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Leh Palace in Ladakh, with an inset photo of the Będlewo Palace in Poland on the lower right side. Text lower left: "Ladakh and the wider Himalayan world," international conference, Będlewo (Poland), 20–24 April 2027.

Call for Papers: Conference on “Ladakh and the Wider Himalayan World”

20–24 April 2027

Since the 1970s the northwest Himalayan region of Ladakh has attracted the attention of a broad range of international scholars. In recent years, one of the most exciting developments has been the emergence of fresh scholarship from younger researchers within the region.

The aim of this interdisciplinary conference is to present new research on Ladakh in a wider Himalayan setting, drawing out the features that are distinctive to the region, as well as the aspects of its history, culture and modern development that it shares with other areas. We hope to draw out the comparisons in thematic panels including papers focussing specifically on Ladakh as well as papers based on the experience of other Himalayan regions.

At a Glance

Dates 20–24 April 2027
Location Będlewo, near Poznań, western Poland
Hosts Department of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, in association with the International Association for Ladakh Studies (IALS)
Conference fee 440 EUR per person (single room)  /  360 EUR per person (double room)
Abstracts Up to 300 words, sent to ials2027ials@gmail.com using the application form

The Conference

The conference will be hosted by the Department of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, in association with the International Association for Ladakh Studies (IALS).

The event will draw on two ‘conference traditions’: it will be the 22nd IALS colloquium since 1981, while Toruń has its own tradition of interdisciplinary conferences on the Himalaya since 2012.

We previously held a joint conference in 2017, which led to three sets of proceedings:

  • A self-standing volume on New Perspectives on Modern Ladakh.
  • A collection of art and archaeology papers in the EMSCAT journal.
  • A set of six essays published in Himalaya, the Journal of the Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies.

The Venue

The conference will take place in Będlewo, near Poznań in western Poland. Poznań has a small international airport and is within easy reach of both Warsaw and Berlin by rail. The venue is in a former country mansion in the Polish countryside: we hope for good weather in the European spring.

Our primary objective is to take advantage of the setting to foster face-to-face discussion. At the same time, acknowledging the growing challenges of international travel, we may be able to arrange online participation for a minority of panels.

Fees and Support

The conference fee is 440 EUR per person for a single room or 360 EUR per person for a double room. The fee includes:

  • Accommodation
  • Meals
  • Coffee breaks
  • Transport to and from Poznań

We may be able to subsidise accommodation for a limited number of participants from South Asia.

Please note that we do not expect to be able to provide any support for travel expenses.

How to Apply

Please send abstracts of up to 300 words to ials2027ials@gmail.com using the application form. All proposals must show evidence of original research rather than a reformulation of existing knowledge.