As the largest gathering of experts working on Asia in the southern hemisphere, the biennial ASAA Conference offers a unique platform for developing and discussing research ideas, broadening the scope and foci of area studies and related disciplines, and fostering the growth of academic and institutional networks. A regular feature of Australian scholarship since 1976, the ASAA conference brings together aspiring, emerging, and experienced scholars and practitioners to shape and inform future trajectories of Asian Studies in the country and beyond.

The 2026 conference will explore the evolving connections within and between Asian societies in an era marked by rapid change – geopolitical realignments, climate challenges, digital transformation, and shifting cultural identities. It encourages a rethinking of traditional boundaries – geographic, disciplinary, ideological – and promotes dialogue on how best to co-create inclusive, resilient, and innovative futures.

We invite contributions that interrogate the concept of ‘borders’ – physical, cultural, intellectual – and explore how (and how much) societies are being reconnected and reshaped in the 21st century. Whether through the lens of migration, heritage, media, diplomacy, or digital innovation, this conference seeks to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and reimagine what regional connections means today.