Bernard Arps

Bernard (Ben) Arps is Professor of Indonesian and Javanese Language and Culture at Leiden University's Institute for Area Studies within the Faculty of Humanities. His research focuses on the interface of humanities and humanistic social sciences, particularly examining how language, performance, texts, and media contribute to 'worldmaking' - the processes through which people and institutions shape realities for themselves and others.

Geographically centered on Southeast Asia with a core focus on Indonesia and the Malay world, Arps specializes in Java and its diasporas. His scholarly interests include religious encounters (particularly between Islam and local vernacular traditions), philological theory as applied to performance and new media, narrativity in song and audio media, and the theoretical foundations of area studies. Arps has conducted extensive fieldwork in Indonesia since 1979, totaling over four years, primarily in Central and Eastern Java regions including Surakarta, Yogyakarta, Banyuwangi, and Cilacap.

His current book projects explore the Quest narrative pattern across religious traditions (focusing on Dewa Ruci), the sociopolitical formation of languages through media and performance (using Osing in Banyuwangi as a case study), and the Asian Muslim epic of Amir Hamza. Arps teaches primarily in Leiden's BA programme in South and Southeast Asian Studies, BA in International Studies, and MA programme in Asian Studies.

• Former chair of the Department of Languages and Cultures of Southeast Asia and Oceania (1995, 1999/2000, 2003-2006, 2008)
• Previously taught at School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London (1988-1993)
• Held visiting positions at NIAS (2001/02), ANU (2005), University of Michigan (2006/07), NUS/ARI (2011/12), UNS (2017), and IIAS (2018/19)

Arps has supervised doctoral, Master's, and Bachelor's dissertations across Indonesian, Malay, Singapore, Cambodian, and Thai studies, with particular expertise in Javanese, Sundanese, Betawi, Balinese, Sasak, Mentawai, and Minangkabau cultures and languages. His work spans religion, performance, media, literature, sociolinguistics, lexicography, and education.