Professor Tony Stockwell

Professor Tony Stockwell

Professor Tony Stockwell has recently stood down as Chair of Aseasuk’s Research Committee. He succeeded Bob Taylor as Chair in 2005 and has served for two terms. This note is an expression of our enormous gratitude to him for taking on this responsibility when he was extremely busy with other duties. I’m not sure that the large lunch at Bob Taylor’s London club had anything to do with it. I know that all Association members were pleased to welcome Tony back into the fold when he agreed to take on the post of Chair. His last official position in Aseasuk went back to 1988 when he had then completed five years as our Honorary Secretary.

As outgoing Chair of Aseasuk I would also like to offer my personal and sincere thanks to Tony for taking on this task at a time when he was completing his term as Vice-President of the Royal Asiatic Society (2003-06) before returning as President of the Society from 2006-09. He was also still joint editor of the Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History until 2007.

During his six years as Chair of the Research Committee Tony and our Secretary, Becky Elmhirst have presided over the British Academy-funded programme of work on ‘Integration and Interaction in the South-East Asian Region’ with unruffled efficiency and effectiveness. Tony has also ably steered the Committee through some rather difficult times with the reduction in the Academy’s grant from 2009. In our changing relationship with the Academy Tony has provided excellent representation on the Association’s behalf on the Academy’s East Asia Panel. Under his Chairmanship the Association was also successful in securing an Academy grant with the British Institute at Ankara on ‘Islam, Trade and Politics across the Indian Ocean’, examining Ottoman links with the Southeast Asian region. Most recently Aseasuk received the very welcome news that the Research Committee has been given the responsibility of administering a new Academy initiative in selecting and appointing up to four fellowships under the Aseasuk-British Academy ECAF Fellowship programme. It’s an expression, I think, of the confidence which the Academy has in Tony and in the Research Committee.

After serving Aseasuk conscientiously Tony can look forward to a well earned rest. Our warm best wishes to him and sincere thanks once again to him for devoting his time and wise counsel to our work.

Terry King