Rationale
           
The year 2007 marks the fortieth anniversary of the establishment of ASEAN.  To commemorate this milestone, the ten member nations of the organization have organized various activities under the main theme, “One ASEAN at the Heart of Dynamic Asia”.  The celebrations commenced in January 2007 and will continue until August 2008, which coincides with the month of ASEAN’s birth.

As one of the founding members of ASEAN, Thailand is taking part in the celebrations, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the coordinator of assistance and collaboration from other government agencies.  The aim is to generate greater awareness among the public of the significance of the role played by ASEAN, particularly in terms of political, economic, social and cultural collaboration between the member nations of this vital region.

Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Arts is an institution of higher learning that offers classes related to the languages, literature, history and culture of the ASEAN countries.  It also serves as a resource center for academics and specialists in topics on the ASEAN region.  It has therefore been deemed appropriate that it lend support to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by organizing an international conference on “Language, Literary Works and Culture in ASEAN: Diversity in the Unity”.  This conference will serve as a platform for academics and graduate students, from within Thailand and abroad, to present their research on topics reflecting their scholarly interests.  The conference will not only highlight the major theme of “One ASEAN at the Heart of Dynamic Asia” but will also reflect the strength and dynamism manifested in the rich and diverse culture which has been a part of the potential of this organization during the past four decades, a fitting finale for the year-long celebrations that have taken place between 2007 and 2008.

Objectives
1.         To celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the establishment of ASEAN.
2.          To serve as an arena for specialists, academics, students and those interested in ASEAN to present their research work on topics related to the theme of the conference.
3.          To serve as a venue for the Faculty of Arts and participants to create and strengthen collaboration, at national and international levels, in their studies and research on the language, literary works and culture of the ASEAN region.

Panels
1.         ASEAN from a Linguistic Perspective
1.1       Languages used in the ASEAN region
1.2       Languages of ethnic groups in the ASEAN region
1.3       Dynamism of the English language in the ASEAN community

2.         ASEAN from a Literary Perspective
2.1       Literary works of different forms and periods that illustrate similarities and differences within the ASEAN region
2.2       ASEAN literary works in the global context
2.3       ASEAN literary works in translation

3.         ASEAN from a Cultural Perspective
3.1       The performing arts: similarities and disparities
3.2       Film
3.3       Philosophy, religion, beliefs, rituals, culture and tradition in the multi-ethnic context of the ASEAN region.

Conference Period
August 4th-5th, 2008