Victor Terence King (born 26 January 1949) is a British academic and Emeritus Professor of Southeast Asian Studies, University of Leeds and Visiting Professor of Borneo Studies, Institute of Asian Studies, Universiti Brunei Darussalam. King is listed as one of the University of Hull's Notable academics at List of University of Hull people.
Education King holds a BA in Geography and Sociology, University of Hull (1970), an MA (with distinction), Area Studies (Anthropology, Geography, Indonesian Language), SOAS University of London (1971) and a PhD in Social Anthropology, University of Hull (1980).
Professional life
King's area of research in the Anthropology and sociology of Southeast Asia focuses on Indonesia and Malaysia. He studies kinship and social organisation; culture and ethnic identities; environmental issues, climate change and forest clearance in Borneo; tourism and development; UNESCO World Heritage Sites; ethnographic museum and photographic collections; and the problems of defining Southeast Asia as a region. With Dr Monica Janowski, now Curator, he was instrumental in re-opening the Southeast Asian Museum at the University of Hull in 2024.
He contributed to three national Research Assessment Exercises for the Higher Education Funding Council for England: Asian Studies Panel Member (1992); deputy chair, Asian Studies (1995–1996); chair, Asian Studies Sub-Panel, and Member, Area Studies Panel (2005–2008). King has been Editor-in-Chief of Suvannabhumi: Multidisciplinary Journal of Southeast Asian Studies since 2019 and is a member of the advisory board of the Journal of Humanities and Social Science Research (JHSSR). King serves on the following editorial boards: South East Asia Research; TRaNS: Trans-Regional and National Studies of Southeast Asia; as an Editorial Advisor on East Asia: An International Quarterly; and as a member of the International Editorial Board of the International Journal of Asia Pacific Studies. He serves as an editorial board member of the Asia in Transition book series and as Editor of The Modern Anthropology of Southeast Asia book series. He is Senior Editorial Advisor, Regional Center for Social Science and Sustainable Development, Chiang Mai University Press. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. The Universiti Brunei Darussalam has established an annual The Professor Victor T. King Prize in Borneo Studies, for the best final year undergraduate dissertation.
King has acted as Honorary Secretary (1976–1983), Treasurer (1988–1992) and Chair (2007–2010) of the Association of South-East Asian Studies in the United Kingdom (ASEASUK). and was a member (1979–1983, 2007–2010) of the United Kingdom Coordinating Council of Area Studies Associations (UKCASA). He served (1993–1998) on the Economic and Social Research Council and was involved in the development of Southeast Asian Studies in the British Academy acting as Honorary Secretary (1982–1986) of the British Academy and British Council funded British Institute in South-East Asia (BISEA) (which is distinct from the British Chambers of Commerce funded BiSEA) and later as Secretary (1986–1998) and Chair (1998–2002). The following book was published in his honour as a leading scholar in the field of Southeast Asian Studies, by Ooi, KG (2020) Borneo and Sulawesi: Indigenous Peoples, Empires and Area Studies Routledge, London and New York .
Academic posts Following a career at the University of Hull where he was a Lecturer then a Senior Lecturer in South-East Asian Sociology at Hull (1973–1988) before promotion to Professor of South East Asian Studies (1988 to 2005) during which time he served as Dean of the School of Social and Political Sciences (1993–1996) and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (1998–2000) and as Director of Southeast Asian Studies at Hull (1988–1993, 1997–1998, 2002–2005) and Director of the university's Graduate School (2002–2005). He moved to the University of Leeds where he was Professor of South East Asian Studies and served as Executive Director of the White Rose East Asia Centre, in partnership with the University of Sheffield, funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) (2006–2012).
He retired in 2012 as emeritus Professor in the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies and Honorary Fellow in South East Asian Studies (2012–2017), University of Leeds and has since held posts at Universiti Brunei Darussalam in the Institute of Asian Studies, as Eminent Visiting Professor (2012–2013), Distinguished Visiting Fellow, (2014–2016), the inaugural Professor of Borneo Studies (2017–2022). He was Distinguished Professor (2022–2025) and has been visiting professor in the Institute of Asian Studies since 2025. He has held Research Fellowships at the Rijksmuseum voor Volkenkunde, KITLV/Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies, Chiang Mai University, SOAS University of London, University of Leeds and Busan University of Foreign Studies.
