2025 - ASDP Workshop

ASDP Workshop

Join us as academic speakers share their scholarly expertise on modern religion in Southeast Asia, April 10  in the Bill Yowell Conference Room, starting at 11 a.m.
The event is free and open to the public.

• 11 a.m. –  Dr. MK Long, "Buddhism, Politics, and Belonging in Myanmar"
• 2 p.m. –  Dr. Nelly van Doorn-Harder, “Youth Culture in Islamic Southeast Asia” 
• 4 p.m. –  Dr. Peter Hershock, “AI, Attention, and Autonomy: Some Buddhist Reflections”

Texas A&M University-Central Texas will provide a venue for a workshop titled “Religion in Southeast Asia: Buddhism and Islam,” aimed at exploring the intersection of ancient religious traditions with contemporary societal challenges.

The event is put on by the Asian Studies Development Program (ASDP) which is hosting events throughout the country. The ASDP exists to enhance undergraduate teaching and learning about Asian cultures and societies.

The workshop will commence with Dr. MK Long, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Dr. Long's talk is titled "Buddhism, Politics, and Belonging in Myanmar".  This talk will investigate relationships between Buddhist monks and the Burmese military, rising fears of religious difference, and shifting lines of social solidarity in the aftermath of Myanmar’s 2021 military coup. MK Long is a Lecturer in the Department of Religion at Dartmouth College. Her research interests include Buddhist auto/biographical writing, constructions of monastic institutional succession, Burmese translations of global literary modernisms, and environmental ethics in Southeast Asian religions.

Following from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., Dr. Nelly van Doorn-Harder of Wake Forest University will discuss “Youth Culture in Islamic Southeast Asia,” examining how youth in Southeast Asia navigate their identities amidst the pressures of globalization and technological advancement.

The day will conclude with a session from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. by Dr. Peter Hershock of the East-West Center, titled “AI, Attention, and Autonomy: Some Buddhist Reflections,” exploring the ethical implications of artificial intelligence from a Buddhist perspective and addressing concerns about human autonomy and the nature of attention in an increasingly automated world.

For more information contact Dr. Christine Jones, Associate Professor of Anthropology, at bioarchjones@tamuct.edu.