Dr. Liana Chua

Biography

I am a social anthropologist and Associate Professor in Malay World Studies at Tunku Abdul Rahman University. I obtained my PhD from Cambridge in 2007 and taught at Brunel University London for ten years before taking a new position in 2021. My long-term research interests lie in Malaysian Borneo, where I have explored the conversion to Christianity, ethnic politics, and the experiences of development and resettlement in Bidayuh communities. My current research centers on more-than-human politics, socialities, aesthetics, and orangutan conservation in the 'age of Anthropocene.' In my work, I enjoy crossing disciplinary boundaries and collaborating with conservationists to foster public engagement. Since 2003, I have conducted fieldwork in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo, focusing on the social and political dynamics within orangutan conservation efforts. My projects involve investigating human/orangutan conflict and developing conservation strategies that ethically engage local communities. Through multi-sited ethnography, I explore the global nexus of orangutan conservation as influenced by emerging 'Anthropocenic' ontologies and politics. I aim to make anthropology accessible and relevant to the general public through various engagement initiatives.

Research Interests

Experience