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February 26-27
Interdisciplinary Theme: Crossroads
Format: Virtual ($125 Registration Fee)*
Crossroads are meeting points but also decision points. A physical crossroad can be a meeting point at which multiple people exchange goods and ideas. It can also be a point in time and space that allows for a change of course.
Explore how the concept of the crossroads, as both a physical site of intellectual exchange and a critical moment for re-envisioning academic pathways, informs and transforms the interdisciplinary field of Asian Studies.
This conference is for anyone who teaches, researches, or wants to learn more about Asian Studies. It is an excellent forum to think of new ways to infuse coursework or the curriculum with Asian Studies. Everyone is welcome: from experts to students who have an interest in Asia (at-large). Please join us! Register here.
Abstract Submissions are accepted through January 21, 2026.
Coming Soon! Keynote Speaker
*The $125 fee includes annual membership in the Asian Studies Development Program Alumni Association. By the act of conference attendance, you are automatically included in the alumni association.
Abstract Submission Criteria
At this global crossroads, societies in Asia and beyond are navigating profound challenges and opportunities. Economic security, youth engagement, migration, and artificial intelligence (AI) have become defining issues that intersect with enduring questions of identity, belonging, creativity, and resiliency. The conference invites participants to explore how these intersections are reconfiguring human experience and understanding in 21st century Asia-Pacific Region.
We particularly welcome proposals that consider:
The economic and cultural crossroads of security, inequality, and resiliency.
The experiences and aspirations of youth in a rapidly changing Asia-Pacific region.
Migration and diaspora as spaces of negotiation, adaptation, and cultural exchange.
The implications of AI and digital technologies for society, ethics, education, and art.
Traditional and contemporary expressions of Asian cultures through literature, art, philosophy, religion, and performance.
Pedagogical innovations in teaching Asian Studies across disciplines and modalities.
Proposal Guidelines
We invite proposals for:
Individual Papers (15–20 minutes)
Panel Sessions (3–4 presenters on a shared theme)
Workshops (interactive or pedagogical demonstrations)
Proposals should include:
Title of presentation or session
Abstract (250 words maximum)
Presenter name(s), institutional affiliation(s), and contact email(s)
Previous Conferences
Previous Conferences
Research & Pedagogical Collaboration
Research & Pedagogical Collaboration
Each year, the ASDP Alumni Association partners with the ASDP at the East-West Center to organize an academic conference that focuses on the interdisciplinary nature of Asian Studies.
Each conference has a different theme and integrates both research and pedagogical approaches in undergraduate Asian Studies. Many participants seeks ways to infuse their current curricula with Asian modules, themes, and/or courses.
Faculty can promote their books at selected times during the conference. Participants come from around the world to engage in this intimate academic meeting.
In addition, cultural tours to Asian heritage sites and art musuems in American cities are offered as an experiential component to these conferences.
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