The mysterious smiling faces of Bayon temple in Angkor Wat is the most impressive image of the Cambodia to the World, which renders it hard for outsiders to recall the country’s turbulent history during the wartime. The speaker, with 15-years long fieldwork in Cambodia, will share his in-depth understanding of how Cambodians remain positive and optimistic in dealing with their "unspeakable" colonial experience and wartime memory, as well as the rapid socio-economic and political reconstruction in the post-conflict era. In this talk, the speaker will use his first-hand field data and stories to explain how Cambodian people reconstruct and narrate their collective memory and cultural identities.
Shihlun Allen Chen has obtained his Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Hawaii, as three other Master degrees in political science, Southeast Asian studies and anthropology from three universities in Taiwan and the United States. His research focuses on Cambodia’s contemporary history, society, politics, economy, culture and ethnic issues.
Free admission, reservation is required.
