Chevening British Library Southeast Asian Fellowship

Deadline: 27-Oct-2026

The Chevening British Library Southeast Asian Fellowship supports eligible mid-career professionals from Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand to undertake a fully supported 12-month research project at the British Library. Running from September 2027 to September 2028, the project will improve access to rare Cambodian, Lao, and Thai printed works dating from approximately 1840 to 1950.

About the Program

The program is a collaboration between:

- The British Library. - The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. It addresses the limited research, cataloguing, and accessibility of rare early printed works in Southeast Asian languages held by the British Library. The selected fellow will work with library collections while developing specialist expertise in: - Bibliographical research. - Rare-book assessment. - Metadata creation. - Cataloguing. - Romanisation. - Conservation prioritization. - Digitisation planning. - Curatorial practice. - Digital and AI-assisted research tools. Program Duration

The fellowship runs for 12 months:

- Expected start: September 2027.

- Expected completion: September 2028.

- Location: British Library, United Kingdom.

- Format: Full-time research fellowship.

Applicants should ensure that they can participate throughout the complete fellowship period. Purpose of the Program

The program aims to:

- Improve knowledge of Southeast Asian printing history. - Increase access to rare printed materials. - Strengthen the cataloguing of Cambodian, Lao, and Thai collections. - Create accurate multilingual metadata. - Identify materials requiring conservation. - Prepare collections for potential future digitisation. - Support research into regional book culture. - Develop specialist curatorial skills. - Strengthen relationships with Southeast Asian heritage communities. - Support long-term access for researchers worldwide.

About the British Library Collections

The British Library’s Asian and African Collections contain the United Kingdom’s largest and most significant collection of printed works in: Many materials are unique or extremely rare. However, some remain difficult to discover or use because they have: - Limited catalogue records. - Incomplete descriptions. - Little or no original-script metadata. - Inconsistent Romanisation. - Limited academic research. - Unassessed conservation needs. - Not yet been prioritized for digitisation. The fellowship will help address these gaps. Historical Period Covered The project focuses on rare printed works dating from approximately: This period is important for understanding: - The emergence of regional printing. - The movement from manuscript to print culture. - Missionary and local publishing. - Language standardization. - Colonial and regional knowledge exchange. - Religious publishing. - Educational materials. - Literary production. - Political and social change. - The circulation of books across Southeast Asia. The fellow should demonstrate an interest in the historical, cultural, linguistic, or bibliographical significance of this period. Main Research Activities

The selected fellow will focus on:

- Surveying rare printed works. - Assessing the significance and condition of materials. - Creating or improving catalogue records. - Producing metadata in original scripts. - Preparing Romanised metadata. - Identifying conservation priorities. - Supporting future digitisation planning. - Researching printing history and book culture. - Sharing findings with academic and heritage audiences. The final work should improve both scholarly understanding and practical access to the collections. Surveying the Collections The fellow will systematically examine relevant printed materials.

Survey work may involve:

- Identifying titles and editions. - Recording publication details. - Determining language and script. - Examining authorship and publishing history. - Comparing copies and editions. - Identifying rare or unique items. - Documenting physical characteristics. - Assessing existing catalogue information. - Noting research potential. - Prioritizing materials for further attention. A consistent methodology will be essential. Bibliographical Description Bibliographical description records the identifying and physical characteristics of a publication.

This may include:

- Title. - Author or creator. - Publisher. - Place of publication. - Date. - Edition. - Language. - Script. - Pagination. - Illustrations. - Format. - Physical condition. - Notes about provenance. - Relationships with other works or editions. Accurate description helps researchers locate, interpret, and compare materials. Metadata Creation Metadata is structured information describing a library item.

The fellow will create metadata in:

- Original Southeast Asian scripts. - Romanised forms.

High-quality metadata can improve:

- Catalogue searching. - Cross-language discovery. - Identification of people and places. - Access for regional scholars. - Digital collection management. - Future digitisation. - International research collaboration. Applicants should demonstrate language accuracy and an interest in structured cataloguing work. Original-Script Metadata Original-script metadata preserves titles, names, institutions, and publication details in their authentic written forms.

This is important because it:

- Improves accuracy. - Supports searching in original languages. - Preserves linguistic context. - Reduces dependence on inconsistent transliterations. - Makes collections more accessible to regional researchers. - Supports future digital initiatives. Applicants should demonstrate strong reading skills in the relevant scripts. Romanisation Romanisation converts words written in Thai, Lao, or Khmer scripts into the Roman alphabet using an established system.

It helps:

- Researchers who cannot read the original script. - International catalogue users. - Cross-database searching. - Standardized identification of titles and names. - Linking of catalogue rec