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2024 IICMB – 2024 Int’ l Interdisciplinary Conference – Myanmar’s Borderlands: Past, Present & Future

Myanmar’s Borderlands: Past, Present & Future

2024 International Interdisciplinary Conference on Myanmar’s Borderlands  |  2024 IICMB

jointly organized by 

Asia Research Center for Migration | Faculty of Political Science | Inya Institute 

hosted at

Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

June 17-19, 2024 

online | in-person 

Myanmar’s currently expanding crisis is bringing to the fore long-standing developments and narratives about its borderlands, which now assume additional critical relevance. Of particular significance are the socio-economic, political, and cultural dynamics of communities living in areas that have been often described as “peripheries.” These communities have long been challenging the physical and administrative barriers imposed by successive government administrations and have developed their own forms of governance. 

The interdisciplinary conference’s theme is deliberately broad in the time span it covers and will offer presenters and the audience an opportunity to pursue an inclusive conversation on Myanmar’s borderlands; to consider alternate framings of these territories and their populations, not just through the typical lenses of geographical and methodological borders; and to emphasize the unique contributions of these communities to the ecosystems, history, economy, and cultures of the Southeast Asia Region and their interconnectedness. 

With this in mind, we are inviting proposals for individual papers, thematic panels, and roundtables on the following themes: 

• legacy of colonial knowledge of borderlands and their communities

• ethno-history of borderlands 

• natural resources and challenges to environmental protection in borderlands 

• communities, networks, and trade across borders 

• legal and illegal border migration 

• humanitarian relief to refugees and public health in borderlands 

• borders at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic

• border regimes and governance 

• infrastructure(s) and illicit economies and activities 

• non-human mobility in borderlands 

• formal and informal governance of borderlands 

• externalized economic development of borderlands 

• formal and non-formal education in borderlands 

• other themes related to borderlands. 

Chulalongkorn University’s Asia Research Center for Migration and Faculty of Political Science, and the Inya Institute (Yangon) invite scholars and students to submit original research papers covering any of the topics listed above, both historically and contemporary, and spanning any area of Myanmar borders with China, Laos, Thailand, Bangladesh, and India. We also welcome book presentations, movies presentations, and roundtables. 

The keynote will be delivered by Prof. Chayan Vaddhanaphuti, Director of the Regional Center for Social Science and Sustainable Development (RCSD) and Director of the Center for Ethnic Studies and Development (CESD), Faculty of Social Sciences, Chiang Mai University.

In order to preserve the confidentiality of the presenters, the conference program will not be available for circulation beyond the group of conference presenters and registrants. Conference presenters and attendees will also be expected to follow the Chatham House Rule. 

Submission of Abstracts 

All abstracts (with a 300-word limit) must use the pre-formatted template available here and be sent to the following address: 

mailto:myanmarborderlandsconference@gmail.com

Deadline for Proposals Submission extended to January 31, 2024 

Decision Notification by: February 29, 2024 

In-person Registration fees      
  Early bird (by March 31, 2024)   Standard registration (from April 1, 2024)
  Non-students : $45   Non-students: $60
  Students: $25   Students: $40
  Myanmar presenters: fees waived   Myanmar presenters: fees waived
Online Registration fees      
  Early bird (by March 31, 2024)   Standard registration (from April 1, 2024)
  Non-students: $20   Non-students: $30
  Students: $10   Students: $20
  Myanmar presenters: fees waived   Myanmar presenters: fees waived

Registration fees to be paid upon notification of acceptance of paper abstracts with details about the payment procedure given at that time. 

Summer 2023 Research & Mentoring Fellowship

Summer Research and Mentoring Fellowship  Myanmar’s Borderlands: Past, Present, and Future      June 21-July 28, 2023

 

Application deadline extended to March 31, 2023, 11:59 PM (EST)

The Inya Institute is now accepting applications for a Fellow  to lead the Summer 2023 Research and Mentoring  program devoted to supporting the study of Myanmar’s borderlands.

The Fellow may be based in Thailand, India, or Bangladesh and will lead a series of online workshops sponsored by the institute with a group of 6-8 Myanmar researchers. During the online workshop sessions, the Fellow will mentor the group of Myanmar researchers on the development of their research papers. The first batch of online sessions will focus on research design, guidance on research methods and field research with all participating Myanmar researchers. The remaining weeks will involve one-on-one online mentoring sessions with each of the 6-8 Myanmar researchers. 

The Fellow will be expected to mentor researchers whose work may address any of the following themes related to Myanmar’s borderlands:

  • legacy of colonial knowledge on borderlands and their communities;
  • ethno-history of borderlands;
  • natural resources and challenges to environmental protection in borderlands;
  • communities, networks, and trade across borders; 
  • legal and illegal border migration;
  • humanitarian relief to refugees and public health in borderlands; 
  • borders at the time of the Covid-19 pandemic; 
  • formal and informal governance of borderlands;
  • externalized economic development of borderlands;
  • formal and non-formal education in borderlands;
  • other themes related to borderlands.

