Khatharya Um Receives Major Prize in Asian Studies

Khatharya Um is awarded a 2023 Fukuoka Prize!

The Fukuoka Prize was established by Fukuoka City, Japan, in 1990 as an award presented annually to honor the outstanding work of individuals, groups and organizations in preserving and creating the unique and diverse cultures of Asia.

Only the third US-based recipient in the prize’s 33-year history, the Fukuoka Prize committee celebrates Professor Um for her work as:

“an eminent political scientist and scholar of Southeast Asian Studies, as well as an international educator who devotes herself to training the next generation. To promote global peace and justice, she has investigated the tragic history of her own country of Cambodia. Through her sharp analysis focused on the sufferings of immigrants and refugees, she has carved out a path for a new research field, and has also striven to build a civic solidarity transcending national borders.”

“I am extremely humbled by this honor and profoundly grateful for this recognition. As a refugee studies scholar, I see this as a recognition not only of my scholarly contributions but of the critical nature of the issues that we engage as scholars and global citizens, which are among the most pressing of our time. As a refugee from Cambodia, I am grateful for the light that is shone on the potentiality and contributions of refugees. Now more than ever, this light needs to shine through the darkness of fear, anxiety, and hate. Thank you again for this treasured honor.”