Lee Kong Chian NUS-Stanford Fellowship on Contemporary Southeast Asia

A panel of six scholars seated on stage in a conference room while in discussion in front of audience members.

Lee Kong Chian NUS-Stanford Fellowship on Southeast Asia

Advancing scholarship on contemporary Southeast Asia

Fellowship Update

The Lee Kong Chian NUS–Stanford Fellowship at Stanford is accepting applications for the 2027-2028 cycle through January 25, 2027. Important Note: The fellowship is no longer offered as a joint-residency program. Scroll down for more information and to apply.

About the Lee Kong Chian NUS-Stanford Fellowship on Southeast Asia

Important Note: The Lee Kong Chian NUS–Stanford Fellowship is no longer offered as a joint-residency program. Fellows appointed through Stanford will be hosted at Stanford's Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC), while those appointed through NUS will be hosted at NUS. Applicants who wish to pursue the fellowship at NUS should apply through the NUS application portal.

The Lee Kong Chian Fellowship is the flagship component of the Lee Kong Chian NUS-Stanford Initiative on Southeast Asia, a collaborative program established in 2007 by the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Stanford University. The initiative aims to enhance the visibility, scope, and quality of scholarship on contemporary Southeast Asia. Research conducted under the fellowship is supported by the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at NUS and the Southeast Asia Program within Stanford’s Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (Shorenstein APARC).

Lee Kong Chian Fellows spend two to three quarters at Stanford pursuing research and writing projects focused on or related to contemporary Southeast Asia. The fellowship is awarded annually and offers a unique opportunity for scholars and professionals to advance their research, contribute to the growing body of scholarship on contemporary Southeast Asia, and immerse themselves in a vibrant intellectual community by presenting their work and participating in seminars, workshops, and other academic activities organized across the university.

We welcome fellowship applications from individuals with professional backgrounds and ongoing positions in the social sciences or humanities. Candidates of all nationalities and career stages are encouraged to apply.

Appointments must begin and conclude within the period of September 1, 2027, to June 30, 2028. The duration of the fellowship will be determined in consultation with the selected fellow, taking their preferences into account.

Fellows will be based on the Stanford University campus. The LKC fellowship provides:

One round-trip economy-class airfare between the fellow’s home country and Stanford University (exceptions may be considered under special circumstances).
A monthly stipend of US$8,000 for the duration of the fellowship.

It has been a privilege to be in a community where so many people think about overlapping questions of environment, religion, political economy, and social change in Asia. Conversations here have sharpened my thinking and pushed me to reframe my materials for different audiences.

Teren Sevea

The Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Associate Professor of Islamic Studies, Harvard Divinity School; 2026 Lee Kong Chian NUS-Stanford Fellow on Southeast Asia

Apply for the 2027-2028 Lee Kong Chian Fellowship at APARC

The 2027-2028 Lee Kong Chian Fellowship at APARC is accepting applications through January 25, 2027.

Applicants must complete the following requirements:

I. Fill out the following online application form at the following link:

Application Form

II. Upload the following materials to the online form:

A full curriculum vitae (including publications).
A project statement (not exceeding three (3) pages) that addresses the candidate’s research project’s central analytic question(s), interpretation(s), and argument(s), explains its intellectual contribution to scholarship on Southeast Asia, and describes the writing and research envisaged during the fellowship. The statement should also clearly state the specific outcomes that the project is expected to achieve.
A detailed schedule of the proposed fellowship period, including dates of anticipated residence at Stanford.
A sample of published, English-language work by the candidate that is directly or indirectly related to the research project.
Full contact information, including email addresses, of three (3) academic referees who should be able, if asked, to evaluate the proposal and the candidate.

III. Submit the completed application form along with the required materials.

The deadline for receipt of all applications and required materials is Monday, January 25, 2027 (Pacific Time).

Results will be announced by spring 2027.

Stanford is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Contact

For questions about the Lee Kong Chian Fellowship and the application process, please contact:

Kana Igarashi Limpanukorn
Southeast Asia Program
Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center
Encina Hall E-301
Stanford University
616 Jane Stanford Way
Stanford, CA 94305-6055, USA
Email: kilimpan@stanford.edu
Telephone: (650) 723-9744

For questions and information related to international scholars at Stanford, please visit the website of Stanford's Bechtel International Center.

Meet Our Alumni

2025-26

Teren Sevea
Current Institution: Harvard Divinity School
Read: Fellow Spotlight article – Sevea
Gavin Shatkin
Current Institution: Northeastern University
Read: Fellow Spotlight article – Shatkin
Theara Thun
Current Institution: University of Hong Kong
Read: Fellow Spotlight article – Thun

2024-25

Meredith Weiss
Current institution: University at Albany, SUNY
Watch: Weiss' research presentation, Patronage and Political Machines in Southeast Asia

2019-20

Rosalind Galt
Current Institution: King’s College London

2018-19

Paul Schuler
Current Institution: University of Arizona
Sophie Lemière
Political Anthropologist, Film Director & Psychoanalyst – Personal website
Watch: Fellow Spotlight video interview – Lemière