Trustees’ Annual Report for the period
From 01 August 2024 Period start date To 31 July 2025 Period end date
Charity name: Association of Southeast Asian Studies in the United Kingdom
Charity registration number: 1170590
Objectives and Activities
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document |
Para 1.17 | The overall object of ASEAS(UK) is to advance the education of the public on the subject of Southeast Asia and to promote research for the public benefit in all disciplines of that subject and to disseminate the useful results by such means as the trustees see fit. |
| Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts. |
Para 1.17 and 1.19 |
Research Impact Award The 2024-25 Research Impact Award, which is awarded annually to members of ASEAS to support research and impact activities in Southeast Asian Studies, was awarded to Ci Yan Sara Loh (University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa) for their project ‘Songs of the Temuan of Bukit Tadom: Documenting Echoes and Rhythms of Land and Life Along the Lower Langat River’. The project will see the creation of a bilingual (English and Malay) song book, that documents, using photographs, illustrations and creative texts, Temuan song and dance. Master’s Dissertation Prize The 2024/2025 ASEAS Master’s Dissertation Prize was awarded to Vincen Gregory Yu. Vincen’s dissertation ‘Monolithic medicine: Unsettling vaccine hesitancy in COVID-era Philippines’, was submitted as part of their MA in Anthropology at the University of Sydney in 2024. Vincen’s dissertation provides a much- needed departure from existing debates on vaccine hesitancy in the Philippines (and the larger Southeast Asian region), which have tended to ascribe hesitancy to misinformation, conspiracy theories, belief in traditional medical systems, and the public’s so-called‘misunderstanding of |
| science’. The significant contribution of this thesis lies in its explication of the role of power—in public health governance, and in people’s everyday encounters with the health system—in shaping ordinary citizens’ decisions to delay or reject vaccinations. The ASEAS Master’s Dissertation Prize showcases outstanding humanities and social science research on Southeast Asia from postgraduate students across the world. International PhD Workshop Sponsored by the University of Leeds, the 2025 ASEAS International PhD Workshop was hosted by Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok, Thailand and took place from 20– 21 May 2025. Twenty-four PhD students from across Southeast Asia, Australia and Europe participated in the workshop, alongside six academic advisors. This international PhD workshop provided an excellent opportunity for current and prospective PhD students to receive an intensive review of chapters and proposals by senior advisors. It was a great way for participants to meet like-minded PhD students and experts working in Southeast Asia, to exchange views on cutting edge research and the most critical issues of the day. Participants also benefitted from additional skills sessions on ‘career development’ and ‘how to get published’. The next workshop will take place from 30- 31 July 2026 and is hosted by Monash University Malaysia. ASEAS Biannual Conference The 33rd Association of Southeast Asian Studies conference was held at St John’s College, University of Cambridge from 15- 17 September 2025 and will be reported on in the next Annual Report. |
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|---|---|---|
| Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit |
Para 1.18 | ASEAS Trustees have had due regard to the Charity Commission’s public benefit guidance. |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Policy on grant making | Para 1.38 | In accordance with ASEAS(UK) Constitution clause 18(1) (Delegation by charity trustees), the Executive Committee |
shall appoint a Research Committee of three members, at least one of whom should also be a member of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall appoint the Chair and Secretary of the Research Committee for the purpose of raising research funds and deciding upon their allocation on behalf of ASEAS(UK). Para 1.38 Policy on social investment including program related investment Para 1.38 Contribution made by volunteers Other
Achievements and Performance
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole. |
Para 1.20 | Awards and Prizes The Research Impact Award awards £1500 per year to an early career scholar to undertake fieldwork in Southeast Asia, fostering new research and publications, whilst advancing their career. The RIA also supports the development or dissemination of a film, audio piece, website, or other artistic project to communicate research outside of academia and to engage broader audiences with the Southeast Asian Studies community. The Master’s Dissertation Prize provides a small financial reward (£150 to the winning dissertation author) but significantly raises the profile of Master’s students. They are also awarded a free ASEAS membership, enabling them to foster new connections and networks. Conference The biannual ASEAS conferences are an invaluable opportunity for Southeast Asia- focused researchers to network and present their research. They also provide a chance for early career scholars to build their profile and establish important connections. Work presented at the conferences covers a range of topics across eras, geographies and disciplines and has the potential to reshape the wider |
field of Southeast Asian Studies. The 2025 conference was held in the UK but included a day for online presentations which made it much more accessible to the Southeast Asia-based Southeast Asian Studies community. Member Newsletter The monthly membership newsletter is an invaluable addition to the ASEAS membership offering, providing information on opportunities, the latest research, as well as highlighting the achievements of members, including recent publications, awards and grants. Membership and Social Media We currently have 489 members, which is more than double the figure reported in last year’s Annual Report. This increase is due to the 2025 Conference at the University of Cambridge, which attracted nearly 300 in person attendees and 120 online attendees. The Facebook page has 6,724 followers, which is a 48.7% increase from 2024; the Facebook Group has 10,304 members; Instagram has 110 followers; and LinkedIn, which was established in September 2025, has 778 followers. Our social media pages provide a lively forum for news and discussion between academics and interested members of the public across the UK and Southeast Asia.