Bibliography King VT (1978) Essays on Borneo Societies Oxford University Press for the University of Hull, Oxford Avé JB, King VT, De Wit, JGW (1983) West Kalimantan: A Bibliography Foris Publications Holland/USA, Dordrecht and Cinnaminson, Koninklijk Instituut voor Taal, Land- en Volkenkunde, Bibliographical Series 13 King VT (1985) The Maloh of West Kalimantan An Ethnographic Study of Social Inequality and Social Change among an Indonesian Borneo People Series: Verhandelingen van het Koninklijk Instituut voor Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde, Volume: 108, Foris Publications, Dordrecht-Holland Ave JB, King VT (1986) Borneo: Oerwoud in Ondergang. Culturen op Drift Rijksmuseum voor Volkenkunde, Leiden Avé JB, King VT (1986) People of the Weeping Forest: Tradition and Change in Borneo National Museum of Ethnology, Leiden Bassett DK, King VT (Eds) (1986) Britain and South-East Asia University of Hull, Centre for South-East Asian Studies, Occasional Paper No 13 King VT (Ed) (1989) HF Tillema. A Journey among the Peoples of Central Borneo in Word and Picture Oxford University Press, Singapore King VT, Parnwell M (Eds) (1990) Margins and Minorities: The Peripheral Areas and Peoples of Malaysia Hull University Press, Hull King VT (1990) Between West and East: Policy and Practice in South-East Asian Studies in Britain Hull University Press, Hull Heinz WS, Pfennig W, King VT (Eds) (1990) The Military in Politics: Southeast Asian Experiences Hull University, Centre for South-East Asian Studies King VT (1991) Introduction, Carl Lumholtz, Through Central Borneo Oxford University Press, Singapore King VT (Compiler) (1992) A Register of Current United Kingdom Research on Maritime South-East Asia: Malysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam University of Hull for the Association of South-East Asian Studies in the United Kingdom King VT (1992) The Best of Borneo Travel Oxford University Press, Kuala Lumpur King VT, Nazaruddin MJ (Eds) (1992) Issues in Rural Development in Malaysia Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Kuala Lumpur King VT, Nazaruddin MJ (Eds) (1992) Isu-Isu Pembangunan Luar Bandar di Malaysia Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Kuala Lumpur King VT (Ed) (1992) The Rejang of Southern Sumatra University of Hull, Centre for South-East Asian Studies King VT (1993) The Peoples of Borneo (The Peoples of South-East Asia and the Pacific) Wiley-Blackwell, London King VT (1993) Tourism in Borneo Borneo Research Council, Phillips, Maine, Borneo Research Council Proceedings Hitchcock M, King VT, Parnwell MJG (Eds) (1993) Tourism in South-East Asia Routledge, London and New York King VT (Ed) (1995) Explorers of South-East Asia: Six Lives Oxford University Press, Kuala Lumpur King VT, Horton AVM (Eds) (1995) From Buckfast to Borneo: Essays Presented to Father Robert Nicholl on the 85th Anniversary of his Birth 27 March 1995 Sarawak Literary Society, Ampang Press Sdn Bhd, Kuala Lumpur King VT (1996) Planning for Agrarian Change: Hydro-electric Power, Resettlement and Iban Swidden Cultivators in Sarawak East Malaysia Occasional Paper No 11, University of Hull: Centre for South-East Asian Studies King VT (1997) The Simple Guide to Malaysia: Customs and Etiquette: Series 1: Customs & Etiquette Simple Guides, Cologne Hitchcock, M, King VT (Eds) (1997) Images of Malay-Indonesian Identity Oxford University Press, Kuala Lumpur King VT (1998) Environmental Challenges in South-East Asia Routledge, London King VT (1999) Anthropology and Development in South-East Asia: Theory and Practice (South-East Asian Social Science Monographs) Oxford University Press, Kuala Lumpur King VT (1999) Moving Pictures: More Borneo Travel Oxford University Press, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia King VT (Ed) (1999) Rural Development and Social Science Research: Case Studies from Borneo Borneo Research Council, Phillips, Maine, Borneo Research Council Proceedings No 6 Khng P, King VT (2001) Register of South-East Asianists in the United Kingdom, British Academy Committee for South-East Asian Studies/Association of South-East Asian Studies University of Hull King VT, Wilder WD (2002) The modern anthropology of South-East Asia: an introduction Routledge, London Jawan JA, King VT (2004) Ethnicity and Electoral Politics in Sarawak Bangi, Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia King VT (2005) Defining Southeast Asia and the Crisis in Area Studies: Personal Reflections on a Region Lund University, Centre for East and South-East Asian Studies, Working Paper No 13 King VT (2007) Customs & Etiquette of Malaysia Bravo Ltd, London, Simple Guides Hitchcock M, King VT, Parnwell M (Eds) (2008) Tourism in Southeast Asia: challenges and new directions Silkworm Books, Chiang Mai King VT (2008) Malaysia - Culture Smart! The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture Culture Smart, London King VT (2008) The Sociology of Southeast Asia: Transformations in a Developing Region NIAS Press, Copenhagen Hitchcock M, King VT, Parnwell M (Eds) (2009) Tourism in Southeast Asia: Challenges and New Directions Silkworm Books, Chiang Mai; NIAS Press, Copenhagen King VT (2008) Cultuur Bewust! Malëisië. Een leidraad voor gewoonten en etiquette Uitgeverij Elmar, Delft Hitchcock M, King VT, Parnwell M (Eds) (2010) Heritage Tourism in Southeast Asia Copenhagen: NIAS Press King VT (2012) Culture and Identity: Some Borneo Comparisons Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Institute of Asian Studies, Working Paper No 1 King VT (2013) UNESCO in Southeast Asia: World Heritage in Comparative Perspective Working Paper No 4. Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Institute of Asian Sian Studies King VT (2013) Kalimantan Tempo Doeloe Komunitas Bambu, Depok Park SW, King VT (Eds) (2013) The Historical Construction of Southeast Asian Studies: Korea and Beyond ISEAS Publishing, Singapore King VT (Ed) (2013) Environmental Challenges in South-East Asia (NIAS Man and Nature in Asia) (1st edition) Routledge, London King VT, Wilder WD (2012) Antropologi Modern Asia Tenggara Sebuah Pengantar Kreasi Wacana, Jakarta King VT (2013) Borneo and Beyond: Reflections on Borneo Studies, Anthropology and the Social Sciences Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Institute of Asian Studies, Working Paper No 3 Porananond, P, King VT (Eds) (2014) Rethinking Asian Tourism: Culture, Encounters and Local Response Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Newcastle upon Tyne King VT (Ed) (2013) Environmental Challenges in South-East Asia (NIAS Man and Nature in Asia) (1st edition) Routledge, London King VT (2015) UNESCO in Southeast Asia: World Heritage Sites in Comparative Perspective: 55 (NIAS Studies in Asian Topics) Silkworm Books, Chiang Mai Porananond, P, King VT (Eds) (2016) Tourism and Monarchy in Southeast Asia Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Newcastle upon Tyne Carnegie PJ, King VT, Zawawi I (Eds) (2016) Human Insecurities in Southeast Asia Springer Science+Business Media, Singapore