Lecture by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Josh Stenberg in the 43rd talk of the “Tan Lark Sye Lecture Series”
The 43rd Tan Lark Sye Lecture Series organized by the Institute of International Education (IIE), New Era University College (NEUC) was held on 13th August 2025, attracting 200 participants. The event featured Assoc. Pro. Dr. Josh Stenberg in Chinese Studies, Deputy Director of the China Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. His lecture titled “Indonesia through the Eyes of New China: Reportage Literature during the Bandung Era,” provided an in-depth exploration of the Indonesian narratives in 1950s Chinese reportage literature through the lens of New China's cultural politics. The lecture was hosted by Asst. Pro. Dr. Siew Wen Jia, Department of Chinese Language and Literature, NEUC.
The keynote speaker, Assoc. Pro. Dr. Josh Stenberg, a recipient of the Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Award as well as Fulbright and International Institute for Asian Studies fellowships. Recent books include academic monographs Minority Stages: Sino-Indonesian Performance and Public Display (University of Hawaii Press, 2019; Asian Studies Association of Australia Early Career Book Prize, Honorable Mention), Liyuanxi: Chinese ‘Pear Garden’ Theatre (Methuen Drama, 2022) and the edited and annotated Kunqu Masters on Chinese Theatrical Practice (Anthem, 2022, American Society for Theatre Research (ASTR) Translation Prize, Honorable Mention). Two books are forthcoming: the edited volume Beyond State-Centric Soft Power: Actors and Arenas in Sino-Indonesian Cultural Encounters and a co-authored monograph titled Self-Translation and the Modern Chinese Literary World. He is also an award-winning translator of contemporary Chinese-language poetry and drama.
In the lecture, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Josh Stenberg pointed out that in the period surrounding the Bandung Conference (1955), the advancement of diplomatic relations between China and Indonesia prompted writers from mainland China to turn their attention to this Southeast Asian nation. Reportage literature of the Bandung era often represented Indonesia as a potential partner within the broader Third World framework. Such texts—exemplified by the works of Sima Wensen and Zhou Erfu—combined ethnographic writing with particular intellectual orientations, reflecting empathy for shared struggles and mirroring historical experiences of the time. This body of literature reveals narrative tendency—one that, while underscoring a political vision of “solidarity,” often downplays the internal diversity and complexity of Indonesian society.
Following the lecture, the audience, and the moderator engaged actively with the speaker during the Q&A, raising questions related to the natural histories. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Josh Stenberg provided insightful responses and in-depth answers.
