Tian Jing Teh

How did you become interested in the EASC Graduate Fellowship?

I became interested in the EASC Graduate Fellowship because it aligns closely with my interdisciplinary training in modern East Asian and Southeast Asian literary-media studies. As someone whose work frequently crosses linguistic, cultural, and archival boundaries, I was drawn to EASC’s commitment to fostering truly interregional and cross-disciplinary scholarship. I also knew that the fellowship supported both academic development and intellectual community—two things that were important to me as I entered the fieldwork and dissertation-proposal stage of my PhD.

What is your research focus?

My research examines transnational and archipelagic histories that unfolded on offshore islands linking East and Southeast Asia across the twentieth century. I focus on how suppressed or forgotten inter-Asian histories—such as Vietnamese refugee routes through Malaysia’s Bidong Island, the 4.3 Massacre on Jeju Island, and Hiroshima’s transregional afterlives intertwined with Southeast Asian survivors—were mediated through literature, memoirs, film, documentary, and other media. Broadly, my dissertation traces how these island and coastal spaces formed inter-Asian memory networks that complicate the nation-state frame, repositioning the South China Sea and the West Pacific as dynamic cultural-ecological zones of encounter.

In what ways did the EASC Graduate Fellowship impact or help your research?

The fellowship supported my early-stage archival and conceptual work at a critical moment in the development of my dissertation. It enabled me to broaden my engagement with Sinophone, Korean, and maritime Southeast Asian scholarship, and the different research directions I pursued during the summer each year eventually came together to shape the broader Inter-Asia vision of my project. It also made it possible for me to spend time in Korea studying Korean, which has been crucial for expanding the linguistic and regional scope of my research. Most importantly, the fellowship provided protected time and intellectual space to clarify my research trajectory through pre-dissertation fieldwork in Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Jeju.

Last summer, for instance, I participated in the Critical Island Studies conference on Jeju Island and visited sites such as the Haenyeo Museum, the Center for Zainichi Jeju People, the Jeju Literature Museum, and the 4.3 Peace Park—experiences that deepened my understanding of Jeju’s complex histories. I also visited the former POW camp site on Geoje Island—an especially memorable trip, as it was pouring rain that day. Encounters like these have been crucial for shaping the regional and historical scope of my dissertation.

Can you share any anecdotes about your fellowship experience?

During the fellowship, I often encountered unexpected surprises in the archives—several books and leads I discovered then eventually became the backbone of my dissertation proposal. I also appreciated the chance to meet faculty and peers working in related areas; those conversations were invaluable both academically and socially. And as a devoted foodie, I must add that getting to know new places through good meals became one of the most memorable parts of the experience!

Do you have any recent publications or other accomplishments you would like to share?

I was recently awarded both the Lo Chia-luen International Sinology Scholarship at National Chengchi University and the Ying-shih Yü International Center for History and the Chinese Humanities Visiting Junior Fellowship at National Taiwan University, and I will be conducting dissertation research in Taipei next spring.

I also continue to serve as the editor-in-chief of KouKou Poetry, an experimental sound-poetry Sinophone magazine whose latest issue focuses on translation. In addition, I now serve as co–editor-in-chief (with Nicholas Fernacz) of the Student Journal of Asian Studies, supported by EASC.