UCLA Opens Submissions For 10th Annual South Asia Graduate Conference

India-West Staff Reporter

LOS ANGELES -The UCLA Center for India and South Asia (CISA) has announced its Call for Papers for the Tenth Annual Graduate Interdisciplinary Conference on South Asia. The one-day event is scheduled for  May 22, 2026. This conference aims to create an essential forum for graduate students to present and discuss contemporary research on the region.

CISA encourages submissions across a broad range of academic disciplines. These include the social sciences, humanities, science and technology studies, public policy, and business programs. The organizers will also consider presentations utilizing audio-visual and other creative media formats, provided the final program allows for them. The event is open to the wider academic community, including faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and the general public.

Graduate students at all stages of their careers are invited to apply. Submissions should prioritize accessibility to an interdisciplinary audience to foster dialogue across different academic fields. The conference will be anchored by the CISA Annual Lecture, delivered by Professor Elora Shahabuddin of Gender and Women’s Studies at the University of California, Berkeley.

The deadline for abstract submissions is December 31, 2025. Abstracts must not exceed 250 words and must be submitted via the specified online link. Applicants will be notified of the acceptance status of their abstracts starting March 1, 2026.

The conference requires that all presenters attend in-person. Each accepted participant will have 20 minutes to present their research, followed by a 10-minute question-and-answer session. The center specifies that co-authored papers with professors will not be accepted. Presenters are expected to secure their own travel and accommodation funding, although CISA noted that it has limited financial resources available to offer partial support for these costs, subject to financial constraints.