Environmental Humanities in the Philippines and Southeast Asia, An International Conference
| Date | 28-29 April 2025 |
| Venues | Pilar Herrera Lecture Hall, Palma Hall, University of the Philippines Diliman & Escaler Hall, Science Education Complex, Ateneo de Manila University |
| Convenors |
Dr. Ruel V. Pagunsan
Department of History, University of the Philippines Diliman
Dr. Patricia Irene N. Dacudao
Department of History, Ateneo de Manila University
Dr. Anthony D. Medrano
Department of History, National University of Singapore |
ABSTRACT:
In recent years, the field of environmental humanities has emerged to provide new, interdisciplinary perspectives to the planetary crisis. In the process, it has contributed to a robust reexamination of human-nature relationships and the multispecies histories that enliven them. In Southeast Asia, the rise of environmental humanities has cultivated new research questions, fresh analytical approaches, and novel partnerships for students, scholars, and other engaged communities in the region and beyond. What is more, the field of what we might call “Southeast Asian environmental humanities” has centered the region on its own terms—historically, ecologically, linguistically, culturally, and scientifically. While the field has narrated the conversions of forests into plantations, rivers into canals, and mountains into mines, it has likewise storied the ways in which Southeast Asian natures have become biodiversity hotspots—hotspots of extinction, endangerment and extirpation but also of endemism, conservation and heritage.
This conference brings together the humanities and the sciences to offer context and discussion to the many issues and questions relevant to understanding the changing natural world in the Philippines and Southeast Asia. The twenty-four paper presentations aim to foster conversations that focus on the environment through the exploration of new ideas, sources, and voices. They see an opportunity to share, learn, and come to know the nuance of species, cultures, and ecosystems across the Philippines and Southeast Asia. In doing so, we hope to surface histories of the past and present that examine ‘nature-making’ as multiscalar and multilingual while emphasizing, too, the value of vernacular knowledge production coupled with the vantage of on-the-ground narratives and experiences. Through the promise of community and interdisciplinarity, our conference seeks to forge collaborative and information-driven insights about the urgency and complexity of the field of environmental humanities and its growing relevance to scholars, students, and the multiple publics in the Philippines and Southeast Asia.This conference is jointly organized by:
In recent years, the field of environmental humanities has emerged to provide new, interdisciplinary perspectives to the planetary crisis. In the process, it has contributed to a robust reexamination of human-nature relationships and the multispecies histories that enliven them. In Southeast Asia, the rise of environmental humanities has cultivated new research questions, fresh analytical approaches, and novel partnerships for students, scholars, and other engaged communities in the region and beyond. What is more, the field of what we might call “Southeast Asian environmental humanities” has centered the region on its own terms—historically, ecologically, linguistically, culturally, and scientifically. While the field has narrated the conversions of forests into plantations, rivers into canals, and mountains into mines, it has likewise storied the ways in which Southeast Asian natures have become biodiversity hotspots—hotspots of extinction, endangerment and extirpation but also of endemism, conservation and heritage.
This conference brings together the humanities and the sciences to offer context and discussion to the many issues and questions relevant to understanding the changing natural world in the Philippines and Southeast Asia. The twenty-four paper presentations aim to foster conversations that focus on the environment through the exploration of new ideas, sources, and voices. They see an opportunity to share, learn, and come to know the nuance of species, cultures, and ecosystems across the Philippines and Southeast Asia. In doing so, we hope to surface histories of the past and present that examine ‘nature-making’ as multiscalar and multilingual while emphasizing, too, the value of vernacular knowledge production coupled with the vantage of on-the-ground narratives and experiences. Through the promise of community and interdisciplinarity, our conference seeks to forge collaborative and information-driven insights about the urgency and complexity of the field of environmental humanities and its growing relevance to scholars, students, and the multiple publics in the Philippines and Southeast Asia.This conference is jointly organized by:
- Department of History, University of the Philippines Diliman
- Department of History, Ateneo de Manila University
- Department of History, National University of Singapore
With support from:
- College of Social Sciences and Philosophy & the Philippine Learning Center for Environment and Social Sustainability-University of the Philippines Diliman
- Rosita G. Leong School of Social Sciences & the Office of University Partnerships and Internationalization-Ateneo de Manila University
The conference is open to the public, free of charge; however, attendees have to take care of their meals and snacks. Please note that registering for the conference does not guarantee a slot, as seating is limited and subject to the venue’s capacity. Kindly wait for an official confirmation to secure your attendance.