The Inya Institute will cover international airfare (to Thailand, India, or Bangladesh, as per the Fellow’s proposed choice) and additional costs (including domestic travel, local accommodation, meals, internet costs). Within the limits of the time available outside of the Fellow’s mentoring duties, the Fellow may also engage in their own personal research work.

Following the Summer 2023 research and mentoring program, the Inya Institute will organize a conference in 2024 in Thailand on ‘Myanmar’s borderlands: past, present, and future’ in which both the Fellow and the Myanmar researchers will participate and present their papers. 

Eligibility

  1. The fellowship is open to post-doctoral scholars whose past or current research interests and work align with the study of Myanmar’s borderlands (see list above);
  2. The fellowship is open to: (1) U.S. citizens who obtained their PhD degree in the last 10 years in a U.S. university or a university overseas; (2) foreign nationals who obtained their PhD degree in the last 10 years in a U.S. university.

Application requirement

  1. Completed application form including information about the selected country, location for running the online mentoring sessions, and statement detailing past or current research on Myanmar’s borderlands, and its relevance to one or more of the topics listed above (max. 1,200 words);
  2. Proposed Work Schedule showing how the online mentoring sessions will be conducted throughout the fellowship period;
  3. Proposed Itemized Budget with Budget Narrative; Allowable costs include airfare, ground transportation (in the U.S. and selected country), lodging, meals and incidental expenses, and internet costs;
  4. Curriculum Vitae;
  5. One Academic Reference Letter; The applicant is responsible for notifying the referee of their request for letter and for ensuring the letter is submitted to the Inya Institute by the deadline.

All documents must be sent by email to the following email address: contact@inyainstitute.org

Fellowship Benefits

In addition to a stipend covering international travel, ground transportation, lodging, local subsistence, and internet costs, the Fellow will receive US $4,800 as teaching and mentorship fees.

Terms and conditions

  1. The Fellow must submit a five-page Final Report to the Inya Institute within a month of completing the fellowship as well as an account of the program experience and outcomes (no longer than 2,000 words) to be published in the institute’s quarterly newsletter.
  2. The Fellow is responsible for obtaining the appropriate visa (if needed).
  3. Air Travel from the U.S. must meet the conditions of the Fly America Act.

 Deadline, Selection, and Notification

Applications must be sent by March 31, 2023 (11:59 PM EST).

The fellowship will be awarded by a Selection Committee composed of academics with long-standing experience and recognized expertise on Myanmar. Applicants will be judged according to the following criteria:

  • Merits of the statement, its significance, and relevance;
  • Merits of the proposed work schedule and its potential for meeting the research needs of the Myanmar participants;
  • Applicant’s qualifications and prior experience.

Awards will be announced by April 21, 2023.

Questions

For any inquiry, please contact us at: contact@inyainstitute.org.

We will also host virtual Q&A Sessions on the following days and time.

February 23, 2023, 09:00-10:00am EST

February 27, 2023, 08:30-09:30pm EST

March 2, 2023, 08:30-09:30am EST

Registration required at the following link: https://forms.gle/BB1LGS8tSjNRPUy47

 

The Summer 2023 Research and Mentoring Fellowship is funded by the U.S. Department of Education under Title VI of the Higher Education Act.

 

2023 ‘Languages of Myanmar’ INYA Course series

The Inya Institute is pleased to announce its 2023 language course series on three prominent languages spoken in Myanmar: (1) Kachin – Jinghpaw; (2) Karen – S’gaw; and (3) Shan – Tai long.

The three-week language course will equip participants with the essential skills needed to communicate confidently and effectively in one of the three languages in a broad range of situations. Our teams of language teachers received training from and had course materials reviewed by U.S. trained language instructors. No prior knowledge of these languages is required.

The language course is open to undergraduate, graduate, postgraduate students, professionals, researchers, and NGO workers of any nationality, wherever they are based in Myanmar, Southeast Asia, the U.S. or elsewhere. The language of instruction will be English. 

