Colonializing Knowledge and How It Manifests in Southeast Asia Scholarship
Danielle Noche and Kania Putri Rahmadiani
Southeast Asia’s longstanding history with colonialism stays apparent to the present day in its academic climate. Colonialism is inextricably linked with the way lessons are designed and taught, and how scholars are molded in various parts of Southeast Asia, even after decades since the declaration of independence of many States in the region (Jackson, 2019). Academia, however, is ever-changing. This begs the question on how academic activism can be used as a form of resistance to coloniality of knowledge by Southeast Asian scholars going forward.
Historical Foundations
The long history of colonialism in Southeast Asia dates far back to the late 18th century, when the Western nations’ power grew bigger and started being dominant in various regions, such as present-day Myanmar, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia (Frederick, 2025). During the beginning of the 20th century, Southeast Asian nations started to send the best of the kind, mostly noblemen, to obtain education.
In the 1900s, Siam started sending their princes to study in Europe, while Indonesian elites attended exclusive schools established by the Dutch. In Malaysia and Singapore, the London Missionary Society established the formation of schools, which are still present to this day (Zinoman, 2014). On the other hand, the Philippines went through a period of theological education since the 16th century, when education was mostly controlled by the Church, instead of the government. Later, primary and secondary education in the Philippines evolved following Spain’s Education Act in 1863, which resulted in the establishment of schools all over the islands and a standardized teaching content which included various subjects apart from Bible studies (Dang, 2018). Due to the strong influence of the colonizing powers, resistance formed quite early in several parts of Southeast Asia. For instance, education in Indonesia was highly controlled by the Dutch and only a few of the noblemen are allowed access to education. This policy fostered a resistance to fight for education for women and lower class groups, producing many informal village schools and prominent figures, such as R. A. Kartini (Zinoman, 2014).
Western powers in Southeast Asia adopted modernist ideals which were growing in Europe during the 19th century, sparking social welfare campaigns all over Southeast Asia and the Dutch’s “ethical policy” in the Dutch East Indies. The surge of European-style education in the region then prompted generational conflict between the older generation who mostly did not receive formal education and the younger generation who were exposed to Western education (Zinoman, 2014). Although access to education also allowed native Southeast Asians to grow a sense of nationalism, it cannot be denied that epistemic dominance, or the “legacy” of knowledge left by colonizers, has followed ever since.
Academic Dependency in Southeast Asian Scholarship
Colonialism has left a prolonged impact in Southeast Asia, particularly in the academe. More often than not, Southeast Asia is frequently positioned as the subject of studies rather than the source of theoretical insights and knowledge. With this, the region becomes a testing site for Western-centered frameworks and theories rather than generating its own. As Schöpf (2020) describes, the presence of academic dependency and colonialism is best understood through the lens of core-periphery structure in global academia. Whereby the academic periphery (Global South) is largely dependent on the knowledge production in the core (Global North). This dependence manifests in various ways in the Southeast Asian academe, namely, dependence on ideas, distortions and biases, dependence on aids for research. Schöpf (2020) also highlights the outward-orientation of the “extraversion” of knowledge from South-to-North, where scholars feel the urge to write for its Western audiences often at the expense of engaging and studying more pressing concerns in the region.
Whilst efforts of decolonization have been made throughout the years, the journey to detach and recenter knowledge in Southeast Asia continues to face challenges. Nativism and nationalism between the different races, tribes, and nations in Southeast Asia could cause segregation, hindering movements aimed to empower the region as a whole (Lee, 2023). Moreover, the idea of decolonization and the romanticization of local knowledge could lead to a radical refusal to adopt knowledge from the West (Lee, 2023). Regarding this matter, Alatas (2000) argued that Asian scholars should not close ourselves to all knowledge originating from the West in the name of trying to be independent, instead we should assimilate in order to move forward.
Decolonizing Knowledge in Southeast Asia
Shifting from academic dependency and decolonizing knowledge in Southeast Asia requires scholars to critically challenge Western-centeric/dominated theories and frameworks and provide alternatives that came from our own. This involves reclaiming local and indigenous knowledge systems, histories, and languages that have been long marginalized by colonial educational structures. Scholars must also prioritize writing and studying the addresses of the regional realities and issues using methodologies rooted in local context instead of dominant western frameworks.
A vital aspect of this process is academic activism, where Southeast Asian scholars actively resist academic dependency, engage in critical scholarship, and use academic platforms to advocate for transformative change within the region and beyond. Academic activism empowers scholars not only on the knowledge production, but also in reshaping the system in which knowledge is valued and disseminated. This includes engaging in reflexive and collaborative research with local communities ensuring that knowledge is co-produced and not extracted. Efforts to decolonize knowledge must also include support for regional think tanks, research centers, and journals that provide alternatives to Western-dominated institutions.
Regional academic networks such as the Southeast Asia Human Rights and Peace Studies Network (SEAHRN) exemplify in promoting locally grounded research and teaching. Through joint publications, training and workshops, conferences, and programs, institutions like this highlights how the Southeast Asia academe uses its own voice and realities in shaping knowledge, changing perspectives on human rights, governance, and society. Beyond research, several institutions also provide critical platforms for decolonizing the academe itself. The Asian Center of the University of the Philippines has held forums like Decolonizing IR: Conversations on Asian Connections, interrogating and decolonizing dominant IR theories. Similarly, the Regional Center for Social Science and Sustainable Development (RCSD) in Chiang Mai University in Thailand has organized a workshop on Decolonization of Southeast Asian Studies.
These are just some of the growing efforts within the Southeast Asia academe to reclaim intellectual agency and resist the colonial influences that have long dictated how knowledge is produced and validated. Academic activism in Southeast Asia allows scholars, institutions, and communities to not only decolonize and deconstruct knowledge but also construct new and context-driven knowledge. The rise of academic activism, the formation of regional research networks, the empowerment of scholars, all demonstrate that decolonization is not only a theoretical endeavor but also a transformative process.
Conclusion
Coloniality in knowledge and Western epistemic dominance has been intertwined in Southeast Asian academia for centuries following a long history of colonialism. This is evident in the fact that Southeast Asia is often placed as a subject of studies rather than the source of theoretical insights and knowledge. Given the enduring influence of the West juxtaposed with the growing role of Southeast Asian scholars in the region marked by intellectual assertiveness, innovative research, and commitment to grounding research in local realities, there is a need to decolonize and empower Southeast Asia academia. Decolonizing knowledge in Southeast Asia, thus, demands critical scholarship and active resistance through academic activism, breaking free from academic dependency and leading the way in producing knowledge that fully reflects the realities of the Southeast Asia region.
References
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Jackson, Peter A. “South East Asian Area Studies beyond Anglo-America: geopolitical transitions, the neoliberal academy and spatialized regimes of knowledge.” South East Asia Research 27, no. 1 (2019): 50.
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Zinoman, Peter. “Colonizing Minds and Bodies: Schooling in colonial Southeast Asia” in Routledge Handbook of Southeast Asian History, edited by Norman G. Owen, 46-54. Abingdon: Routledge, 2014.
