Penang
Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay ...
) is Professor at the Department of History, Faculty of the Arts and Social Sciences, University of Malaya.
He was formerly attached to the
Zentrum Moderner Orient Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient (ZMO) is a German research institute located in Berlin, Germany. The researchers focus on a comparative and interdisciplinary study of the Middle East, Africa, Eurasia, South and Southeast Asia. Central to its current ...
(
Centre for Modern Oriental Studies Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient (ZMO) is a German research institute located in Berlin, Germany. The researchers focus on a comparative and interdisciplinary study of the Middle East, Africa, Eurasia, South and Southeast Asia. Central to its current ...
) in
Berlin, Germany
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constituent ...
, and the International Institute for the Study of the Muslim World, Leiden, Netherlands; and then the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University Singapore. He was also visiting academic at several European colleges and universities including Sciences-Po Paris and the Institute for the Study of Muslim Society (Ecole des haute études en sciences sociale), Paris.
He received his BA in Philosophy & Literature from the
University of Sussex
, mottoeng = Be Still and Know
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £14.4 million (2020)
, budget = £319.6 million (2019–20)
, chancellor = Sanjeev Bhaskar
, vice_chancellor = Sasha Roseneil
, ...
in 1989, before studying for an MA in Philosophy at the same university in 1990, an MA in South-East Asian Studies at the
School of Oriental and African Studies
SOAS University of London (; the School of Oriental and African Studies) is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury ar ...
in London, before completing his PhD at the
University of Essex
The University of Essex is a public university, public research university in Essex, England. Established by royal charter in 1965, Essex is one of the original plate glass university, plate glass universities. Essex's shield consists of the an ...
in 1997 in the field of governance and politics.
His main area of research has been Southeast Asia in the 19th century, focusing on the discursive aspects of colonial rule and the production of Orientalist writings on the region. Over the past ten years he has also been researching the phenomenon of transnational religio-political movements, as well as the development of religio-politics in South and Southeast Asia, looking at the rise of Muslim, Christian and Hindu political-religious revivalism in particular (see "Islam" in Richter & Mar 2004).
His other interests include antiques and material history, and he has written about the plastic arts of Southeast Asia, focusing on things such as the Indonesian-Malaysian keris to the development of woodcarving and architecture.
Dr Noor has also written and hosted several documentary series on
Channel NewsAsia
CNA (stylised as cna), which is an acronym derived from its previous name, Channel NewsAsia, is a Singaporean multinational news channel owned by the country's national public broadcaster Mediacorp. It broadcasts free-to-air domestically in Sin ...
including 'Our Southeast Asia', 'Inside Indonesia with Dr Farish', 'Across Borders' and 'Inventing Southeast Asia'.
Publications
* The Long Shadow of the 19th Century: Critical Essays on Colonial Orientalism in Southeast Asia. (Matahari Press, Kuala Lumpur, 2022)
* Racial Difference and the Colonial Wars of 19th Century Southeast Asia. (jointly edited with Peter Carey. Amsterdam University Press, 2021)
* Data Gathering in Colonial Southeast Asia: Framing the Other. (Amsterdam University Press, Amsterdam, 2020)
* America's Encounters with Southeast Asia 1800-1900: Before the Pivot. (Amsterdam University Press, Amsterdam, 2018)
* The Discursive Construction of Southeast Asia in 19th Century Colonial-Capitalist Discourse. (Amsterdam University Press, Amsterdam, 2016)
* The Malaysian Islamic Party 1951-2013: Islamism in a Mottled Nation. (Amsterdam University Press, Amsterdam, 2014)
* From Indrapura to Darul Makmur: A Deconstructive History of Pahang. (Silverfish Books, Kuala Lumpur, 2010.)
* What Your Teacher Didn't Tell You (The Annexe Lectures, Vol. 1) (
Matahari Books
Matahari Books is a Malaysian publishing company founded in 2007 by Amir Muhammad. It specialises in Malaysian non-fiction and also screenplay books. It publishes books in both English and Malay.A brief profile of Farish Noor at BBC