This timeline details the major milestones in the history of the UCLA Center for Southeast Asian Studies since its founding in 1999.

1997 

UCLA Southeast Asia Program is directed by Geoffrey Robinson.

1999

Anthony Reid is hired as faculty at UCLA.

The UCLA Center for Southeast Asian Studies is founded on October 1999 with Anthony Reid as the inaugural Director.

Barbara Gaerlan is hired as CSEAS Assistant Director.

South and Southeast Asian Languages and Cultures (SSEALC) is housed under the Department of UCLA East Asian Languages and Cultures (later the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures).

2000

UCLA Center for Southeast Asian Studies and UC Berkeley Center for Southeast Asia Studies forms consortium and receives Title VI grant with designation as National Resource Center for Southeast Asia.

FLAS Fellowships are awarded to UCLA students for Southeast Asian language and area study.

UCLA CSEAS receives Ford Foundation grants for postdoctoral fellows.

2001

Southeast Asian Studies Interdepartmental Degree Program is established under the UCLA International Institute.

Barbara Gaerlan serves as Founding Director of UC Education Abroad Program in the Philippines.

2002

Mary Zurbuchen serves as CSEAS Acting Director (2002-2003).

2003

Geoffrey Robinson serves as CSEAS Director (2003-2006).

2006

Robert Brown serves as CSEAS Director (2006-2007).

2007

Michael Ross serves as CSEAS Director (2007-2012).

2008

The UCLA Indonesian Studies Program is established with funding from Robert Lemelson Foundation.

2009

Lemelson Fellowships begins to fund UCLA student research in Indonesia.

2012

George Dutton serves as CSEAS Director (2012-2021).

2013

The Thai government makes a gift to UCLA CSEAS to support Thai language studies at UCLA.

2014

COTI (Consortium for the Teaching of Indonesian), an intensive summer language program held in Salatiga, Central Java, is directed by Juliana Wijaya.

2015

UC Berkeley-UCLA CSEAS NRC consortium launches a graduate student workshop series under the Title VI grant.

2016 

Julia Gouw gives gift to sustain the Indonesian Studies Program.

The Indonesian Studies Travel Grant is created to fund UCLA students for summer research.

Juliana Wijaya serves as the Indonesian Studies Program Coordinator.

2017

Nguyet Tong is hired as CSEAS Assistant Director following the retirement of Barbara Gaerlan.

2018

An endowment establishes the Julia and Ken Gouw Centennial Undergraduate Scholarship for Study Abroad in Indonesia and sends first students to study in Bali in the summer. 

2019      

UCLA Center for Southeast Asian Studies celebrates 20th anniversary!

UCLA CSEAS joins the Southeast Asian Language Council (SEALC).

2020   

UCLA CSEAS transitions to remote programming and teaching in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pilipino Studies minor launches in the Department of Asian American Studies.

UCLA CSEAS joins the Graduate Education and Training in Southeast Asian Studies Consortium (GETSEA).

2021

Stephen Acabado serves as CSEAS Director (2021-2026).

UCLA CSEAS receives Henry Luce Foundation grant to establish the Program on Early Modern Southeast Asia (PEMSEA).

Southeast Asian Studies major launches in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures.

2022 

Henry Luce Foundation awards UCLA CSEAS with a grant for Indigenous Studies in the Western Pacific.

2023

UCLA CSEAS hosts the Henry Luce Foundation Initiative on Southeast Asia Convening Conference at UCLA.

2024

UCLA CSEAS launches 25th anniversary celebration at the 10th Annual Los Angeles Indonesian Film Festival at UCLA.

2025