Historian Eric Jones, acting director of Northern Illinois University’s Center for Southeast Asian Studies, will present, “The Center for Southeast Asian Studies at NIU: An International Window on the World,” as part of Brown Bag/Local Lore program at noon March 5 at the Ellwood House Visitor Center in DeKalb.

The Center for Southeast Asian Studies is dedicated to increasing the world’s knowledge and understanding of the 11 countries of Southeast Asia. Established in 1963, the center grew out of one of the first Peace Corps training programs for Southeast Asia volunteers. Driven by growth of area studies in the 1960s and 1970s, CSEAS has over the years educated hundreds of American and Southeast Asian students the languages, culture, history and politics of this increasingly strategic part of the globe. Currently, NIU teaches five Southeast Asian languages: Burmese, Indonesian, Khmer, Tagalog and Thai. In 1997, it was designated a U.S. Department of Education Title VI National Resource Center, the only such center on campus and one of only six in the nation.

“In looking at NIU’s 125th Anniversary events, this program will showcase one example of NIU’s international connections,” Michelle Donahoe, DeKalb County History Center executive director, said in a news release. “We are looking forward to hearing more about this program and sharing it with the local community.”

Jones, who received his Ph.D. in history from the University of California-Berkeley in 2003, is a specialist in colonial Southeast Asia and the author of “Wives, Slaves, and Concubines: A History of the Female Underclass in Dutch Asia.” He is the host of Southeast Asia Crossroads podcast, available on Soundcloud, that consists of conversations with experts covering topics from history and politics to art and culture in Southeast Asia. So far, the podcast has drawn listeners from 70 countries.

The Brown Bag/Local Lore program takes place on the first Thursday of the month and is co-sponsored by the Ellwood House and DeKalb County History Center. The March 5 program will be at noon at the Ellwood House Museum, 509 N. First St. Coffee and cookies will be provided. There is no charge, but donations are welcome.

For information, visit dekalbcountyhistory.org or call 815-895-5762.