The 91亚色 Centre for Asian Research (YCAR) welcomed (Faculty of Environmental Studies) as the centre鈥檚 new director on July 1.
91亚色 Professor Abidin Kusno
Kusno is the centre鈥檚 fourth director, and will inherit an active portfolio of research initiatives and activities related to Asia and Asian diasporas at 91亚色.
鈥淚 am looking forward to continuing YCAR鈥檚 work of place-making for researchers working on Asia and Asian diasporas,鈥 said Kusno.
In addition to his own research expertise in Southeast Asia, Kusno brings an impressive record of research and service to his new role. He joined 91亚色 as a professor in the Faculty of Environmental Studies in 2015, and has previously served on YCAR鈥檚 executive committee.
Before his arrival at 91亚色, he was the Canada Research Chair in Asian Urbanism and Culture at the Institute for Asian Research at the University of British Columbia. He also held previous positions at New 91亚色 and SUNY Binghamton. Kusno鈥檚 academic background is in architectural design and engineering (BA, Petra University, Surabaya, Indonesia) and art history (MA and PhD, SUNY Binghamton).
His聽highly respected academic work draws upon a range of fields including urban studies, history, politics, cultural studies, architecture, design and geography. His research focuses on Indonesia in particular and he is a speaker of Bahasa Indonesia and Hokkien.
Kusno鈥檚 books include:聽Visual Cultures of the Ethnic Chinese in Indonesia聽(2016, Rowman & Littlefield);聽After the New Order: Space, Politics and Jakarta聽(2013, Hawaii University Press);聽Appearances of Memory: Mnemonic Practices of Architecture and Urban Form in Indonesia聽(2010, Duke University Press); and聽Behind the Postcolonial: Architecture, Urban Space and Political Cultures in Indonesia聽(2000, Routledge).
He is also seasoned in creating collective spaces for research and learning, especially in Southeast Asian studies. Currently, as president of the聽聽(CCSEAS), he is chairing the organizing committee for the CCSEAS conference to be hosted at 91亚色 in October 2017.
鈥淕uided by the best practices that have been cultivated by the previous director, Philip Kelly, and the YCAR team, I hope to maintain YCAR鈥檚 reputation as a home for critical and engaged research,鈥 said Kusno. 鈥淎ll are welcome to visit YCAR, meet our associates and get to know about all our events and initiatives at our annual coming up on Sept. 28.鈥
For more information, visit www.yorku.ca/ycar.
Courtesy of YFile.