This seminar delves into the effects of the continuing structural economic transformation on the economic and development geography of Southeast Asia. An important question that will be addressed is to what extent the shift from agriculture and fisheries to manufacturing and services is not only contributing to urban economic growth, but also to rural poverty reduction. The 1998 Asian Financial Crisis and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic have demonstrated that the process of urbanization is not linear. In times of crises jobless urban people return to their rural home villages. Rural areas appear to be more meaningful than anticipated in the quest for achieving livelihood security. This seminar seeks to discuss the implications of these patterns of circular migration for possible rural Southeast Asian futures.

Edo Andriesse is an associate professor at the Department of Geography, Seoul National University. He teaches a wide range of human geography courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. His research interest is rural development in Southeast Asia through the lenses of economic geography and development geography (environmental pressures, poverty issues, and local politics). He has fieldwork experience in Thailand, Malaysia, Lao PDR, Indonesia, and the Philippines.