SELECTED WORK & RECOGNITION
“The Future of Cambodian Heritage under China,” Institute of Asian Research Memo (2017)
“Effectiveness of International Agencies in Cambodian Heritage,” Canadian Council for Southeast Asian Studies (2017)
Inaugural Graduate Student Conference, Centre for Southeast Asian Research at UBC (2016)
“Recycling with a Heart: UBC Student Efforts in Cambodia,” University of British Columbia article (2011)
Awards
Research Travel Award, Canadian Association for Southeast Asian Studies (2024)
Fieldwork Research Award, Australian National University (2013–2014)
YMCA Power of Peace Award (2012)
Global Fund Award, University of British Columbia (2010)
CV available upon request
Sarah Holma, PhD
Sarah Holma is an anthropologist and public lecturer based in Vancouver, Canada. She earned her PhD from Leiden University in October 2026. Her doctoral research examined the historical development of cultural heritage management in Cambodia, with particular attention to Angkor, international institutions, and the ways heritage decisions are made.
She holds an MA in Asian Pacific Policy Studies from the University of British Columbia, where she also studied Asian Studies and Anthropology.
Sarah has worked as a field archaeologist in Cambodia, Canada, and Australia, and has worked with UNESCO, the Australian Defence Force Academy, and the Australian National University.
She founded SAA: SEARCH in 2008, an initiative concerned with archaeological education and capacity building in Southeast Asia. This work later developed into Capacity Building Faculties of Archaeology in Cambodia (CBFAC), through which she continues to support Cambodian colleagues working to develop educational opportunities in archaeology.
Sarah is particularly interested in the relationship between cultural heritage, institutions, and the communities whose histories and cultural practices are represented through heritage management. Her work reflects a longstanding commitment to locally led research and archaeological education.
Alongside her academic work, Sarah delivers public lectures on archaeology, anthropology, cultural history, and World Heritage. Her presentations draw on research, field experience, and the stories of people and places across Southeast Asia, the Pacific, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
EDUCATION
PhD, Leiden University, Leiden Institute for Area Studies (LIAS), 2026
A Diachronic Analysis of the Process of Heritage Management in CambodiaMA, Asian Pacific Policy Studies, University of British Columbia, 2011
BA, Asian Studies (2008) and Anthropological Archaeology (2009), University of British Columbia
Diploma, Pacific Rim Studies, Langara College, 2003
Archaeology Field Training Certification, Similkameen River, British Columbia, 2003
Sarah Holma is an anthropologist and public lecturer specializing in archaeology, world heritage, and cultural landscapes. If you are interested in a lecture or program, please feel free to get in touch at holmasarah@gmail.com
