Curriculum Vitae
Professor Michael Leigh Professor of Contemporary Asia Professional Address Asia Institute |
Degrees, Qualifications
- Ph.D. in Government, Cornell University
- B.A. (Honours) in Economics and Political Science, University of Melbourne
Committees, Memberships
- Asialink, Board of Directors 2005-6
- Centre for the Study of Contemporary Islam Advisory Board 2005 -
- Advisory Board member, Kyoto Review of Southeast Asia 2001 -
- International Board member, Taiwan Journal of Southeast Asian Studies 2002 -
- Editorial Board, International Journal of Business and Society 2000 -
- Associate Editor, the Institute for Development Studies journal, Borneo Review
- University of NSW, External reviewer of the School of Modern Languages, 2006
- University Science Malaysia, Penang. External examiner and reviewer of the Faculty of Social Science (1998-2001)
- Deputy Director, Malaysian APEC Study Centre 1999-2001
- Delivered the J. C. Jackson Memorial Lecture at the 2002 ASAA Conference
- Director, Public Affairs Research Centre, University of Sydney, 1989-1991
- Research Institute for Asia and the Pacific, member of the Governing Council from its foundation until 1997
- University of Sydney Conciliator – member of the five-person panel, 1989-1994
- Centre for Asian and Pacific Law – member of the founding Board of Directors until 1994
- Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Sydney – Governing Board 1989-92
- Malaysia Society of the ASAA – Treasurer/Executive Councillor 1976-92
- Borneo Research Council (US/International) – Governing Fellow since 1970
- Convenor of the International Borneo 2000 Research Conference, Kuching, Malaysia
- Joint convenor of the 1989 Colloquium of the Malaysia Society, Sydney, Australia
Career, Principal Offices, Principal Positions Held
- 2007 President, Asian Studies Association of Australia
- 2004-2006 Director, Asia Institute, University of Melbourne
- 1997-2003 Professor & Director, Institute of East Asian Studies, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
- 1992-1996 Professor of the University of Sydney, and Academic Director of the International College Penang, Malaysia
- 1989-1992 Head, Department of Government & Public Administration, University of Sydney
- 1980-1981 Australian Project Leader of the Program for the Development of the Social Sciences throughout Indonesian Universities and Islamic Institutes, based in Banda Aceh and Jakarta Program
- 1970-1996 Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor then Professor, Department of Government and Public Administration, University of Sydney
Research Interests
- Political economy of Indonesia, Malaysia, Burma, Brunei and Singapore
- Electoral politics and structures in Southeast Asia
- Southeast Asian politics and security
- Nation construction and retention: Sarawak in Malaysia and Aceh in Indonesia
- Director of the Aceh Research Training Initiative, supported by 3 year external research grant from AusAID and the Myer Foundation [2007-2009]. The preceding rapid needs analysis of higher education in Aceh was funded by the Tsunami Taskforce of the University of Melbourne.
Publications
‘Borneo into Malaysia’, Dissent (Melbourne), Vol.III, No.3, Spring 1963
‘Sarawak: Focus on Federation’, The Australian Quarterly, 35: 2, June 1963 pp. 39-50.
The Chinese Community of Sarawak: A Study of Communal Relations. Singapore, Malaysia Publishing House for University of Singapore, Department of History, 1964 (68 p.)
Checklist of Holdings on Borneo in the Cornell University Library, Ithaca, Cornell University Southeast Asia Program, 1965. Data Paper No. 62 (62 p.)
‘Party Formation in Sarawak’, Indonesia, No.9, 1970, pp.189-224.
‘Sarawak Enters the New Malaysia-Circa 1970’, Australia’s Neighbours, May-June 1971, pp. 5-8.
The Rising Moon: Political Change in Sarawak, Sydney University Press, 1974 (232 p.)
‘Local Government: its Origins and Early Development’, Sarawak Museum Journal, Vol. XXII, No.44, pp. 9-27.
‘Ethnicity and Development’, Sarawak Gazette, No.1409, 1975, pp. 143-148.
