SEASIA2026: 6th Consortium for Southeast Asian Studies in Asia Biennial Conference School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, Singapore, July 8-10, 2026

The 6th Consortium for Southeast Asian Studies in Asia Biennal Conference 2026:

Conference Theme:  Forging Southeast Asia's Futures

The Consortium for Southeast Asian Studies in Asia (SEASIA) invites scholars, practitioners, artists, and educators to submit proposals for its 6th Biennial Conference, to be held at the School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, from 8 – 10 July 2026. Building on a legacy of region‑based forums that began in 2013, SEASIA 2026 will explore how power structures and agency intersect across governance, economics, the environment, culture, migration, and digital technologies to shape multiple, contested pathways for the region’s future. 

Official Conference Sub‑themes

1. Geopolitics, Governance, and the Agency of the State 
2. Economic Architectures and Pathways to Inclusive Growth 
3. Environmental Justice, Climate Change, and Ecological Agency 
4. The Digital Nexus: Technology, Media, and Cybercultures 
5. The Power of the Past: History, Memory, and Narrative Agency 
6. Aesthetics of Agency: Arts, Literatures, and Cultural Expression 
7. Mobility, Migration, and Transnational Communities 
8. Dynamics of Identity: Religion, Ethnicity, and Gender (Social Stability/Equality) 
9. The Educational Nexus: Pedagogy, Power, and the Practice of Teaching Southeast Asia

Submission Guidelines

The Conference Committee shall consider the following participation profiles:

1. Oral Presentation

a. Organized Panel: The panel proposal must be approximately 500 words, outlining the panel’s central theme, intellectual objective, and its relevance to the conference sub-themes. This proposal must also include the names of all confirmed presenters and the chair/discussant, along with 3 to 4 individual paper abstracts of approximately 250 words each.  Organized panels should prioritize intellectual diversity and must avoid including more than two scholars from the same university or institution.

b. Roundtable: Roundtable proposals must be approximately 500 words, clearly stating the intellectual or policy objective of the discussion and its relevance to the sub-themes. The proposal must include a Chair/Moderator and 3–5 key Contributors. A brief summary (approx. 50 words each) of each Contributor's unique perspective must be included to demonstrate intellectual diversity, along with an explanation of how the session will ensure maximum audience engagement. Roundtables prioritize dynamic discussion over paper presentation.  Roundtables should prioritize intellectual diversity and must avoid including more than two scholars from the same university or institution.

c. Individual Presentation: The abstract must be approximately 500 words, detailing the research question, theoretical framework, methodology, sources utilized, and the main findings or arguments of the paper. You must clearly state the paper's contribution to Southeast Asian Studies. Individual papers will be grouped by the Committee into thematically coherent panels.

d. Discussant: Scholars wishing to serve as a Discussant should submit a brief statement (approximately 250 words) that must include two sections: 1) Nomination: Nominate the specific sub-theme(s) and key topic areas within the conference for which they are best suited to provide commentary. 2) Justification: Justify their qualifications by referencing relevant expertise, recent publications, academic qualifications, and any other relevant experience that demonstrates their suitability as a discussant for the nominated topic(s).

2. Poster Presentation

Poster Presentation: The poster proposal must be approximately 500 words, outlining the research background, methodology, key data or visual materials to be presented, and the conclusions expected. Poster presentations should be designed for a portrait format of A1 SIZE

Submission Platform

All abstracts and poster proposals must be submitted through EasyChair. Detailed instructions on how to create an account and upload a submission are available at: https://easychair.org/help/how_to_submit

For technical assistance with EasyChair, please refer to EasyChair Support

Important Dates

Contact

Any questions regarding the call, submission requirements, or conference logistics should be directed to: 

Email: seasia2026@ntu.edu.sg

We look forward to your contributions and to shaping the future of Southeast Asian studies together!