Harvard Southeast Asia Studies Graduate Symposium 2025

Call for Papers

We are pleased to announce the Harvard Southeast Asia Studies Graduate Student Symposium on April 4-5, 2025. The symposium will be hosted at Harvard University and will feature symposium panels, workshops, and a keynote lecture by Thongchai Winichakul, Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The symposium will focus on the theme applied, centering its discussions aroudn the relationships between research and society. Our definition of applied not only includes its conventional understandings--as practice (applied speculations)--we also invite proposals that explore the interfaces between academia and society at large, including positions that expand, question, and challenge its definition.

The symposium will bring together graduate students from various academic departments, in particular anthropology, built environment studies, education, environmental studies, geography, history, political science, post-colonial studies, public health, religion, science, and technology studies. We especially encourage master's degree students and graduate students at universities in Southeast Asia to apply. The symposium serves as a platform for emerging scholars to discuss work-in-progress in the context of Southeast Asia. Our aim is to facilitate cross-disciplinary conversations among scholars who are exploring questions related to research and society.

Format

The symposium format is designed to be a platform for exchange, with panels featuring short paper presentations, followed by structured discussions among panelists and the audience:

Day 1: Keynote lecture and symposium panels. Each participant will deliver a 7-minute presentation, followed by 45-minute discussion among panelists and 30-minute open discussion with the audience. Open to the public.

Day 2: Discussion groups and social sessions, including comments by co-panelists and Harvard faculty on panelist papers. Open to participants only.

Modality: The symposium will be conducted in person, with limited travel subsidies available for both domestic and international participants. Subsidies will be based on need and region and are not guaranteed. East Coast: $150; Midwest: $250, West Coast: $400, Europe: $500, Southeast Asia/Other Regions: $600-$800. Exceptional cases may be considered. Please provide a budget and 100-word statement of need; more instructions noted in the application form.

Eligibility

We accept submissions from master's, pre-dissertation, dissertation-writing, and recently graduated students. We regrettably cannot accept abstracts from full-time faculty--part-time faculty who are current graduate students are welcome to submit. We especially encourage graduate students from universities in Southeast Asia to apply.

Abstract Submission

Please submit a 300-word abstract, a 3-item bibliography, a 150-word expression on what you hope to take away from participating in the symposium, and a bio via this link: https://bit.ly/H-SEA-GS-25

Applications will be accepted until January 3, 2025 and accepted participants will be notified by January 17, 2025. Accepted participants will be expected to submit their papers (5,000 word limit) by March 15, 2025.

Please contact asiacenter_southeastasia@harvard.edu for any clarifications. We will not accept submissions via e-mail. We look forward to your participation in this academic exchange!