≪Uploaded on Dec. 1, 2024≫
≪Revised on Dec. 6, 2024≫
Call for Papers
The Japan Chapter of the Asian Society of International Law
The 16th Annual Conference
Sunday, June 29, 2025
Chuo University, Myogadani Campus, Tokyo
Is There Anything Asian about International Law in Asia, and Should There Be?
There is a growing awareness of European international law, and sometimes of Latin American or African international law. Is there such a thing as Asian international law? At first glance, the answer seems to be no. Not only are the historical backgrounds diverse, with cultural legacies ranging from Confucianism to Islamic traditions, but there is no regional institution to give shape to the Asian legal heritage, even if there were such a thing. However, while not representative of all of Asia, there may be some elements of regional or sub-regional peculiarities in international law as practiced or proclaimed by Asian public and private entities. Should we claim the existence of an “Asian international law” with them? Or should such parochialism be seen as a threat to the universality of international law?
The 2025 Annual Conference will address research findings from diverse fields of international law, spanning historical to current issues, encompassing both, private and public international law, as well as substantive law and the dynamics of law, in the hope of cross-sectoral dialogue and collaboration. We invite paper proposals from anyone interested in Asian international law, including practitioners and young scholars. The conference will be available online; however, for lively discussions in the conference rooms, presenters will be required to attend in person.
1. Language
The conference will be bilingual, accepting papers in both English and Japanese. Please indicate the language in which you prefer to present your paper (or whether you are comfortable in both languages). If you intend to present a paper in English, you can submit the abstract in either English or Japanese. As the concurrent sessions will be organized separately in the two languages, the likelihood of your abstract being accepted may be affected by your choice of language (although, currently, we are unable to state which language will provide a better prospect).
2. Application procedure
Please forward the following information to the conference organizers (CfPAsianSIL@gmail.com) in a single file, by February 28, 2025: 1) paper title, 2) abstract (less than 500 words in English), 3) your name, 4) your affiliation and position, 5) a short biography, 6) up to three most relevant academic articles/chapters/books, and 7) contact details (email address, phone number, and address).
3. Screening
The Research and Planning Committee will review the proposals and inform the applicants by March 31, 2025.
4. Composition of the concurrent sessions
Each presentation will be assigned to one of the concurrent sessions. Once the composition of the concurrent sessions is determined, by the end of April, the conference program will be announced on the website of the Japan Chapter and communicated to the presenters.
5. Conference papers
The conference papers will be shared electronically with participants, in advance, for active discussion during the event. Please submit your unpublished conference paper, of 1,000-5,000 words, by June 15.
6. Fees
Members of the Japan Chapter are exempted from paying the participation fee.
While membership is not a prerequisite for applying, non-member presenters are required to pay a participation fee (10,000 yen equivalent to approximately 60 US dollars, inclusive of the lunch meeting and dinner reception) or become members of the Japan Chapter (annual membership fee: 3,000 yen) by the time of the conference.
Travel and accommodation expenses need to be covered on their own.
7. Lunch meeting and dinner reception
Lunch will be organized for all participants. Presenters are required to join the lunch meeting (for 1,500 yen) to meet the other presenters of the concurrent session. The participation fee for non-member presenters includes the cost of the lunch meeting.
It is strongly recommended that participants attend the post-conference dinner reception, which costs approximately 5,000 yen (approx. 30 US dollars). While attendance at the dinner reception is not mandatory, it is an invaluable opportunity for academic networking. Please note that the participation fee for non-member presenters includes the cost of the dinner reception and cannot be discounted.
Fees for lunch and reception are subject to change due to rising prices.
8. Allocation of time for presentations
Each presentation must be completed within 15 minutes.
9. Inquiries
Any inquiries regarding the conference should be emailed to the following address: (CfPAsianSIL@gmail.com)
