Call for Papers｜Eighth International Conference on Lao Studies (ICLS 8)

September 10-13, 2026 | Heidelberg University, Germany

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The Eighth International Conference on Lao Studies (ICLS 8) invites paper and panel proposals from scholars working in the social sciences and humanities whose research relates to Laos, Lao communities, and Lao diaspora worldwide.

General Description

The conference will bring together Lao Studies scholars and researchers from all disciplines in the social sciences and humanities, and all intellectual and political perspectives, to share paper presentations, panel presentations, exhibits, performances, and cultural activities.
The following are included within the target groups of the conference:

1. All self-identified ethnic groups of Laos (e.g. Lao, Khmu, Hmong, Ieu-Mien, Akha, Phouan,Phou Tai, Nyouan, etc.);
2. Lao/Thai Isan and other ethnic Lao groups in Thailand (e.g. Lao Song, Phouan, Phou Tai, etc.)
3. Ethnic Lao living in Cambodia
4. Cross-border ethnic groups living in Vietnam, China, Burma, Thailand and Cambodia (e.g. Akha, Hmong, Phouan, Ieu-Mien, Khmu, Tai Lue, Tai Dam, Lahu, Brao, etc.)
5. Overseas diaspora originally from Laos or descendants of people from Laos (including French Lao, German Lao, Lao Americans, Hmong Americans, Khmu Americans, Australian Lao, Canadian Lao, etc.)

Conference Theme

The Time and Space of Laos: Neighbors and Transformations

Laos is often described as moving “from landlocked to landlinked,” reflecting its deep and evolving connections with neighboring countries and regions. Situated between states with differing political systems and economic conditions, Laos has developed distinctive ways of responding to external influences and internal transformations.

The theme foregrounds both time and space: the coexistence of tradition, social change, and national and geopolitical developments; contrasts between highland and lowland, city and countryside, river and forest; and expanding transregional and global connections across Asia, the Pacific, Europe, and the Americas. It also highlights how new modes of transportation and communication—such as railways, mobile technologies, and the internet—reshape everyday life alongside longer cycles of agriculture and environmental change.

Who Should Apply

• Scholars researching Laos or Lao-related communities, including ethnic groups and diasporas
• Research grounded in the social sciences or humanities
• Both individual paper and organized panel submissions are welcome

Submission Details

• Abstract deadline: February 22, 2026
• Abstract length: up to 250 words
• Submission format:
  • Individual papers or organized panels (3–4 papers + discussants)

Submit abstracts to: Laostudies8@uni-heidelberg.de

Acceptance notifications will be sent by early March 2026.

Registration

• Early registration deadline: April 15, 2026
• Fees:
  • Regular: €175 (early) / €200 (standard)
  • Student: €90 (early) / €125 (standard)

🔗 Register here: https://conferencecentral.org/42

The conference is primarily in person. A limited number of hybrid (online) slots will be available for select panels.

Full Call for Papers (PDF):