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From the Southeast Asia Program at Cornell University, the Gatty Lecture Rewind Podcast features interviews and conversations with scholars and researchers working in and around Southeast Asia, all of whom have been invited to give a Gatty Lecture at Cornell University. Conversations cover the history, politics, economics, literature, art, and cultures of the region. Podcast topics cover the many nations and peoples of Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Burma, Laos, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, and Timor-Leste. For more information on the Southeast Asia Program at Cornell University, visit our website. Music provided by 14 Strings and the Cornell Gamelan Ensemble.

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  2. Episode 128: Hieu Phung, Vietnamese and Southeast Asian History, Rutgers University

Episode 128: Hieu Phung, Vietnamese and Southeast Asian History, Rutgers University

Apr 17, 2025

In this episode, guest co-host Anke Wang, a Cornell PhD candidate in History, joins host Francine Barchett for a tag-team interview with Dr. Hieu Phung, Assistant Professor of Vietnamese and Southeast Asian History at Rutgers University. Dr. Phung discusses her research on how pre-modern environmental factors shaped political and administrative systems in Vietnam, with a focus on state-building in the Red River Delta. She unpacks how perceptions of sea-dykes evolved over time—beyond their physical function, they became central to how people understood nature, risk, and governance. The episode wraps up with Dr. Phung’s candid advice for students still not sure what they want to study (spoiler: it’s okay not to have it all figured out!).

 

Lightning round: 3:41

Research and Lecture Summary: 14:12

Advice for researchers and recommendations: 39:40  

 

The music on the podcast is from "14 Strings!", a Filipino style Rondalla group established in Cornell University. Check them out here.

 


Produced by Adam Farihin and Cecilia Liu