Professor Robinson brings a good deal of practical experience to his teaching and research. From 1989 to 1995 he was Head of Research for Island Southeast Asia at Amnesty International headquarters in London. In that capacity he wrote two monographs and many shorter reports on human rights conditions in Indonesia, East Timor, and the Philippines. Since leaving Amnesty International in 1995, he has continued to work on human rights and humanitarian issues, both independently and as a consultant to various international organizations. From June to November 1999, he took leave from UCLA to serve as a Political Affairs Officer with the United Nations in East Timor. From 2002 - 2005 he served as Director of the UCLA Center for  Southeast Asian Studies.  He continues to teach courses on the history of Southeast Asia.