‘Ethnicity and Security’, Sarawak Gazette, No.1410, 1975 pp. 177-181.
‘Ethnicity and National Integration’, Sarawak Gazette, No. 1411, 1975 pp.206-209.
Ethnicity and Regional Planning, Sarawak Gazette, No. 1412, 1975 p 255-265.
‘Ethnicity and Internal Migration’, Sarawak Gazette, No. 1413, 1975 pp.273-282.
‘Ethnicity and the Quest for Land’, Sarawak Gazette, No. 1414, 1975 pp.303-312.
‘An Ethnographic Survey of the First Division of Sarawak’, Sarawak Gazette, No. 1415, 1976 pp. 9-19.
‘Malaysia: warning signals ahead’, Current Affairs Bulletin, 53:7, December 1976, pp. 26-31.
‘The Singapore dilemma’, Current Affairs Bulletin, 54:4, September 1977, pp. 22-30.
‘Shibboleths and Chameleons: the Study of Political Change in East Malaysia’ (Review Article), Commentary, II:3, February 1978, pp. 43-46.
‘Is there development in Sarawak? Political goals and Practice’, J.C. Jackson and M. Rudner (eds.), Issues in Malaysian Development. ASAA/Heinemann, Singapore, 1979, pp. 339-374.
The Development of the Social Sciences in Indonesia, a report on the design phase Jakarta, Social Science Foundation, 1980. (103 p.)
Malaysia: Charting a new direction? Canberra, Parliament of Australia, 1983 (30 p.)
‘ Independence for Brunei’, Current Affairs Bulletin, 60:1 (June 1983), pp. 19-23.
‘Reflections on Political Change, Sarawak in Malaysia: 1963-1983’, Sarawak Museum Journal, Vol.XXXII, No.53, (Aug.1983), pp. 159-166.
‘Political Science and Southeast Asia’, Asian Studies Association of Australia Review, 7:2, (Nov.1983), pp. 9-11.
‘Malaysia: coming of age?’ Dyason House Papers, 10:2, (Dec. 1983), pp. 2-12.
Brunei-independence for whom? Parliament of Australia, Current Issues Brief, #1,1984, 13 p.
‘Brunei Darussalam: the fruits of independence’, Ilmu Masyarakat 9 (Malaysian Social Science Association). April-Sept. 1985 pp. 63-72.
Brunei Darussalam: the price of consent. Parliament of Australia, Current Issues Brief No. 3, 1985-6. 15 p.
‘Indonesian press coverage of Australia’ (with Lyn Fisher), Australian Outlook 40:3 pp.162-166 (Dec. 1986).
‘Australia in the Indonesian Press’ (with Lyn Fisher) Inside Indonesia # 10 April 1987 pp. 21-22.
The Teaching of Asian Studies and Languages in Higher Education, The University of Sydney Report, Sydney, June 1988 45p.
‘The spread of Foochow commercial power prior to the New Economic Policy’, in Development in Sarawak (R.A. Cramb & R.H.W. Reece eds), Clayton, Monash University Centre of Southeast Asian Studies, 1988 Ch. 10 (pp.179-190).
The Rising Moon: Political Change in Sarawak, (revised edition) Kuala Lumpur, Antara Book Co., 1988 (232 p)
‘The Iban Today’, in Kedit, P. (ed) Iban in Society, Kuching, Best Press, 1988
Current expertise on Asia at the University of Sydney. Sydney, Research Institute for Asia and the Pacific, 1988 (57 p.)
‘The Iban: contemporary issues and dilemmas’, Sarawak Museum Journal, Vol. XL, No. 61, 1989 pp.97-103
‘The socio-political dimension: development in Sarawak’, Abdul Majid Mat Salleh, Hatta Solhee & Mohd. Yusof Kasim (eds) Socio-economic development in Sarawak: policies and strategies for the 1990s. Kuching, AZAM, 1990 pp. 219-225
‘Money Politics and Dayak Nationalism: the 1987 Sarawak State Election’, in Muhammad Ikmal Said & Johan Saravanamuttu (eds) Images of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Persatuan Sains Sosial Malaysia (Malaysian Social Science Association), 1991 pp.180-202.
