50 Years of Southeast Asian Studies: Regional Contours, Global Trajectories

11-12 December 2025

Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur

Call for Papers

 

ICONSEA 11, with the theme 50 Years of Southeast Asian Studies: Regional Contour, Global Trajectories deliberates on area studies, focusing on the regional contours shaping Southeast Asia in the last 5 decades. Cognisant of past and emerging global trends in the field, ICONSEA 11 reflects upon the evolving epistemologies, approaches and pathways in Southeast Asian Studies, as well as new global trajectories such as the Sustainable Development Goals.

While multi-disciplinary research in the field has contributed significantly to academia, impacting policies, livelihood and governance, area studies in Southeast Asia have come under much scrutiny owing to its exogenous origins, lack of theoretical robustness and crises ranging from disciplinal legitimacy to structural deficiencies. Scholarship on the region remains a fertile ground, at least in the region, with many new centres emerging within the region (especially in Thailand and Indonesia) and in East Asia (China and Korea), recording increasing student enrolment. ICONSEA 11 revisits the growth and potentials of area studies by reflecting on the scholarship on Southeast Asia in the last 50 years as an entry point.  

At the regional level, ASEAN continues to struggle with various national and regional conflicts and protests. Changing international geo-politics, emerging power brokers, implications of the trade war between China and America, the South China Sea dispute, all impact ASEAN’s centrality. Other issues facing the region including, democratic fluctuations, authoritarian regimes, economic inequality and environmental crises pose huge challenges, that need investigation and solutions. Multi stakeholders including state, non-state and regional as well as international organisations have pivotal roles in ensuring the wellbeing of the nation, rescuing it from chaos and compromise. Emerging digital mobilization too plays a vital role in shaping collective action, with a stronger presence of the youth generations. In a nutshell, Southeast Asian Studies responds to the domestic and global and its resilience is shaped by regional contours and global trajectories. Accordingly, the ICONSEA 11 interrogates area studies, from the intersections of epistemologies, approaches and pathways.   To this end, we welcome panels that contribute to a grounded understanding of the scholarship in this field.  

 

THEME AND SUBTHEMES

The theme of the conference is 50 YEARS OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN STUDIES: REGIONAL CONTOUR, GLOBAL TRAJECTORIES. We invite academics, scholars, and researchers to delve deep into the epistemologies, approaches and pathways in area studies as well as its response to global agendas such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We seek panels or individual abstracts addressing the following, albeit not limited, themes.

• Scholarship in Southeast Asian Studies
• Security and International Relations
• Democratisation, Authoritarianism and Politics  
• Media, Censorship and Digital Surveillance
• Human Rights, Gender, Civil Society
• Labour, Precarity and Entrepreneurship
• Economy, Inequality, Financial Governance
• Migration, Diaspora and Vulnerability
• Environment, Food Security and Sustainability
• Maritime Communities, Ocean Governance
• Culture, Arts and Heritage
• Language, Education and Technology
• Literature, Films and Heritage
• Conflict, Chaos, Integrity and Governance
• Charity and Philanthropy
• Religion, Faith and Harmony
• SDG Pathways
• Any other issues related to Southeast Asia

 

IMPORTANT DATES AND DEADLINES

September 30, 2025:        Abstract submission

October 30, 2025:             Notification of acceptance 

November 15, 2025:         Online registration for the Conference

November 15, 2025:         Full paper submission (to be included in the program book)

December 11&12, 2025:   Paper presentation

December 13, 2025:          Field Trip (optional) - registration and payment during the conference

December 31, 2025:         Paper Submission (for edited book only) 

 

REGISTRATION FEE

Presenters:                      RM 500.00

Postgraduate Students:   RM 250.00

 

The conference fee includes all meals during the conference, a welcome dinner, a program book and a conference tote bag.

 

CONFERENCE VENUE

The conference will be held at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpu, MALAYSIA

 

CONTACT INFORMATION

Please email your abstract to: iconsea@um.edu.my

Contact information is as follows:

 

Secretariat

11^th International Conference on Southeast Asia (ICONSEA2025)

Department of Southeast Asian Studies

Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Universiti Malaya

50603 Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia.

Email: iconsea@um.edu.my

Please visit our website for other details.