Category Archives: IALS News

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

Posted on by

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.

Conference: “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.

The deadline for submission is 31st July 2026 and we expect to make a decision on acceptances by 30th September 2026. Please fill in the attached form if you wish to submit a proposal.

Participants from outside Europe are responsible for managing their own visa applications, and we recommend that they should apply as soon as their paper proposal is accepted. We can send an acceptance letter to support the process.

We warmly encourage scholars who are active in Ladakh and Himalayan research to
send proposals, and we look forward to a successful conference.

Final Program & Paper Submission Guidelines – The 21st Conference of the International Association for Ladakh Studies in Kargil

Posted on by

Dear participants, dear members,

We are happy to share the final program for the 21st IALS Conference in Kargil:

Download the final program (PDF)

We also want to share the guidelines for submitting a paper for the Conference Proceedings:

Download the submission guidelines (PDF)

We are looking forward to welcoming many of you soon in Kargil!

Best regards,

21st IALS Conference Committee

The 21st Conference of the International Association for Ladakh Studies

Posted on by

CALL FOR PAPERS

The 21st Conference of the International Association for Ladakh Studies (IALS) will be held between 24th and 30th August 2025 in Kargil, Union Territory of Ladakh, with exact dates to be announced soon.

We invite abstracts for paper presentations for the 21st IALS conference.

This year’s conference does not have a specific theme. Therefore, we welcome abstracts on a wide range of topics related to Ladakh, spanning academic disciplines such as architecture, language, history, ecology, and the natural sciences, among others.

Submissions for theme-based panels (proposed by three or more individuals) are also invited. The final panels and sub-panels will be decided after the abstracts are accepted.

Abstract Submission Guidelines:

  • Length: 250 to 350 words
  • In addition, provide:
    • Title of your paper
    • Your affiliation
    • A short bio note
  • If your paper has multiple authors, please ensure that bio notes for all authors are submitted.

Deadline for abstract submission: 31st March 2025
Notification of acceptance: 30th April 2025

Please send your queries and abstracts to: ialsconference2025@gmail.com

Membership and Conference Registration:

We encourage all presenters to be members of IALS. For membership fees and related queries, please contact Lauren Smyth, Membership Secretary, at treasurer@ladakhstudies.org.

Please ensure that your membership is up to date. If not, you may renew it on-site at the conference.

Conference Registration Fees:

CategorySouth Asian ParticipantsNon-South Asian Participants
Regular ParticipantsINR 2000USD 70
StudentsINR 1000USD 50

The same fees apply to attendees who are not presenting a paper.

Included in the conference fee are as well:

  • Lunch
  • Refreshments
  • Conference dinner

IALS offers a limited number of student grants, based on merit and financial need. If you believe you are eligible, please indicate this in your application.

If you are willing to generously sponsor the conference fee for young research students, please contact the Conference Convenor at ialsconference2025@gmail.com.

For further queries, please email us using the same email address.

International Association for Ladakh Studies Executive and Advisory Committee Election 2023

Posted on by

Dear members,

Please find below the election ballot and a brief introduction of the candidates’ backgrounds attached as PDFs.

To cast a vote, please fill up the ballot as described in the document and e-mail the ballot to Election Officer Dr Sonam Wangchok at sonamleh2@gmail.com by 21:00 hours (Indian Standard Time) on 7th October, 2023!

Ballot: DOWNLOAD (PDF)

Backgrounds of candidates: DOWNLOAD (PDF)

Please be aware that the voting process will be online only! There will be no opportunity to vote in person at the conference!

The results will be announced during the IALS General Meeting on 8th October 2023 and published online subsequently.

Important Notice regarding Upcoming Elections

Posted on by

Dear Member,
We have all Executive Committee posts up for re-election at the Association’s forthcoming conference in Heidelberg this year.
These posts are:
– President
– Secretary
– Editor
– Treasurer/Membership Secretary
– Ladakh Liaison Officer (Leh and Kargil)
– Webmaster
IALS invites nominations with immediate effect, with the intention of voting for candidates and ratifying the final decisions at the next General Meeting in Heidelberg, 2023. The Association’s Executive Committee is responsible for overseeing the functioning of the Association, encouraging participation, facilitating research in Ladakh and publishing the works of the Association’s members, as well as promoting the Association and its work internationally and ensuring members are kept up-to-date on relevant news and events. According to the current constitution of IALS, the term of office for each post is four years i.e. two full conference cycles. The general responsibilities of these posts are detailed below:

President
The responsibilities of the President include (but are not limited to) chairing the Executive Committee, chairing the General Meeting of the Association, and representing the Association in the public domain.
Sonam Wangchok is the incumbent president.

