SEC-AAS President Prof. Charlie Yi Zhang has released his presidential letter, dated September 14, 2025. Here is his message:
Dear colleagues and friends,
I am pleased to announce that the 65th Annual Meeting of the Southeast Conference of the Association for Asian Studies (SEC/AAS) will be held on January 23–25, 2026, at the School of Modern Languages, Georgia Tech, in Atlanta, Georgia.
The theme of this year’s conference is “Asian Studies in the Digital Age, Old and New.” We invite proposals for panels, roundtables, individual papers, and workshops that engage with this theme. Proposals may address our digitally connected world as well as broader concepts, including but not limited to information exchange, data, coding, media, and technology. Topics may range from ancient communication systems to modern digital cultures and technology’s role in politics, art, labor, and literature. We also welcome interdisciplinary perspectives on how “the digital” is imagined, practiced, and has shaped Asian Studies itself.
We encourage faculty, graduate students, undergraduate students, and independent scholars from all regions to submit proposals. All disciplines are welcome, with particular attention to East and Inner Asia, Northeast Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Asian Diaspora, and comparative or global Asia topics. The deadline for proposals is October 31st, 2025. Acceptance notifications will be sent on a rolling basis as the committee meets throughout October and November.
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Hampton Inn at Georgia Tech, located directly across from campus and only a one-minute walk to the School of Modern Languages.
Our local coordinators, Dr. Paul Foster (paul.foster@modlangs.gatech.edu) and Dr. Amanda Weiss (amanda.weiss@modlangs.gatech.edu), are planning a rich program of events. Conference details, including submission instructions and deadlines, will be posted at https://www.sec-aas.com/conf.
SEC/AAS Prizes
Four prizes will be awarded at the 2026 conference: best book, article, graduate paper, and undergraduate paper.
Eligible works include books and articles published in 2025, and graduate and undergraduate papers written in 2025 that are nominated by a faculty advisor.
Submission deadline: October 30th, 2025
Send entries to:
Books & graduate papers: Prof. Yaohua Shi (shiy@wfu.edu)
Articles: Prof. Gengsong Gao (ggao@richmond.edu)
Undergraduate papers: Prof. J.W. Turner (jturner@highpoint.edu)
Student Travel Grants
A limited number of $200 travel grants are available for student presenters. Applicants should indicate their interest in their proposals. Preference will be given to students in the Southeast region who must travel more than 200 miles to attend the conference.
Membership
All participants must be dues-paying members. Annual dues are $20 for faculty and $10 for students. For those attending the annual meeting, dues will be collected as part of the registration fee. For those not attending the annual meeting, please contact SEC-AAS secretary-treasurer Dr. Kevin Fogg (kfogg@email.unc.edu) on how to send a payment.
Leadership Opportunities
SEC/AAS also invites self-nominations for the Executive Committee. If you are interested in running for Vice President or First-Year Member-at-Large, please email me at charlie.zhang@uky.edu.
I look forward to seeing you at the 2026 meeting!
Sincerely,
Charlie Yi Zhang
President, SEC/AAS 2025