It is an interdisciplinary program of Cornell University that focuses on the development of graduate training and research opportunities on the languages and cultures of Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
As an interdisciplinary program, SEAP coordinates resources and facilities for Cornell undergraduates, graduate students, and other scholars specializing in the culture, economy, history, politics, development, and society of contemporary, colonial, and traditional Southeast Asia.
The Southeast Asia Collection was named in 1977 in honor of John M. Echols, professor of linguistics and literature in SEAP, who devoted three decades to its development.
George Kahin, its namesake, says it serves as SEAP'S "spiritual epicenter", where a diverse group of students and faculty whose interests span a range of disciplines can draw upon each others' experiences and knowledge of Southeast Asia.
A variety of events take place in the Kahin Center, including SEAP's Ronald and Janette Gatty Lecture Series, scheduled at 12:00 pm each Thursday during the academic year, and other student- and faculty- sponsored symposia and conferences.
His work on the "Cornell Paper", which debunked the official story of Indonesia's 30 September Movement and the subsequent anti-communist purges of 1965–1966, led to his expulsion from that country.