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Southeast Asian Studies
Southeast Asian Studies refers to the academic study of the history, people, languages, economics, and archaeology of Southeast Asia. A subset of Area studies, Southeast Asian Studies exists in numerous academic centers, mostly from Asia and the Americas.

Before and During World War II
While the term "Southeast Asia" was first used in connection with the present region by American priest and educator Howard Malcom in 1837, the region presently referred to as Southeast Asia was split between India and the Far East by anglophone scholars prior to the Second World War. The strategic importance of numerous locales in Southeast Asia such as the Dutch East Indies and the Philippines during the Second World War attracted increased attention from the West. This newfound attention led to the establishment of Mountbatten's South-East Asia Commant (SEAC) in 1943, and the publication of the first map of Southeast Asia by the National Geographic society in 1944.

Postwar
Immediately after the conclusion of the Second World War, the beginnings of the Cold War drew the attention of United States think tanks and intelligence organizations away from Southeast Asia. Events such as the 1949 Revolution in China and fear about the spread of communism re-centered much of the monetary focus on to China and the Soviet Union. This lead to two results: while funding and the commitment of corporations to the area decreased, oversight also decreased; researchers were free to pursue most avenues of interest without the objection of their sponsors.

Vietnam
The prominence of the Vietnam War in the American consciousness during the late 1960s and early 1970s led to an influx of funding and State Department interest.