Jean-Michel Filippi

Jean-Michel Filippi is a professor of Khmer studies at the Royal University of Phnom Penh. He holds a Ph.D. in linguistics and master’s degrees in anthropology and mathematics.

He specializes in the description of the Khmer language and various minority languages of Cambodia and Southeast Asia. He is currently in charge of a UNESCO program about minority languages and cultures in Cambodia’s Cardamom Mountains. Jean-Michel has published several articles and books about these topics, mainly in French and Khmer, but also in English, including “Everyday Khmer” and the soon to be published “Preliminary Researches About Cambodian Minority Languages”.

Apart from linguistics, he has always had a great interest in Cambodian history and art. His book, Strolling Around Phnom Penh, was published in 2012 and describes seven strolls through time and space aimed at introducing the reader to Phnom Penh and Cambodian modern history with emphasis on politics, economy, architecture, culture, and town planning. His upcoming book, 1000 Years of Art and History in Cambodia, will present the results of a five year research project about the relationships between sculpture and politics in Cambodia from the fifth to the 15th century.

He also writes a blog with more than 68 introductory articles about Cambodia, mostly in French, but increasingly with articles in English.