Calls

Whales and Humans: Past Entanglements and Current Relations - International Conference at the University of Iceland, June 22 – 23, 2026

Scholarship on the relationship between humans and whales around the globe continues to be exciting and innovative. Yet, since the Sandefjord Whaling Museum last hosted a conference on the topic in 2013, there have been few opportunities for this community of scholars to come together. Therefore, we – a consortium of scholars from Iceland, Japan, and the United States – are soliciting papers for a conference on the history and present of humans and whales, to take place at the University of Iceland, in Reykjavik, from June 22 – 23, 2026.  We hope to receive submissions examining as many different parts of the world oceans as possible.
 
Those interested in presenting work on any aspect of the entangled histories of humans and whales, please submit a short CV (2-page maximum) as well as an abstract proposal of no more than 300 words no later than December 21, 2025. Conference sponsors aim to cover participants’ food and lodging in Iceland, as well as travel costs for some graduate students and early career scholars. The conference will take place in connection with the Húsavík Whale Museum’s annual Whale Conference, on June 25, with participants warmly invited to extend their stay in Iceland to attend.   
 
Please submit your CV and abstract in one email to: whales@hi.is
For inquiries, please use the same email address.
Updates will be posted on the conference website closer to the event, www.whales.hi.is  
 
Conference committee & institutional sponsors:
Kristín Ingvarsdóttir, main organizer, University of Iceland
Ryan Tucker Jones, University of Oregon
Akamine Jun, ArCS III (Japan´s Arctic Challenge for Sustainability), Hitotsubashi University
Lissa Wadewitz, University of Oregon

2026 Venice-Princeton Summer School Classical Chinese and Classical Japanese/Kanbun

Call for Applications:
 
 
The 2026 Venice-Princeton Summer School with its two tracks in Classical Chinese and Classical Japanese/Kanbun is now open for applications. The Summer School runs for the five weeks from July 6 through August 7, 2026.
 
For all details, please consult the Summer School website: https://www.unive.it/pag/39168/.
 
Application deadline: March 15, 2026.
 
In each track, the Summer School runs for 75 hours of language instruction, plus 16 hours of content lectures in Chinese and Japanese history, literature, and thought by faculty from Princeton University and Ca’ Foscari University of Venice. Ca’ Foscari University will issue academic credit to all students who successfully complete the course. For a systematic and comprehensive introduction to either Classical Chinese or Classical Japanese/Kanbun, the Summer School is a globally unique program.
 
Tuition is set at EUR 1,250. Housing is offered at EUR 700 in a double-occupancy room, EUR 800 in a mini-apartment (double occupancy with kitchen), and EUR 1,000 in a single-occupancy room. Mini-apartments and single rooms are in limited supply and will be offered on a first-come, first-serve basis.
 
The Summer School is taught by the principal faculty of Venice (for Chinese) and Princeton (for Japanese), guaranteeing the highest quality of instruction. Students are further supported by dedicated teaching assistants. The academic program of the Summer School is enriched by social events and cultural excursions in the city and lagoon of Venice. 
 
Please also

Call for Nomations: Sixth Kanazawa University International Award

We are now accepting nominations for “The 6th Kanazawa University International Award in commemoration of Daisetz T. Suzuki and Kitaro Nishida”.
 
The International Award is established in honor of Daisetz T. Suzuki (1870‐1966) and Kitaro Nishida (1870‐1945), both of whom are associated with Kanazawa University, and is intended to honor researchers who have made outstanding international achievements in the fields of philosophy, thought, and religion.
 
The purpose of this award is to promote the further development of research in these fields and to provide a significant academic stimulus to young researchers who will lead the next generation.
 
The deadline for nomations is March 13, 2026. Please find the attached PDF for more information.
 

Call for Papers – AEJF 2026 Colloquium (Bordeaux - France)

Call for papers for the 19th Conference on Japanese Language Education (AEJF): “Creative Cultural Activities and Japanese Language Education / 文化的な創作活動と日本語教育,” to be held at Bordeaux Montaigne University on June 5 – 6, 2026. To the official website.

Condition: The author(s) must be members of the AEJF.
Languages: Japanese or French

Suggested Topics:

Submissions must present original, unpublished work. While contributions related to the conference theme are encouraged, we also welcome proposals on traditional topics in Japanese language education, including but not limited to:

  • Japanese linguistics (syntax, morphology, phonology, semantics, pragmatics, grammar, phonetics, discourse analysis, contrastive studies between Japanese and French, etc.);
  • Language acquisition/learning (interlanguage, error analysis);
  • Cultural education (interculturality, Japanese society, communication);
  • Japanese language didactics (teaching of specific skills – grammar, oral communication, reading comprehension, kanji, writing, communication skills, Japanese for specific purposes, curriculum design, assessment); and pedagogical practices (in-class and extracurricular activities, group learning, teaching material development, etc.);
  • Japanese language teaching and the CEFR, plurilingual and pluricultural approaches, action-oriented approaches;
  • Other topics (Japanese language teaching for young children, heritage language education, continuing education for Japanese language instructors, etc.).

Types of Presentations (in-person only):

  1. Oral Presentation
  • Research: Original work with theoretical foundation
  • Teaching report: Clear presentation of a teaching experience
  1. Panel Presentation (Round Table)
  • 3 to 5 presenters collaborate to address a single topic from different perspectives.
  • A moderated discussion follows the presentations, involving both the panelists and the audience.
  1. Poster Presentation
  • Authors must stand by their posters during the session to present and respond to questions.
  • Posters must be A0 size maximum.

Submission Guidelines:

Please fill out and submit the proposal form via email.

  • The form is available for download here.
  • The abstract should not exceed 1000 Japanese characters or 500 French words and must be accompanied by three keywords.
  • Authors may use either Japanese or French for the body of the abstract, but the title must appear in both languages (or in Japanese and English).
  • Submissions will be anonymously reviewed by two referees and evaluated based on:
    1. Clarity of ideas
    2. Relevance of methodology and/or data
    3. Originality and potential contribution to Japanese language education
  • Due to limited presentation slots, not all proposals will be accepted.

Submission email address: aejfcolloquebordeaux2026@gmail.com
Email subject line:
“aejfcolloquebordeaux2026 LastName FirstName” followed by “Communication,” “Panel,” “Poster,” or “Information Request.”
(e.g., aejfcolloquebordeaux2026 Yamada Hanako Communication)

Important Dates:

  • Submission deadline: Friday, January 9, 2026
  • Notification of acceptance: End of February 2026
  • Final abstract submission (in Japanese and French or Japanese and English): Monday, April 13, 2026
  • Author guidelines will be shared at a later date.

For more information, please visit the official site.

Call for papers: "Japan, tourist world tours and globetrotters – from the Meiji period (1868-1912) to 1970"

The conference Japan, tourist world tours and globetrotters – from the Meiji period (1868-1912) to 1970“, is to take place on June 27, 2026 at Sophia University, in Tokyo. 

Submission deadline: December 14, 2025

The Conference is related to the research project “Faire le Monde: Premiers Globetrotters et Tours du Monde Touristiques (1869-1914)” (funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation – SNSF) and is co-organized by Sophia University (Institute of Comparative Culture), The University of Osaka, University of Geneva (Geography Department) and University of Turin (Department of Humanities). 

Please refer to this PDF for details: https://eajs.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Japan-tourist-world-tours-and-globetrotters-call-for-papers.pdf