Dates: Friday - Saturday, October 2 and 3, 2026
Location: IEAS Conference Room, UC Berkeley
Sponsor: Center for Chinese Studies, UC Berkeley
Introduction
The inaugural Berkeley Center for Chinese Studies Social Sciences Graduate Research Conference brings together current graduate students from across California to present innovative research on any aspect of China-centered or China-related academic research in the social sciences disciplines. The conference provides a window into current research in China studies, and serves as a platform for fostering interaction among up-and-coming Californian scholars, facilitating their exchange of ideas and interests. Senior scholars will be invited to serve as panel chairs and discussants. The conference hopes to facilitate conversations across disciplines and articulate emerging research questions.
Currently enrolled Ph.D. students and doctoral candidates from the University of California system, Stanford University, and the University of Southern California in all fields of social sciences are invited to submit paper proposals for the Berkeley Center for Chinese Studies Social Sciences Graduate Research Conference, to be held Friday and Saturday, October 2-3, 2026 at UC Berkeley.
Steering Committee:
Puck Engman, Assistant Professor, Department of History, UC Berkeley
Yan Long, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, UC Berkeley
Xiaobo Lü, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, UC Berkeley
Rachel Stern, Professor of Law and Political Science, UC Berkeley
Wen-hsin Yeh, Richard H. and Laurie C. Morrison Chair Professor & Distinguished Professor of History, UC Berkeley
Student Organizer:
Rijuta Vallishayee, PhD student, Department of History, UC Berkeley
Call For Proposals
Currently enrolled Ph.D. students and doctoral candidates from the University of California system, Stanford University, and the University of Southern California in all fields of social sciences are invited to submit paper proposals for the Berkeley Center for Chinese Studies Social Sciences Graduate Research Conference, to be held Friday and Saturday, October 2-3, 2026 at UC Berkeley. Conference registration is free. Presenters will be provided with shared lodging (if needed), Friday dinner, and Saturday breakfast and lunch. UC applicants are encouraged to check with UCHRI for intra-campus funding support. There is limited partial funding assistance for those who cannot find their own funding.
Proposals/bios due: Friday, March 13, 2026, 11:59 p.m. PT.
Late and incomplete applications will NOT be considered. Those whose papers have already been accepted to the 2026 Berkeley-Stanford Graduate Student Conference in Modern Chinese Humanities should refrain from submitting their abstract to the 2026 Berkeley Center for Chinese Studies Social Sciences Graduate Research Conference
Application Instructions:
To apply, please submit your abstract (up to 400 words) and a short bio (up to 100 words, including current institutional affiliation & name of major adviser), and include the following information in the application: Author Name, Author Bio, Paper Title, Subtitle (optional), Keywords, and Abstract. A competitive proposal usually includes information about methodology, sources of information, and claims of contribution. Social science disciplines include (but are not necessarily limited to): Anthropology, Demography, Economics, Geography, History, Law/Legal Studies, Linguistics, Natural Resources, Political Science, Psychology, Public Policy, and Sociology.
Please follow the link to apply: https://forms.gle/PBLe2KYgjmcQBrag8
The inaugural Berkeley Center for Chinese Studies Social Sciences Graduate Research Conference brings together current graduate students from across California to present innovative research on any aspect of China-centered or China-related academic research in the social sciences disciplines. The conference provides a window into current research in China studies, and serves as a platform for fostering interaction among up-and-coming Californian scholars, facilitating their exchange of ideas and interests. Senior scholars will be invited to serve as panel chairs and discussants. The conference hopes to facilitate conversations across disciplines and articulate emerging research questions.
Notification of acceptance: Late April 2026 Final paper submission deadline (if accepted): Friday September 4, 2026, 11:59 pm PT
Contact Information: UC Berkeley Center for Chinese Studies, ccs@berkeley.edu
Conference Schedule
Conference schedule will be available in September 2026.
Directions
The IEAS Conference Room is located on the fifth floor of 2111 Bancroft Way. The building is one block from BART and also has a public parking garage which is accessed off Bancroft Way.
Parking
There are various public parking lots and facilities near campus and in downtown Berkeley. More information is available on the UC Berkeley Parking and Transportation page.