As the author sees it, the construction of "Asian studies" within Australian academic institutions can be read as an affirmative action programme. He explores the concept of "culture" in Asian studies and the importance of Asia in cultural studies especially in Australia. The author criticises Eurocentrism of many scholars. (DÜI-Sen)
The author briefly notes research, teaching, conferences, workshops etc. on Asian countries carries out or held at Australian universities in 1987 and 1988. Visitors from Asian countries at Australian universities. (DÜI-Sen)
P. Stange takes a critical look at Western scholarship in respect of Asia and particularly of Java. He accuses them of cultural imperialism. Stange argues that Javanists have done a disservice to both scholarship and their Javanese informants by failing to appropriate attention to the mystical stream in Javanese culture. In response to Stange's article, W. Keeler notes that Stange has deeply misunderstood recent discussion about the writing of ethnography. Stange engages in polemics just because some scholars do not share his great sympathy for mystics in Java. (DÜI-Sen)