Call for Proposals: ASIAC Days in Central Asia 2026

Overview

ASIAC and CAPS Unlock are thrilled to invite submissions for the conference “Local Voices, Global Debates: ASIAC Days in Central Asia”, the first ASIAC-sponsored conference in Central Asia dedicated to bringing our vibrant interdisciplinary scholarly space closer to Central Asian scholars, which will take place on 7-8 September 2026 in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

This conference aims to bring fresh energy to the field by combining rigorous academic debate with hands-on exchange and collaborative reflection between local and international Central Asia studies experts. The programme will feature organised panels and roundtables, and thematic panels collecting authors’ submissions. Furthermore, the event will feature workshops with senior academics and editors on research design, methods and publication, as well as networking events designed to spark dialogue, share experiences, and strengthen scholarly networks across the region and beyond.

Topics

We welcome contributions addressing a broad range of topics related to Central Asia. To facilitate networking and coherence, we have decided to focus our attention on the following interdisciplinary themes:

• Political economy, development, production, labour and social transformation
• Borders, migration, infrastructure, and connectivity
• Climate, water, energy, environment, and sustainability
• Knowledge production, methods, and fieldwork practice in Central Asia

We also encourage contributions that explore the evolving relations between Italy and Central Asia within the broader context of contemporary regional dynamics, including political, economic, cultural, and academic exchanges.

How to apply

Submissions may take the form of individual paper proposals, panel proposals (3-4 papers with a chair and/or discussant), or roundtables (3-5 participants and a chair).

1. Organised panels: We strongly encourage participants who submit proposals for organised panels to include participants from different universities or research institutions and one chair. Panel proposals should include a short description (approximately 100 words) on the general theme of the panel, and an abstract for each of the papers included in the panel, as well as name, affiliation and contact information for all participants.
2. Organised roundtables: Panel proposals should include a short description (250-400 words) on the general theme of the roundtable, as well as names, affiliations and contact information for all participants.
3. Individual papers: Proposals for individual papers should include a title and an abstract (max 300 words), and the affiliation and contact information for all the authors and speakers.

As usual for ASIAC conferences, we also invite visual submissions, where we welcome documentaries, short films, photographs, graphic novels, and other visual formats of research. Submissions for the Visual section should be accompanied by a 250-word description explaining their connection to the themes of the conference.

Book presentations and other forms of panels should be discussed by writing to Dr Frank Maracchione at: fm31@soas.ac.uk.

All proposals should be submitted via this link: https://forms.gle/9dK2kKUh2CCd6tTn9

The deadline for proposal submission is 23 May 2026 at 23:59 (CET).

Please note that proposals received via email will not be considered!

The conference will take place in person. Under special circumstances (e.g., issues obtaining mobility funds or visas), the organising committee might accept participants joining remotely via e-conferencing tools.

The working language of the conference will be English. Full panel proposals in languages other than English (including any regional language, Russian, and others) will be considered on a case-by-case basis; in such cases, language preference should be clearly expressed in the panel proposal submission. A selection of papers (in English) will also be considered for publication in ASIAC’s academic journal Studies on Central Asia and the Caucasus: https://riviste.fupress.net/index.php/asiac/index.

The acceptance of papers and panels will be communicated by 1 July 2026.

Conference fees

Audience attendance is free, but all speakers must register and pay the conference fee, which will also serve as the ASIAC Association 2026 membership fee, with a special price:

• Free for PhD students and non-structured scholars (without a permanent contract).
• € 35 for established Central Asian scholars.
• € 75 for established scholars from outside Central Asia, and professionals.

We will also ask scholars with larger research funds, or those people or organisations that simply wish to contribute, to pay a solidarity fee of their choice to help cover certain expenses for local scholars. Depending on fundraising, we might be able to offer support to a limited number of scholars for expenses.

Useful dates:

• Deadline for proposal submission: 23 May 2026, 23:59 CEST.
• Notification of acceptance: 1 July 2026.
• Registration and fee payment: 31 July 2026.

The Treasurer will notify participants about the payments received after the 31 July deadline. Lack of payment will result in removal from the Conference programme. In case of urgent issues, contact tesoriere@asiac.net.

• Publication of the final programme: 15 August 2026.
• Conference dates: 7-8 September 2026.
• Venue to be confirmed.

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This conference is organised by an Organising Committee composed of Frank Maracchione, Tlegen Kuandykov, Aida Aidarkulova, Giulia Sciorati, and Carlo Frappi in close cooperation with ASIAC’s Board of Directors, and CAPS Unlock.