Since 2020 Michael Falser has a DFG-Heisenberg-Fellowship with the research project "German-colonial architecture as a global project around 1900 and as a transcultural heritage today", carried out at the Chair of Theory and History of Architecture, Art and Design.
His book Angkor Wat is a multi-volume study of the modern history of this 12th-century temple complex from a transcultural and heritage-making perspective. The monumental study traces the transformation of Angkor Wat’s status from a site of French colonial heritage to a global symbol of Cambodian nationalism. Published in 2020 with DeGruyter/Berlin, Angkor Wat was first written in 2014 as a Habilitation under the name Heritage as a Transcultural Concept. From Plaster Casts to Exhibition Pavilions: Translating Angkor Wat for the French Colonial métropole (1867–1937).
The biennial ICAS Book Prize (IBP) was established by ICAS in 2003. The IBP is awarded to outstanding publications in the field of Asian Studies. It has created an international focus for publications on Asia, which has increased their worldwide visibility and recognition.
In total 247 books were submitted. For further information visit the IBP 2021 website.