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| Achievements against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | |
| Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | |
| Investment performance against objectives |
Para 1.41 | |
| Other |
Financial Review
| Financial Review | ||
|---|---|---|
| Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period |
Para 1.21 | Total of £37,146.00 in assets at the end of the period. Income of £23,426.00 against a total expenditure of £8,804.00. Annual profit of £14,622.00. |
| Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held |
Para 1.22 | The charity does not have a reserves policy. |
| Amount of reserves held | Para 1.22 | N/A |
| Reasons for holding zero reserves |
Para 1.22 | N/A |
| Details of fund materially in deficit |
Para 1.24 | N/A |
| Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern |
Para 1.23 | No concerns as it stands about the charity continuing as a going concern. We have had a strong year, driven by a marked increase in event revenue. This has allowed the charity to be dynamic in its research award offering and expand our stipended core team. We outperformed our annual profit target of £5,000 by almost 3 times. This allows the organisation to continue to put on large-scale conferences such as our most recent event at the University of Cambridge. |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising) |
Para 1.47 | Membership fees and the biennial conference. |
|---|---|---|
| Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted |
Para 1.46 | |
| A description of the principal risks facing the charity |
Para 1.46 | |
| Other |
Structure, Governance and Management
| Description of charity’s trusts: |
||
|---|---|---|
| Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter) |
Para 1.25 |
Constitution |
| How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association, CIO) |
Para 1.25 | Charitable Incorporated Organisation |
| Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees |
Para 1.25 | Members of the Executive Committee of ASEAS(UK) will become trustees of ASEAS(UK) on first election to the Executive Committee (unless they are ineligible for one of the reasons described in clause (2) below) and will remain a trustee until they leave the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee will manage the affairs of ASEAS(UK) and may for that purpose exercise all the powers of ASEAS(UK). (2) Eligibility for trusteeship • Every charity trustee must be a natural person. • Membership of the Executive Committee (including renewal of Executive Committee membership) is through nomination and support of two other full members of ASEAS(UK). • Each nominee must have been a full member of ASEASUK for at least a year prior to being nominated. • No one may be appointed as a charity trustee: - if he or she is under the age of 16 years; or - if he or she would automatically cease to hold office under the provisions of clause 15(1)(d). No-one is entitled to act as a charity trustee whether on appointment or on any re- appointment until he or she has expressly acknowledged, in whatever way the charity trustees decide, his or her acceptance of the office of charity trustee. |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
Policies and procedures adopted for the induction Para 1.51 and training of trustees
| The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works |
Para 1.51 | |
| Relationship with any related parties |
Para 1.51 | |
| Other |
Reference and Administrative details
| Charity name | Association of Southeast Asian Studies in the United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Other name the charity uses | ASEAS(UK) / ASEAS |
| Registered charity number | 1170590 |
| Charity’s principal address | Centre of South East Asian Studies SOAS, University of London Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square WC1H 0XG |
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 |
Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates acted if not for whole **year ** |
Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (ifany) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adam Tyson | Chair | |||
| KimberleyWeir | Operations Director | |||
| Elliot Newbold | Financial Director | |||
| Kellynn Wee | Communications Director |
To October 2024 | ||
| Chanapang Pongpiboonkiat |
Communications Director |
From October 2024 | ||
| Thomas Kingston | Editorial Director | |||
| Stephanie Benzaquen-Gautier |
||||
| Mike Charney | ||||
| Fakhriati Fakhriati | To March 2025 | |||
| Tilman Frasch | To March 2025 | |||
| Dylan Gaffney | ||||
| Michael Leadbetter | To March 2025 | |||
| Ronan Lee | ||||
| Nick Long | ||||
| MayTan-Mullins | ||||
| Ben Murtagh | ||||
| Louis O'Sullivan | To September 2024 | |||
| Laurie Parsons | ||||
| Amanda Rogers | ||||
| Charlie Rumsby | To March 2025 | |||
| Russell Yap | ||||
| Claire Smith | From April 2025 | |||
| Liana Chua | From April 2025 | |||
| Milda Istiqomah | From April 2025 |
– Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved
Director name
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity
Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year
Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others
Description of the assets held in this capacity
Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets
Additional information (optional)
Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
| Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information) | Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information) | Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information) |
|---|---|---|
| Type of adviser Name Address |
||
| Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information) | ||
Exemptions from disclosure
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details
Other optional information
Declarations
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
Signature(s) Adam Tyson Full name(s) Kimberley Weir ~~a~~ Position (eg Secretary, Operations Director Chair Chair, etc) ~~ee~~ Date 14.05.2026 ~~Pp~~
| CC16a 31/07/2024 31/07/2025 1170590 Association of Southeast Asian Studies (UK) Receipts andpayments accounts Period start date Period end date To For the period from ~~SSS~~ |
CC16a 31/07/2024 31/07/2025 1170590 Association of Southeast Asian Studies (UK) Receipts andpayments accounts Period start date Period end date To For the period from ~~SSS~~ |
CC16a 31/07/2024 31/07/2025 1170590 Association of Southeast Asian Studies (UK) Receipts andpayments accounts Period start date Period end date To For the period from ~~SSS~~ |
CC16a 31/07/2024 31/07/2025 1170590 Association of Southeast Asian Studies (UK) Receipts andpayments accounts Period start date Period end date To For the period from ~~SSS~~ |
CC16a 31/07/2024 31/07/2025 1170590 Association of Southeast Asian Studies (UK) Receipts andpayments accounts Period start date Period end date To For the period from ~~SSS~~ |
CC16a 31/07/2024 31/07/2025 1170590 Association of Southeast Asian Studies (UK) Receipts andpayments accounts Period start date Period end date To For the period from ~~SSS~~ |
CC16a 31/07/2024 31/07/2025 1170590 Association of Southeast Asian Studies (UK) Receipts andpayments accounts Period start date Period end date To For the period from ~~SSS~~ |
CC16a 31/07/2024 31/07/2025 1170590 Association of Southeast Asian Studies (UK) Receipts andpayments accounts Period start date Period end date To For the period from ~~SSS~~ |
CC16a 31/07/2024 31/07/2025 1170590 Association of Southeast Asian Studies (UK) Receipts andpayments accounts Period start date Period end date To For the period from ~~SSS~~ |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Section A Receipts and payments | |||||||||
| Unrestricted funds |
Restricted funds |
Endowment funds |
Total funds | Last year | |||||
| to the nearest £ |
to the nearest | to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | ||||
| A1 Receipts | |||||||||
| MembershipPayments | 3,928 | - | - | 3,928 | 5,223 | ||||
| Gross Interest | 376 | - | - | 376 | 328 | ||||
| Event Revenue | 19,122 | - | - | 19,122 | 15,903 | ||||
| - | - | - | - | ||||||
| - | - | - | - | ||||||
| - | - | - | - | ||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| Sub total(Gross income for | (Gross income for | ||||||||
| AR) | AR)23,426 | - | - | 23,426 | 21,454 | ||||
| A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). - - - - - - - - - Sub total - - - - - Total receipts 23,426 - - 23,426 21,454 ~~——————~~ |
|||||||||
| A3 Payments Research Awards 3,250 - - 3,250 227 Stipend 3,334 - - 3,334 3,500 Reimburse for Services 2,087 - - 2,087 13,317 Bank charges 133 - - 133 132 - - - - - - - - ~~SS~~ ~~> >~~ |
|||||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| **Sub total ** | 8,804 | - | - | 8,804 | 17,176 | ||||
| A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) - - - - - - - - Sub total - - - - - Total payments 8,804 - - 8,804 17,176 ~~——————~~ |
|||||||||
| Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end |
14,622 - - 14,622 - - - 22,524 - - 37,146 - - 37,146 ~~SS]~~ |
- 14,622 4,278 - - 22,524 - - 37,146 4,278 ~~54~~ |
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
14/05/2026
1
| Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period | Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period | Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period | Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted Restricted |
Endowment | ||||||
| Categories | Details | funds funds |
funds | ||||
| to nearest £ to nearest £ |
to nearest £ | ||||||
| B1 Cash funds | 1,146 - - 36,000 - - - - - 37,146 - - Community Account Business Account Total cash funds ~~<==~~ |
||||||
| (agree balances with receipts and payments | (agree balances with receipts and payments | ||||||
| account(s)) | OK OK |
OK | |||||
| Unrestricted Restricted |
Endowment | ||||||
| funds funds |
funds | ||||||
| Details | to nearest £ to nearest £ |
to nearest £ | |||||
| B2 Other monetary assets | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ~~=—===~~ |
||||||
| B3 Investment assets | Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) Current value (optional) - - - - - - - - - - Details ~~—==—~~ |
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| B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use |
Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) Current value (optional) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Details ~~a~~ |
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| Fund to which Amount due |
When due | ||||||
| CCXX R2 accounts (SS) | Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees B5 Liabilities CCXX R2 accounts (SS) |
liability relates (optional) (optional) - - - - - Date of approval 14.05.2026 Print Name KIMBERLEY WEIR Signature Details 2 14/05/2026 ~~=~~ |