Following her talk, “Restitution in the Making of Southeast Asia Today,” SEAP graduate and undergraduate students had the opportunity to meet with her and reflect on her work.

Carrie (MA student, Asian Studies) shared that Professor Thompson’s visit “offered us a deeper understanding of restitution as a process shaped by state power and cultural sovereignty that still define Southeast Asia. During our conversation, Prof. Thompson’s reflections on learning Khmer and collaborating with practitioners encouraged us to think about how we understand the field, connect with local people, and build meaningful research in and for Southeast Asia.”

Mutty Un (B.S. Global Development ’26) added that “Professor Thompson's perspectives on restitution and museums have transformed how I think about the museum as an institution that reproduces colonial behaviour and power dynamics. Beyond expanding on topics discussed during her Golay, it was a pleasure to learn about how she came to study Cambodia, including her influential role in shaping Cambodia's cultural restoration and conservation institutions. ”