67th Annual Conference of the American Association for Chinese Studies
Institutional Host:
University of St. Thomas
Houston, TX
October 23-25, 2026
DEADLINE EXTENDED
New Submission Deadline: Monday, April 13, 2026 (11:59 PM Pacific Time)
The American Association for Chinese Studies (AACS) annual conference program committee invites proposals for panels, roundtables, and individual papers on issues concerning China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, other Chinese communities, and the Chinese diaspora for the 68th Annual Conference, hosted by the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas, October 23–25, 2026. The theme of the conference is “Governing Uncertainty: Institutions, Society, and Chinese Communities in a Changing World Order,” and we welcome submissions that engage this theme across multiple aspects of culture, diplomacy, economy, education, health, history, literature, politics, and society.
We welcome panels and papers from across a wide range of disciplines, including (but not limited to) economics, history, literature, political science, and sociology. The 2026 conference will feature roundtable discussions by specialists on the impact of the 2026 midterm elections in both the United States and Taiwan and their implications for international relations in the region, as well as a keynote address on the emerging world order. The organizers of the AACS meeting seek to offer a forum for interdisciplinary exchanges and policy dialogues and intend to construct a balanced program with panels on diverse issues of significance for scholarship across disciplines and for social and political policy.
The AACS is an interdisciplinary association devoted to the study of subjects related to China and Taiwan broadly construed (www.americanassociationforchinesestudies.org). Membership in AACS is required for participation in the annual conference, but non-members are welcome to submit proposals, join the Association, and participate in the annual meeting. We encourage submissions from junior and senior scholars and Ph.D. students from the United States and overseas. Please note that this conference is in-person only.
The program committee will give preference to proposals for panels (a chair, four papers, and a discussant) and roundtables (a chair and four other panelists). We also encourage individual paper proposals. To maintain fairness and ensure broad participation, each individual may submit only one paper or proposal
Panel proposals and individual submissions should include complete contact information, paper topics, and brief abstracts (not exceeding 250 words) as specified in the proposal forms at the end of this CFP. Panel and roundtable proposals should specify the names and roles of all participants. Please send your proposal by email to:
All proposals should include complete contact information (address, telephone number, and email) for all participants.
Scholars submitting proposals by the deadline will be notified of the program committee’s decision by Friday, May 15, 2026.
All accepted participants must register for the AACS 2026 conference and renew or apply for AACS membership before August 21, 2026. For those whose panels or papers are accepted, the AACS considers registration and attendance to be a professional obligation, to be honored unless exigent circumstances prevent participation. Please ensure that you secure travel funding from your own institution as soon as possible.
The 2026 AACS Conference Program Committee is composed of Dennis Weng (Sam Houston State University), Chair; Chien-Chung Huang (Rutgers University); Fang-Yu Li (New College of Florida); and Yenna Wu (University of California, Riverside).
For full submission formats and details, see:
68th Annual Conference of the American Association for Chinese Studies,
The University of St. Thomas
Paper panels will include a chair, four paper givers, and normally a discussant. The same person can serve as chair and discussant, or chair and paper presenter. Roundtables will have a chair, four speakers who are experts in the field, and no discussant since we want to leave time for questions from the audience. The chair and discussant, if any, should be scholars with a PhD in the field and affiliated with a university or research institute. The paper givers should submit their draft papers to their panel chairs and discussants at least two weeks before the conference. Paper abstracts should be in English and not exceed 250 words.
Panel organizer: Name, Institution, Academic Title, Address, Email address, Phone number
Panel title:
Panel abstract:
Chair: Name, Institution, Academic Title, Address, Email address, Phone number
Paper One
Paper Presenter: Name, Institution, Academic Title, Address, Email address, Phone number
Paper Title:
Abstract of Paper:
Paper Two
Paper Presenter: Name, Institution, Academic Title, Address, Email address, Phone number
Paper Title:
Abstract of Paper:
Paper Three
Paper Presenter: Name, Institution, Academic Title, Address, Email address, Phone number
Paper Title:
Abstract of Paper:
Paper Four
Paper Presenter: Name, Institution, Academic Title, Address, Email address, Phone number
Paper Title:
Abstract of Paper:
Discussant
Name, Institution, Academic Title, Address, Email address, Phone number
Individual Paper Proposal Form
Paper Presenter: Name, Institution, Academic Title, Address, Email address, Phone number
Paper Title:
Abstract of Paper:
Paper abstracts should be in English and not exceed 250 words.
The program committee will make every effort to place individual paper submissions with papers on similar topics in the same panels, but this will not always be possible.