Language classes will be held online on the following schedules:

Kachin Jinghpaw Language Course Start Time End Time  Start Date End Date
U.S. Eastern Daylight Time 8:30pm 10:00pm Jun. 18 Jul. 6
Thailand Time 7:30am 9:00am Jun. 19 Jul. 7
Myanmar Time
 7:00am 8:30am Jun. 19 Jul. 7
Karen S’gaw Language Course Start Time End Time  Start Date End Date
U.S. Eastern Daylight Time 9:30pm 11:00pm Jul. 2 Jul. 20
Thailand Time 8:30am 10:00am Jul. 3 Jul. 21
Myanmar Time
 8:00am 9:30am Jul. 3 Jul. 21
Shan Tai Long Language Course Start Time End Time  Start Date End Date
U.S. Eastern Daylight Time 9:30pm 11:00pm Jul. 2 Jul. 20
Thailand Time 8:30am 10:00am Jul. 3 Jul. 21
Myanmar Time
 8:00am 9:30am Jul. 3 Jul. 21

For Myanmar Participants (whether based in Myanmar or elsewhere), the course is free of charge. Applications should be submitted here.

Registration deadline: May 31, 2023, 4pm, Myanmar Time

For International Participants, the course fee is $80 for undergraduate students and $380 for graduate students and other applicants. Payment of the course fee is through wire transfer and will help to cover the cost of the language teachers’ tuition.

Registration for the language course will have to be made by May 31, 2023, 5pm (EDT). Payment of the course fee will have to be made by June 9, 2023. Proof of student ID (for undergraduate students) will be requested upon payment of the language course fee. Graduate students in difficult financial situation may benefit from a fee reduction and are invited to contact us at: contact@inyainstitute.org

New registration deadline: May 31, 2023, 5pm (EDT)

  • International Undergraduate Students – Language Course Fee
DescriptionQuantityAmountTotalTax
Language Course Fee (Undergraduate Students)1$80.00$80.00$0.00 (0%)
Total$80.00
Register here
  • International Graduate Students and Others – Language Course Fee
DescriptionQuantityAmountTotalTax
Language Course Fee (Graduate Students and Others)1$380.00$380.00$0.00 (0%)
Total$380.00
Register here

For any inquiry, please contact us at: contact@inyainstitute.org

We look forward to your participation!

The language course is partly funded by the U.S. Department of Education under Title VI of the Higher Education Act.

2024 CAORC – INYA Short Term Fellowships for U.S. Graduate Students Conducting Research Work on Myanmar/Burma in a Third Country

2024 CAORC – INYA Short Term Fellowships for U.S. Graduate Students Conducting Research Work on Myanmar/Burma in a Third Country

Fellowships awards from $3,200 to $4,200 for a maximum of 4 months

Application deadline extended to January 15, 2024 (11:59 PM EST)

The Inya Institute is now opening the call for the 2024 CAORC-INYA Short Term Fellowships competition for research that will contribute to studies on Myanmar in any aspect of its wide linguistic, cultural, religious, and ethnic diversity and to a better understanding of the country’s past or present political and socio-economic situation. Applicants must be U.S. citizens currently enrolled in a graduate program (Master’s or Doctoral level) at an institution of higher education in the U.S. or elsewhere.

The 2024 CAORC-INYA Fellows will have until September 30, 2024, to complete their field work in a Third Country (outside of the U.S. and Myanmar).

This program is funded by CAORC through a grant from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. State Department.

 

Information about the fellowship competition

  • Research must contribute to studies on Myanmar in any aspect of its wide linguistic, cultural, religious, and ethnic diversity and to a better understanding of the country’s past or present political and socio-economic situation. Any field of research will be considered, including the arts, humanities, social sciences, economics, political sciences, law, environment studies, and public health;
  • Field research in a Third Country must be for a minimum of two months and a maximum of four months;
  • Joint research projects are not eligible for this competition. Only individual research projects will be considered;
  • Applicants must be U.S. citizens. U.S. permanent residents are not eligible for this competition;
  • Students enrolled at Minority Serving Institutions are especially encouraged to apply.

Application Contents

The application to be completed in the CAORC SM Application Portal https://orcfellowships.smapply.org requires the following items:

  • Information about the Applicant: first name, last name, mailing address, email address, phone number, citizenship, major field of study, department, institutional affiliation, dates (if any) of previous research in Myanmar, length of award requested, tentative dates of project;
  • A Curriculum Vitae;
  • Description of the proposed study with the following sections:
  1. Project title
  2. Project abstract (max. 100 words)
  3. Approach and research methodology (max. 500 words)
  4. Significance of the project (max. 500 words)
  5. Work done to date (max. 300 words)
  6. Work to be accomplished during the fellowship period (max. 500 words)
  7. Budget narrative describing how the award will be expended
  8. Name of the Third Country where research on Myanmar will be conducted
  9. List of places that will be visited in Third Country
  • Project Bibliography;
  • One Reference Letter.

