The Centre for Southeast Asian Research (CSEAR) is one of five regional research centres in the Institute of Asian Research at the University of British Columbia. Founded in July 1992, CSEAR is now located in the new C.K. Choi Building. Research on Southeast Asia has a long history at UBC, with a significant proportion of the faculty involved in Asia Pacific research.
The primary purposes of CSEAR are to promote academic research and exchange, to support activities which contribute to a fuller understanding of Southeast Asia in Canada, and to facilitate and enhance all aspects of Canada-Southeast Asia.
As a constituent part of the Institute of Asian Research, the Centre for Southeast Asia Research is the only academic institution in Canada exclusively devoted to the study of Southeast Asia. Its purpose is to promote interest and understanding of Southeast Asia issues and cultures through scholarly exchange and interaction on the UBC campus, in Southeast Asia and in the wider Lower Mainland community. CSEAR undertakes the organization of seminars, workshops, conferences and publications, and serves as a vehicle for the development of collaborative research projects among faculty, graduate students, and colleagues in Southeast Asia and elsewhere in Canada.