Georgetown University’s department of government welcomed an expert in Asian studies as its associate director of undergraduate studies this semester, adding a new subject area to the department’s offerings.
LaiYee Leong previously taught in Southern Methodist University’s (SMU) political science department, where she held classes on foreign policy, social movements and the intersection of religion and politics. This fall at Georgetown, Leong is teaching “States and Economy in Southeast Asia” and “Asian American Politics in Comparative Perspective,” both upper-level elective courses.
Leong said she is hopeful to see Georgetown students engage with Asian American and Southeast Asian studies in the classroom to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for the field.
“Asian American studies, broadly speaking, is an understudied area of scholarship and not taught frequently enough,” Leong wrote to The Hoya. “Many students have not encountered the subject in any meaningful way before college, even though Asian Americans have long been an integral part of our society and whose presence has shaped our politics. I hope students who take my courses develop new insights that will give them uncommon and valuable perspectives.”
Joseph Hartman, director of undergraduate studies and assistant teaching professor in the department of government, said Leong’s addition to the department is crucially filling a gap in course offerings.
“Our Department has not had consistent offerings in either Asian American politics or Southeast Asian politics. In my view, that has been a glaring omission as both areas are crucial to an understanding of the modern political world in the United States and abroad,” Hartman wrote to The Hoya. “Because Professor Leong will be teaching five courses a year, that’s a significant increase for us, and I anticipate a fairly robust set of courses going forward.”
Throughout her career, Leong has played an active role advocating for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students and faculty within higher education. She has served as a co-founder of the SMU Association of Asian and Pacific American Scholars and Allies, a distinguished fellow at the SMU Center for Presidential History research hub and a faculty advisor to the SMU Asian Council.
Leong also contributed her scholarship to SMU’s Center for Presidential History, through oral history projects on foreign policy in Asia and other regions following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Hartman said he looks forward to the expertise and mentorship Leong will bring to her students and the department as a whole.
“Not only does Professor Leong have a truly stellar resume, earning her Ph.D. from Yale University and receiving multiple teaching awards during her time as a university professor, but she has a genuine interest in students that comes across almost immediately, and she is obviously a star in the classroom,” Hartman wrote.
Leong said she is excited to work with students to help them both academically and personally, citing the Jesuit value of cura personalis, or care for the whole person.
“It goes without saying that the promise of teaching and mentoring undergraduates who are engaged and globally minded is extremely appealing,” Leong wrote. “I fully subscribe to Georgetown’s commitment to cura personalis! As a teacher, I find that engaging with students at the level of ideas as well as sharing in their aspirations keeps me curious and energized.”
Ria Maheshwari (CAS ’26), an Indian American student studying political economy, said she is excited to see the unique perspectives Professor Leong brings to Georgetown and is glad to see more representation within the government department.
“I feel a combination of pride, comfort and curiosity knowing that the government department is hiring diverse faculty,” Maheshwari wrote to The Hoya. “I don’t want to tokenize Professor Leong as the ‘representative Asian/DEI hire,’ but the representation is great to see, especially with someone so knowledgeable and accomplished.”
Leong said her experience with research and foreign policy informs her approach to teaching, which she is excited to bring to Washington, D.C.
“In addition to academic fieldwork, I have spent a lot of time talking to newsmakers in the United States and abroad, and I try to infuse my teaching with perspectives that reflect that experience,” Leong wrote. “Political science theories provide an indispensable framework for understanding the world. But politics also finds expression in human interactions that I think can be very revealing.”
“Georgetown University itself offers a community that’s unparalleled in its focus on combining theory-driven research with real-world policy,” Leong added. “Like many students, I love the idea of being in Washington, D.C., the heart of American and international politics.”