Fellowship Benefits

  • Award from $3,200 to $4,200 for a maximum of 4 months;
  • A transportation stipend of up to $1,400 for the round trip airfare from the U.S. to Third Country and in-country travel expenses;

Terms and Conditions

  1. Fellows must submit a one-page Final Report to the Inya Institute within a month completing their fellowship.
  2. During the tenure of their fellowship, fellows must present their research project through a virtual presentation and write a piece of writing which will be published in the institute’s quarterly newsletter.
  3. Fellows are responsible for obtaining the appropriate research permission and visas.
  4. Air Travel from the U.S. must meet the conditions of the Fly America Act.

Deadline, Selection, and Notification

Applications must be sent by January 15, 2024 (11:59 PM EST).

Fellowships will be awarded by a Selection Committee composed of academics with long-standing experience and recognized expertise on Myanmar. Applicants will be judged according to the following criteria:

  • Merits of the proposal, its significance, relevance, and potential contribution to research on Myanmar studies;
  • Applicant qualifications;
  • Feasibility of the research design;
  • Feasibility in terms of resources and amount of time allocated to the project.

Awards will be announced by March 8, 2024.

For questions, please email us at: contact@inyainstitute.org

2024 CAORC-INYA Scholars Fellowship Program for U.S. Postgraduate Scholars conducting Research Work on Myanmar/Burma in a Third Country

2024 CAORC-INYA Scholars Fellowship Program for U.S. Postgraduate Scholars conducting Research Work on Myanmar/Burma in a Third Country

Fellowship awards from $4,000 to $4,400 for a maximum of 3 months

Application deadline extended to January 15, 2024 (11:59 PM EST)

The Inya Institute announces the 2024 CAORC-INYA Scholars Fellowship competition for research that will contribute to studies on Myanmar in any aspect of its wide linguistic, cultural, religious, and ethnic diversity and to a better understanding of the country’s past or present political and socio-economic situation. Applicants must be U.S. citizens who have obtained their PhD degree in the last 10 years (at the time of submitting application).

The 2024 CAORC-INYA Scholars will have until September 30, 2024, to complete their research work in a Third Country of their choice.

The program is funded by CAORC through a grant from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. State Department. 

Information about the fellowship competition

  • Research must contribute to studies on Myanmar in any aspect of its wide linguistic, cultural, religious, and ethnic diversity and to a better understanding of the country’s past or present political and socio-economic situation. Any field of research will be considered, including the arts, humanities, social sciences, economics, political sciences, law, environment studies, and public health;

  • Research must take place in a third country outside of the U.S. and Myanmar (due to the current closure of Myanmar’s international borders); For example, it may be conducted at the British Library and other U.K. libraries, or among Myanmar communities living in India, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, etc…

  • Joint research projects are not eligible for this competition. Only individual research projects will be considered;

  • Applicants must be U.S. citizens. U.S. permanent residents are not eligible for this competition;

Application Contents

The application to be completed in the CAORC Survey Monkey Application Portal (orcfellowships.smapply.org) requires the following items:

  • Information about the Applicant: first name, last name, mailing address, email address, phone number, citizenship, major field of study, department, date and year the PhD degree was obtained, university where it was obtained, current occupation, dates (if any) of previous research in Myanmar, length of award requested, tentative dates of project;

  • A Curriculum Vitae;

  • Description of the proposed study with the following sections:

  1. Project title

  2. Project abstract (max. 100 words)

  3. Approach and research methodology (max. 500 words)

  4. Significance of the project (max. 500 words)

  5. Work done to date (max. 300 words)

  6. Work to be accomplished during the fellowship period (max. 500 words)

  7. Third Country selected and list of places where research work will be conducted (max. 300 words)

  8. Budget narrative describing how the award will be expended

  • Project Bibliography;

  • One Reference Letter.

Fellowship Benefits

  • Award from $4,000-$4,400 for a maximum of 3 months;

  • A transportation stipend of up to $1,900 for the round trip airfare from the U.S. to a third country and in-country transportation expenses.

Terms and Conditions

  1. Fellows must submit a one-page Final Report to the Inya Institute within a month completing their fellowship.

  2. During the tenure of their fellowship, fellows must present their research project through an online presentation and write a short blog which will be posted on the institute’s Facebook page.

  3. Fellows are responsible for obtaining the appropriate research permission and visas.

  4. Air Travel from the U.S. must meet the conditions of the Fly America Act.

Deadline, Selection, and Notification

Applications must be sent by January 15, 2024 (11:59 PM EST).

Fellowships will be awarded by a Selection Committee composed of academics with long-standing experience and recognized expertise on Myanmar. Applicants will be judged according to the following criteria:

  • Merits of the proposal, its significance, relevance, and potential contribution to research on Myanmar studies;

  • Applicant qualifications;

  • Feasibility of the research design;

  • Feasibility in terms of resources and amount of time allocated to the project.

Awards will be announced by March 8, 2024.

For any queries, email us at: contact@inyainstitute.org