Fields of Interest:
Vietnamese Modern and Contemporary History; Ethno-history and Cham History; Migrations and Diasporas; Southeast Asian Modern and Contemporary History
Bio:
Nicolas Weber specializes in Southeast Asian history (Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia), ethno-history and diasporas.
He received his Ph.D. from INALCO (National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilizations), Paris, France, in 2005. He has worked extensively on ethnic history, Cham history and the Cham Diaspora in Southeast Asia. His first monograph, published in French in 2014, features the first synthesis of ten centuries of Cham diasporic history in Southeast Asia. He has also published in peer-reviewed academic journals such as Journal of Economic and Social History of the Orient, Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, SOJOURN and Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Asiatic Society, as well as Bulletin de l’École Française d’Extrême-Orient, Archipel and Péninsule.
His research involves extensive analysis of sources in vernacular languages, and particularly in Cham and Vietnamese. Through his research, publications and talks, he has sought to give importance to underrepresented groups’ perspectives. He believes that, in a multifaceted history, such as that of Vietnam, it is important to demonstrate the different narratives that exist within the various ethnic groups. In addition, it creates the opportunity to give voice to people who have been involved in crucial historical events.
His current research focuses on Champa and Vietnam modern history. His project involves the study of the Champa royal archives and historical narratives and seeks to shed new lights on modern Champa-Vietnam relations, the evolution of Vietnamese and Champa societies and the dynamics of interethnic relations. He is also continuing his work on Asian diasporas and the circulation of ideas and is currently preparing a monograph on the history of the Malays in Vietnam, Champa and Cambodia.
While at Fulbright, he will offer courses and talks on Vietnam’s fascinating diversity and its multifaceted history. While putting forward the contribution of ethnic minorities to the historical development of Vietnam and Southeast Asia in general, his goal is to introduce students to new perspectives on Vietnam history and culture.
Courses:
- Introduction to Champa and Khmer History
- Vietnamese Diplomatic Relations
- Sources of Southeast Asian History
- Modern Vietnamese Culture & Society
Selected publications:
- 2021. “Malays in the Indochinese Peninsula: The Rise and Fall of a Malay ‘Tuan’ in Precolonial Indochinese Peninsula”, Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society 94, Part 2, Number 321, pp. 43-66.
- 2021. “Malays in the Indochinese Peninsula: Adventurers, Warlords and Ministers”, Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society 94, Part 1, Number 320, June, pp. 1-24.
- 2019. “’We Were Moving in an Endless Single Line’. Memory, Exile and History in Cam Diaspora’s Narrative Poems”, SOJOURN – Journal of Social Issues in Southeast Asia 34 no. 1, pp. 76-109.
- 2016. “The Cham Diaspora in Southeast Asia: Patterns of Historical, Political, Social and Economic Development”, in Engelbert, Jörg Thomas (ed.) Vietnam’s Ethnic and Religious Minorities: A Historical Perspective, Peter Lang, pp. 157-202.
- 2014. Histoire de la diaspora Cam [History of the Cham Diaspora], Les Indes Savantes, Paris.
- 2012. “The Destruction and Assimilation of Campā (1832-5) as seen from Cam Sources”, Journal of Southeast Asian Studies 43(1), pp. 158–180.
- 2011. “Securing and Developing the Southwestern Region: The Role of the Cham and Malay Colonies in Vietnam (18th-19th centuries)”, Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient 54, pp. 739-772.
