Launched in 2020, GETSEA is a national consortium dedicated to advancing Southeast Asian studies through resource sharing, coordinated programming, and developing innovative ways to support graduate students across U.S. institutions. The four-year Henry Luce Foundation grant supports the creation of an adaptive infrastructure to sustain the field amid mounting federal challenges. 

Current partner institutions include the University of California–Berkeley; University of California–Los Angeles; University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa; University of Michigan; Northern Illinois University; University of Washington; and University of Wisconsin–Madison. GETSEA partners hope to expand the consortium to include other institutions actively engaged in graduate education in Southeast Asian studies.

Grant principal investigator Abigail Cohn, professor of linguistics in the College of Arts and Sciences and a founding member of GETSEA, said, “I am gratified by this very tangible recognition of the work and collaborative framework that GETSEA has accomplished, and I look forward to furthering these innovative collaborations over the life of the grant and beyond, especially as we navigate a new era beyond Title VI.”

Since its inception, GETSEA has launched a suite of virtual initiatives, including graduate mini-courses, professional development workshops, a simulcast documentary screening series, and collaborative programming designed to support early-career scholars and sustain language and regional expertise. With the new funding, the consortium will deepen these efforts, expand access to shared resources and courses, and build new pathways for interdisciplinary research and training.

SEAP is part of the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies, Cornell’s hub for global area and thematic studies. Area studies programs in the United States are under increasing pressure as universities face budget constraints, federal funding cuts, and critiques from both ends of the political spectrum. At the same time, the need for deep regional expertise has never been greater. 

“The Luce grant not only recognizes Cornell’s leadership in Southeast Asian studies, but also supports a project that should serve as a model for programs focused on other regional areas,” said Einaudi Center director Ellen Lust. “It fosters collaboration across the country and shows the power of working together in the face of increased constraints.”

As universities confront questions about the value of global research, GETSEA’s new phase represents an opportunity to create a model for sustaining capacity in the most rarely taught languages and provide meaningful networking opportunities for early-career scholars as teaching modalities shift.

Founded in 1950, SEAP is one of the oldest and most distinguished centers for Southeast Asian studies in the United States. As GETSEA’s administrator, SEAP will take a leading role in charting the future of area studies. 

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The Henry Luce Foundation seeks to deepen knowledge and understanding in pursuit of a more democratic and just world. Established in 1936 by Henry R. Luce, the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Time, Inc., the Luce Foundation advances its mission by nurturing knowledge communities and institutions, fostering dialogue across divides, enriching public discourse, amplifying diverse voices, and investing in leadership development.