‘Politics, bureaucracy and business in Malaysia: re-aligning the eternal triangle’, in McIntyre, A. & Jayasuriya, K.C. (eds) Dynamics of economic policy reform in Southeast Asia and Australia Oxford University Press, 1992
Council Negri Sarawak, Malaysia’s Oldest Legislature. Kuala Lumpur, Ampang Press, 1992 274 p. xxii & ill.
‘The privatisation of Malaysian Higher Education: a cost benefit analysis’, Zaniah Marshallsay (ed) Educational challenges in Malaysia: advances and prospects, Clayton, Monash Asia Institute, 1997 pp. 117-134.
‘Political economy of logging in Sarawak, Malaysia’, Hirsch P. & Warren C. (eds) The politics of environment in Southeast Asia, resources and resistance. London, Routledge, 1998 pp. 93-106.
Socio-Political trends in Sarawak. Paper presented at the Sarawak Cultural Symposium II, 13 May 1993. Kuching, UNIMAS Institute of East Asian Studies Working Paper, 1998 12p.
Unity in diversity: globalisation, democracy and cultural vitality Kuching, UNIMAS Institute of East Asian Studies Working Paper, 1998 20 p.
‘British way out: solution to ‘ Singapore problem’ gave birth to Malaysia’, New Reality 1:3 1998 pp.24-26.
Local Governance in Sarawak, an historical perspective 1921-1974. Kuching, UNIMAS Institute of East Asian Studies Working Paper, 1999. 20p.
East Timor , General Wiranto, International Intervention and ASEAN Regional Security. Kuching, UNIMAS Institute of East Asian Studies Working Paper, 1999 11p.
Bibliography of studies on the Malay, Melanau and Kedayan communities. Kuching, UNIMAS Institute of East Asian Studies Working Paper, 1999 16p.
Bibliography of studies on the Orang Ulu communities. Kuching, UNIMAS Institute of East Asian Studies Working Paper, 1999 31p.
‘Unity in Diversity: globalisation, democracy and cultural vitality’, Sarawak Museum Journal, Vol. LIV, No.75 December 1999 pp. 31-46
Bibliography of studies on the Iban and Bidayuh communities. Kuching, UNIMAS Institute of East Asian Studies Working Paper, 2000 26p.
borneo2000: environment, conservation and land (edited by Michael Leigh). Kuching, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak Press, 2000 460p.
borneo2000: ethnicity, culture and society (edited by Michael Leigh). Kuching, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak Press, 2000 900p.
borneo2000: language, management and tourism (edited by Michael Leigh) Kuching, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak Press, 2000 532p.
borneo2000: politics, history and development (edited by Michael Leigh) Kuching, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak Press, 2000 648p.
The population of Sarawak: baseline mapping of rural ethnic distribution prior to the New Economic Policy. Kuching, UNIMAS Institute of East Asian Studies, 2000 92p.
‘BIMP-EAGA: Rhetoric and reality’, in Proceedings of the Regional Conference on BIMP-EAGA. Kuching, UNIMAS, 2000 pp. 1-8 (Thematic address on the East Asian Growth Area).
‘The New Realities for Sarawak’, in Barlow, C. (ed) Modern Malaysia in the global economy: political and social change into the 21st century. London, Edward Elgar, 2001 pp. 119-132
Mapping the peoples of Sarawak. Kuching, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak Press, 2002 123p. (including 68 A3 size full colour maps.)
‘Transitions in Malaysian society and politics: towards centralizing power’, in Rolfe, Jim [ed] The Asia-Pacific: a Region in Transition Honolulu. Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies Press, 2004 pp.300-322 [Chapter 18]
‘Polls, parties and processes: the theatre that shaped the outcome of the 2004 elections’, in Kartomi, Margaret [ed] The year of voting frequently: Politics and artists in Indonesia’s 2004 elections. Clayton, Monash University Press, 2005 pp. 19-34.