Emma Baulch

Emma Baulch is an Associate Professor of Media and Communications at Monash University Malaysia. She serves as Director of the Southeast Asia Research Centre for Digital Tech and Society (SEADS) and Deputy Head of School (Research) at the Malaysia School of Arts & Social Sciences. Her research focuses on media technologies, popular culture, and digital infrastructures in Southeast Asia, with a particular emphasis on Indonesia and Malaysia.

Education: PhD in Politics and International Relations from Monash University (2003), and a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Asian Studies from the University of Sydney (1990).

Research interests include cultural studies, digital media's societal impact, and ethnographic analysis of technology use. She has authored/co-authored books such as Genre Publics: Popular Music, Technologies and Class in Indonesia (2020) and WhatsApp: From a One-to-One Messaging Service to a Global Social Media Platform (2023). Her work bridges media studies, cultural theory, and Southeast Asian studies.

Notable awards include the Annual Publication Prize (Monash University, 2002) and the Australian Research Council Post-doctoral Fellowship (2009). She has led projects on digital diplomacy, climate change communication, and digital transaction platforms in Asia.

Teaching: Co-ordinates the Media Studies unit (AMU1277). Her research contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to education and innovation.

Labs/Teams: SEADS explores digital technology's role in society, while collaborations include work with institutions like Leiden University and Queensland University of Technology.