A six-year collaborative research program in global and diplomatic history that investigates the often overlooked role of international treaties in imperial expansion is currently being hosted by Linnaeus University in Kalmar and Växjö, Sweden. Historical Treaties of Southeast Asia is a project to systematically analyse all of the approximately one thousand bilateral treaties concluded between a European, American or Japanese imperial power on the one hand, and a Southeast Asian state or sovereign on the other hand, from the middle of the eighteenth to the early twentieth century. The project aims to develop new ways of understanding the causes and effects of colonialism in Southeast Asia and beyond. The program started in 2022 and runs for six years, until the end of 2027. The core research team consists of historians from Europe and Southeast Asia, and research assistants. 

The program organises a conference and several online seminars this year, starting with a Conference on Treaty-Making and Cross-Cultural Diplomacy in Asia (16th-20th centuries) on 29/2/2024-2/3/2024 in Manila. Details about the upcoming online seminars and registration can be found on the project’s events page.

Presented on the project website are also news and blog posts summarising research activities of members of the project team, conference reports and related topics, as well as publications most of which can be accessed freely online. The program also offers research opportunities for guest researchers, graduate students and people with particular language skills.