Call for Papers
Association of Global South Studies Annual Conference
Call for Papers
11-13 October 2026
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Conference Venue: Arena Copacabana Hotel
Conference Theme: “The World the Global South Made”
Scholars tend to characterize the Global South as a product of external forces. There is good reason for this: most of the ongoing political and socioeconomic problems of the Global South can be tied, in one way or another, to the centuries-old colonial and postcolonial dynamics that persist across its various regions to this day. Even when scholars do examine the Global South’s contributions to the rest of the world, they tend to emphasize its role as the source of the raw extractive materials and cheap labor that have fed the world’s comparatively wealthy economic core over the last five centuries. In most cases, the Global South is seen as the passive recipient of the Global North’s designs.
What gets left out of this framework of analysis is an acknowledgement of the active role that the Global South has had in shaping the Global North. Indeed, the Global North and South operate not as two distinct entities, but rather as mutually constitutive parts of the whole binary world order. New research has demonstrated the ways in which the Global South—often precisely because of its struggles with dependency and underdevelopment—has produced many of the world’s most enduring ideas, whether in the realms of political philosophy, economic theory, cultural production, or otherwise. While we as a scholarly community have begun to reorient our view of the Global South in this direction, much work remains to be done.
The Association of Global South Studies invites proposals for individual presentations or whole panels on any topic related to the Global South’s various regions (which include much of Asia and the majority of Africa, the Middle East, and the Latin American and Caribbean region), or to the ways in which the Global South has meaningfully shaped the Global North. Presentations are typically fifteen minutes in length, and panels usually have four presentations of the same length, although there is some flexibility with these arrangements. We welcome submissions representing any discipline in the social sciences, humanities, or arts, as well as work in journalism, public policy, or social and political activism.
Participants can register at member, non-member, and student rates. Membership rates are based on income. Conference registration includes complimentary admission to an opening ceremony on Sunday evening, along with a closing ceremony and awards banquet on Tuesday evening. Tickets for additional guests can be purchased on the conference registration site. AGSS is also offering a pre-conference all-day tour to the historic city of Petropolis on Sunday, 11 October and a post-conference all-day tour to an historic coffee estate on Wednesday, 14 October. Each tour has a maximum capacity of 35 seats.
Submission deadline: September 1, 2026
Important Links:
Panel and Proposal Submissions & Conference Registration
AGSS Promotional Code is AGSS
* a 15% discount on room rates when using the official Arena website, which can be applied on rooms from 9-14 OCT
* a 10% discount on Food & Beverage at all hotel points of sale
* a complimentary welcome drink and free Internet access
Visitors are encouraged to consider adding the excellent breakfast buffet, which is available from 6-10 AM, when selecting their room reservation.
Information on Brazil entry visas for U.S. citizens here (citizens of other countries should check on entry requirements): https://brazil.vfsevisa.com/
Optional Cultural Excursions:
Tour 1 Information — Petropolis:
AGSS is organizing a full-day pre-conference excursion to the historic city of Petropolis on Sunday 11 October. The tour, which includes food and drink at a delightful Brazilian luncheon, is limited to 35 participants. The scenic journey from Rio de Janeiro makes the trip extra special. Highlights include various sites, such as the Imperial Braganza Museum, in the de-facto capital of the Brazilian Empire during the summer months in the 19th century. The cost of the tour is $132 per person and can be booked at the time of registration.
Tour 2 Information — Coffee Estate:
AGSS is organizing a full-day post-conference tour to a historic coffee fazenda on Wednesday 14 October. The tour, which is limited to 35 participants, includes food and drink at a delightful Brazilian luncheon. The scenic journey out of Rio de Janeiro makes the trip extra special. The tour visits several historic and cultural sites in the heart of the mountainous coffee growing region. The total cost of the tour is $132 per person and can be booked at the time of registration for the conference.
