Call for Papers

24th AASSREC Biennial General Conference

Navigating the future with and after Covid-19: The role of social sciences in Asia

26-28 October 2021

The 24th AASSREC Biennial General Conference will be held as a virtual event from 26-28 October. The AASSREC Executive Council and conference organisers encourage all members to seek from among your associations or networks, a suitable expert to present a paper addressing the conference theme “Navigating the future with and after Covid-19: The role of social sciences in Asia.”

Covid-19 has had a profound impact on all countries in Asia, as it has in the rest of the world. The sudden and dramatic changes in domestic and international mobility, trade, tourism, education and work let alone the public health challenges and response have fundamentally transformed society across the region. In doing so, they have transformed our universities, our research agencies and councils, and our social sciences disciplines as well.

From the outset of the pandemic, social science graduates, researchers and professionals have been at the forefront of the domestic and regional COVID-19 response. From new models of delivering rapid economic stimulus at scale, to modelling and prediction of infection spread, to new methods of digital educational delivery and academic collaboration, the role of social sciences in navigating the crisis has been visible and paramount like rarely before.

The focus of this AASSREC conference is to provide members with an opportunity to share information on their efforts and creative thinking in dealing with the pandemic. It will also provide an opportunity for AASSREC members to engage with policy makers and other stakeholders from the region to showcase the valuable insights and capabilities of our disciplines in dealing with complex social, economic and environmental challenges.

Under this conference title, we have proposed a number of broad ‘General Themes’ that are intended as open-ended guidance. These general themes can be expanded as may be considered appropriate.

Under “General Themes”, we have listed a variety of ‘Topic Areas’.  These suggestions should be considered as illustrative indications of possible paper topics.

GENERAL THEMES
  • Social and economic responses to Covid-19 – what’s worked well and what hasn’t.
  • Assessments of COVID-19 responses of governments and local agencies in Asia and the Pacific
  • Development of Asian regional cooperation
  • Health and welfare in a Covid world
  • The reorganization of trade, migration and communication systems
  • Covid-prompted impetus for research innovation and scholarly communication.
  • Impact on tertiary education and new models of student engagement and teaching
  • Increasing efforts toward political stability and social development
  • Demography in the current Covid world
  • Consequences of Covid-19 for climate change
TOPIC AREAS

Politics and the public good

  • The creation of national public health policy
  • Population health resilience
  • Ideas of wellbeing
  • Regional security and political stability

Economics and Social Development

  • Digital Economy and the impacts of Covid-19 on the future of employment
  • Regional and global trade patterns

Education and Communication

  • Education in a Covid-affected world
  • Digital teaching and learning
  • Scholarly communication and open access

Environmental Sustainability

  • Consequences of Covid-19 for climate change
  • Environmental impacts of Covid-19
  • Strategies for environmental sustainability
CONFERENCE FORMAT

The 24th AASSREC Biennial General Conference will be hosted by the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia. As a result of Covid-19, Australia’s international borders remain closed therefore the conference will be convened as a virtual event from 26-28 October 2021. Depending on the papers submitted for the conference, we plan to schedule one or two presentation sessions each day, with each session 1.5–2hrs in duration.

SUBMISSION OF PAPERS

The AASSREC Executive Council and conference organisers encourage all members to seek from among your associations or networks, a suitable expert to present a paper addressing the conference theme and to engage with AASSREC members at the 24th Biennial General Conference.

In order to provide time for debate and audience engagement, presenters will be asked to make their oral presentations a concise summary of their argument (approx. 10-15 minutes).

We kindly ask each member to provide the following to Michelle Bruce, AASSREC Secretary-General (michelle.bruce@socialsciences.org.au) by Wednesday 14 July 2021:

  • the name of the paper presenter
  • a short biography of the paper presenter
  • the topic of the presentation
  • a draft abstract of the paper

This information will allow the conference organisers to begin sorting papers and developing some engaging themes for panel discussions, and which we hope will be lively and provide opportunities for audience participation.

A final copy of the full papers are to be received by 9 October 2021.

The conference papers will be published on the AASSREC website and available freely to all, if members agree. Presenters are welcome to publish their papers elsewhere of course.

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

May 2021:               Abstract Submission Open

14 Jul 2021:           Deadline for Abstract Submission

24 Sep 2021:         Conference Registrations Open

9 Oct 2021:            Deadline for Full Paper Submission