From June 30 – July 4, 2025, the Regional Center for Social Science and Sustainable Development (RCSD), Faculty of Social Sciences, Chiang Mai University, successfully hosted a five-day regional workshop titled “Researching Forced Displacement Issues in Southeast Asia.” The event brought together emerging scholars, practitioners, and graduate students from across Southeast Asia to examine the complex drivers, impacts, and responses to forced displacement in the region.
The workshop featured a wide range of academic lectures, case study discussions, and methodological training sessions. Participants also engaged in peer-to-peer learning, critical reflection, and research proposal development. The program was facilitated by scholars and experts from universities and organizations in Thailand, Myanmar, the Philippines, Cambodia, and the United Kingdom.
Key themes explored included:
- Conflict-induced displacement and humanitarian responses
- Environmental injustice and development-related displacement
- Borderland dynamics and ethnic identity
- Research ethics and methodologies in displacement studies
- Human rights and state–society relations in Southeast Asia
The workshop is part of RCSD’s ongoing efforts to foster regional academic collaboration and support research that addresses urgent social and political challenges in Southeast Asia. The outcomes of the workshop will contribute to a forthcoming RCSD-edited volume.
The program highlighted the importance of field-based research, ethical engagement with vulnerable populations, and collaborative scholarship in addressing the realities of displacement across the region.
