AAS-in-Asia Lahore 2026

Welcome to AAS-in-Asia Lahore 2026!

In 2026, Lahore prepares to host the Association for Asian Studies’ flagship AAS-in-Asia Conference, bringing together scholars, students, and practitioners from across Asia, West Asia, Africa, Middle East, and beyond.

With the theme Centering Asia: Refiguring Connections, Recharting Futures, this conference highlights Asia’s significance as a region of both continuity and reinvention. Home to more than 4.8 billion people, Asia contains some of the world’s largest economies, vibrant cultural and knowledge traditions, and dynamic histories of exchange. It is also shaped by persistent conflicts, climate disruption, and displacement.

By convening in Lahore, a historic crossroads of empires, faiths, trade, and creativity, this gathering underscores the urgency and opportunity of engaging Asia as a vital focus for rethinking global challenges and imagining just and livable futures.

We look forward to welcoming you to an inspiring and enriching experience!

Centering Asia: Refiguring Connections, Recharting Futures

At AAS-in-Asia 2026 in Lahore, we invite scholars to engage with Asia's significance as a site of continuity and reinvention in global history. With an estimated population of more than 4.8 billion, Asia is home to some of the world's largest economies and vibrant cultural traditions and knowledge systems. Like other continents, Asia also faces dilemmas as well as acute vulnerabilities to environmental stressors, displacement, and precarity—challenges that defy conventional borders and demand collaborative responses. We call upon researchers to join us in exploring multi-layered pasts by following local connections wherever they may lead, revealing transnational geographies that center Asia beyond both nation-state and conventional area studies boundaries. 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT HYBRID/VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION

In-person attendance remains the primary format of the conference. However, to accommodate applicants who face significant barriers to travel including visa scrutiny, political constraints, funding limitations or others, the following policy applies:

1. Eligibility for Virtual Participation: Virtual participation is available to applicants who cannot travel due to verifiable constraints.

2. Two Levels of Virtual Participation:

   a. Session-only Access: Participants may present their work virtually in their assigned session. Access will be limited to their own panel/roundtable. This option maintains the integrity of the in-person conference while offering flexibility to the speakers.

   b. Full Virtual Conference Access: This option provides access to all virtual sessions, including panels, roundtables, and interactive components.

3. Visa Support for Those able to Travel: For applicants who wish to attend in person, organizers will be informing embassies to facilitate the visa process once applications are submitted. In addition, organizers will provide the necessary documentation (invitation letter, affiliation confirmation, and any additional documentation that may be required). Should you have any specific enquiries about the visa application process, please contact:visaAAS2026@lums.edu.pk

4. Flexibility to Change Registration Type: Participants may switch between in-person, session-only virtual, or full virtual access up to 4 months before the conference. Changes after that point may not be feasible due to scheduling and technical arrangements.

5. Maintaining the In-Person Priority: Virtual modes are made available to ensure participation from scholars otherwise excluded. They do not replace the core in-person nature of the event.