Ay Mey Lie

 

After successfully finishing an MA degree in both Modern Asian History and Contemporary History from the University of Amsterdam, Ay Mey Lie joined the ranks of the Dutch diplomatic service. For more than 6 years she fulfilled various positions with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, lastly as a diplomat at the Dutch Embassy in Jakarta. Having decided upon an academic career, she started working with the Netherlands Institute for War Documentation in Amsterdam for the research programme “Indonesia across Orders”, focusing on Indonesia’s initial phase of independence and the development of the state. Since September 2008 Ay Mey Lie is a PhD candidate with the University of Amsterdam (Amsterdam School for Social Science Research). Her current project looks into Indonesian history, combining her background in social sciences and contemporary history. Her main interest focuses on ideologies and practices related to the ‘nationalist’ project of this post-colonial state, and how historical legacies of the colonial era and Japanese rule have shaped post-independent Indonesia.