History of SEAP

Our Program

The Cornell University Southeast Asian Program (SEAP) was initiated in 1950 with four area faculty members, seven graduate students, and a part-time administrative staff. Today, SEAP offers a comprehensive program of Southeast Asian Studies. Since its inception, five SEAP faculty members have been elected to the presidency of the Association for Asian Studies, and eight have received Guggenheim Fellowships. SEAP Faculty have also received Fulbright, SSRC, and numerous other awards and prizes.

The Kahin Center

In 1954, Professor George McT. Kahin founded the Cornell Modern Indonesia Project (CMIP) through a grant from the Ford Foundation. This project was originally housed at 102 West Avenue and was moved to 640 Stewart Avenue in 1992. Designated as the George McT. Kahin Center for Advanced Research on Southeast Asia, it facilitates the research of local and visiting scholars, faculty, and students. Also located within the Kahin Center are the Publication and Outreach divisions of the Southeast Asia Program.

The Echols Collection

In 1977, the Southeast Asia Collection was named the Echols Collection on Southeast Asia in honor of Dr. John M. Echols, Professor of Linguistics in the Southeast Asia Program. Formerly the Wason Collection, the Echols Collection is located in Kroch Library and is currently home to more than 490,000 titles on Southeast Asia, including monographs, serial titles, newspapers, and videos.