking
Institutions that have invited me to deliver keynote lectures and seminars include:
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UNESCO, Paris
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University of Oxford
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University of Sydney
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Brown University (USA)
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Fudan University (China)
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Arizona State University (USA)
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Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
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University of Western Australia
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Copenhagen Business School
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Harvard College in Asia
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University of Hong Kong
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East Asia Institute (Singapore)
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National University of Singapore
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Institute of Southeast Asian Studies
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University of Malaya
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Chonnam National University (S.Korea)
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Middle East Technical University
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Universiti Brunei Darussalam
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National Museum of Taiwan History
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National Chi Nan University of Taiwan
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Tamkang University (Taiwan)
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Sultan Iskandar Muda Foundation (Indonesia)
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Petra Christian University (Indonesia)
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Jakarta Theological Seminary
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Indonesian Institute of Sciences
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Atmajaya University (Indonesia)
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The U.S. Embassy (Singapore)
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East Asia Institute (Singapore)
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LeftWrite Centre (Singapore)
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The Humanist Society of Singapore
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Centre for Research on Islamic and Malay Affairs (Singapore)
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Islamic Religious Council of Singapore
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Fellowship of Evangelical Students (Singapore)
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Diversity and Inclusion in Asia Network (Hong Kong)
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Deutsche Bank (Singapore)
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GIC (Singapore)
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Sekar Group (Indonesia)
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Ateneo de Manila University (Philippines)
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University of Santo Tomas (Philippines)
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Singapore Soka Association
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Southeast Asian Studies Regional Exchange Program (Manila)
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The Shanghai Forum
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Chulalongkorn University
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Pure Land Learning College (Australia)
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Guangxi University for Nationalities
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Asian Institute of Management
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Guangxi University (China)
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Guangxi Academy of Social Sciences
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National Cheng Chi University (Taiwan)
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National Cheng Kung University (Taiwan)