Secretary
The responsibilities of the Secretary include (but are not limited to) the drafting and dissemination of the Agenda for the General Meetings, taking the minutes of general meetings and publicising key changes and decisions made, managing the election of vacant posts on the Executive and Advisory Committees, and liaising with the Conference Convenor over the organisation of individual conferences.
Elizabeth Williams-Oeberg is the incumbent secretary.

Editor
The responsibilities of the Editor are to oversee the publication of the journal, Ladakh Studies including the double-blind peer review process, assist in the publication of conference proceedings and oversee the website and social media outreach.
Sunetro Ghosal is the incumbent Editor

Treasurer/Membership Secretary
The responsibilities of the Treasurer/Membership Secretary are to maintain the Association’s membership database, manage the accounts of the Association, and operate the Association’s bank account in the UK. In view of the last responsibility, this position should ideally be held by a person based in the UK.
Lauren Smyth is the incumbent Treasurer/Membership Secretary.

Ladakh Liaison Officer (Leh and Kargil)
The responsibilities of the Ladakh Liaison Officers are to coordinate various activities in Ladakh, operate the bank account in Leh, collect membership fees and other Ladakh-based activities related to the Association’s functioning
Fayaz Ali (Kargil) and Tsewang Rigzin (Leh) are the incumbent Ladakh Liaison Officers

Webmaster
The responsibilities of the Webmaster are to maintain the website and update it on a regular basis. This is done in consultation with other members of the Executive Committee.
Sebastian Forneck is the incumbent webmaster.

In addition, all 12 posts in the Advisory Committee are also up for election. Members of the Advisory Committee provide important inputs and support to the Executive Committee on various matters related to the work of the Association.
The incumbent members of the Advisory Committee are Dr Iqbal Ahmed, Monisha Ahmed, Amjad Ali, John Bray, Laurianne Bruneau, Juliane Dame, Quentin Devers, Kacho Mumtaz Khan, Gulzar Hussein Munshi, Thupstan Nurboo, Tsewang Rigzin, and Tashi Ldawa Tsangspa

In recent years Ladakh Studies have seen an expanding membership, an extension of the frontiers of our research, and a wider audience reach. This expansion has been assisted by advances in communications, opportunities for travel, and a continuously changing geopolitical landscape, all of which provide us with opportunities to access new networks and build new partnerships with neighbouring regions. Membership of the Executive Committee and Advisory Committee provides opportunities to respond and take advantage of these changes, to raise the international profile of Ladakh Studies and the work that we do, and to influence the future direction of the Association.

If you are interested in being considered for one of the forthcoming posts on the Executive Committee or the Advisory Committee, or if you know of somebody who you wish to nominate who you think can take Ladakh Studies forward, please email their name to editor@ladakhstudies.org.

The deadline to file nominations or propose names (with the consent of the candidate) is 20 September 2023. Following nomination, the election committee will publicise the names of the candidates.
Sunetro Ghosal and Sonam Wangchok will oversee the election process as they will not be contesting the election.

If you are unable to attend the conference and would like to cast your vote by email, please get in touch with the election committee at the above email ID.

In the meantime, on behalf of the members of the IALS, we would like to take this opportunity to thank the current incumbents of the posts up for election for their commitment to Ladakh Studies and hard work in bringing the Association to the point where we are now.

Recent Research on Ladakh Vol. 8 available online

Posted on by

Dear members,

Thanks to the support of the editors and contributors of “Ladakh: Culture, History, and Development between Himalaya and Karakoram. Recent Research on Ladakh 8 (1999).” we are happy to announce that pdfs of the articles published in this volume are available for download now on our homepage.

You will find them here.

Conference Update from the President of IALS: 20th Conference of the IALS

Posted on by

Dear Members,

I hope everyone is doing well. Yesterday, we had a thorough discussion in Leh about the next IALS conference with Prof. Marcus and his team from Heidelberg University. First off, I’m delighted to report that we have received more than 60 abstracts. These will be reviewed, and as soon as the results are known, they will be sent to the authors so that they have enough time to look for funding, etc. From our end, we are trying our best to explore various financing sources in the hopes of receiving some financial assistance, particularly for the students. We are also receiving some news that some senior members of IALS may help student/s to participate in the conference if their abstracts are accepted.

Please visit the university website for more information about conference fees, lodging, and other related matters:

https://www.sai.uni-heidelberg.de/geo/conferences/ials2023/index.php

Another question we’ve been asked by members is whether it’s possible to attend the conference without presenting a paper. In this case, we’ve decided to welcome non-paper presenters as long as they pay the conference fee.

The university has also promised to assist the participants with making travel arrangements from Frankfurt airport to Heidelberg, obtaining a visa through the German center in Delhi, and other essential arrangements. Please contact us at ialsconference2023@gmail.com if you have any additional questions. Regards & Juley

Dr. Sonam Wangchok

President, IALS