Call for Paper. Rethinking comparison in Sinology

November 4-6, 2026, University of Malta (Valletta, Malta)

The Department of Middle Eastern and Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Malta, with the support of the Confucius Institute at the University of Malta, is pleased to announce the second edition of the Chinese Studies Conference in Malta. Scholars from around the world are invited to engage with one of the most enduring and foundational questions in Sinology: comparison.

Proposals for individual papers and panel sessions from across the Humanities within Chinese Studies are welcomed. Submissions that engage directly with comparative methodologies, materials, or case studies are particularly encouraged. Possible areas of focus include, but are not limited to:

• Linguistics: Theoretical and applied linguistics, linguistic typology, historiography of linguistics.
• Literature: Comparative poetics, reception studies, translation theories.
• History: Transcultural historiography, global connections, comparative empires.
• Cultural Studies: Diaspora communities, folk/vernacular cultures, subcultures.
• Film & Media: Cross-cultural adaptations, visual semiotics, streaming platforms.
• Communication Studies: Intercultural dialogue, digital discourses, propaganda/rhetoric.
• Religious Studies.

Instructions for abstract submissions:

All abstracts and panel proposals must be sent to amcs@um.edu.mt

• Individual abstracts (200-250 words) should be submitted in a Word document and must include the paper title, the author’s name and affiliation, email address, and a brief bio.
• Panel proposals should be submitted in one Word document and must include a provisional panel title and 3-4 paper abstracts, each no more than 250 words with their own title. The name of the panel organiser, chair and participants, along with a short bio and the contact details for each person, should also be included

Important information:

• Conference language: English
• Deadline for abstracts: 28 Feburary 2026
• Notification of acceptance: 30 April 2026
• Conference Committee: Dr. Wei Chen, Dr. Nan Hu, and Prof. Dennis Mizzi
• Website: www.um.edu.mt/events/sinology2026/

Requests or queries may be addressed to Dr. Wei Chen or Dr. Nan Hu.

Call for Papers. 9th edition of the Study Days on Chinese Linguistics

June 2026, 17-18, Sapienza University of Rome (Italy)

The Italian Institute of Oriental Studies Department at Sapienza University of Rome, Italy, warmly invites both members and non-members of the Italian Association of Chinese Linguistics (AILC) to participate in the 9th edition of the Study Days on Chinese Linguistics. The conference will be hosted onsite in Rome from June 17th to June 18th, 2026.

To participate in the Study Days, membership in AILC is a prerequisite. For those who are accepted but not yet members, please follow the membership application instructions available on the AILC website: https://linguisticacinese.wixsite.com/ailc/copy-of-presentazione

Full text: CallAILC-9

Submission guidelines:

• Abstracts (in English) should not exceed 500 words (excluding references) and should clearly outline the theoretical framework, research questions, methodology, primary findings, and conclusions.
• Abstracts must be submitted exclusively via the EasyAbs conference system, using the following link: https://easyabs.linguistlist.org/conference/AILC-9/

Important dates:

• Deadline for abstract submission: January 30, 2026
• Notification of acceptance: March 30, 2026

Contacts:

For any inquiries or information, please reach out to all contacts: gabriele.tola@uniroma1.it, erica.lopresti@uniroma1.it, chenghao.xu@uniroma1.it

Call for papers: Teaching, Identity, and Language Policies and Planning through the lens of huawen jiaoyu / zhongwen xuexiao

January 2026, 15-17, University of Bergamo (Italy)

Building on the research undertaken by the members of the PRIN PNRR ECCO-Italy (Education of Children of Chinese Origin in Italy), this conference seeks to provide a scholarly platform for the exchange and ideas and critical discussion among researchers engaged in the study of issues related to international Chinese language and culture education. Particular attention will be devoted to Chinese as heritage language, and to issues related to Chinese migration in Europe.

Full text: cfpECCO26

Submission guidelines:

• Anonymous abstract (maximum 500 words, excluding references), plus a short bio.
• Abstracts may be submitted in English, Italian or Chinese.
• File format: Word or PDF.

Please send your submission to: martina.caschera@unibg.it and andrea.delbono@unibg.it

Important dates:

• Deadline for abstract submission: October 15th 2025
• Notification of acceptance: November 15th 2025

For additional information please contact Martina Caschera and Andrea Del Bono at martina.caschera@unibg.it and andrea.delbono@unibg.it

Journée doctorale interuniversitaire on East Asian languages

June 30, 2025

At the initiative of Madame Hilary Chappell, EHESS-CRLAO are organizing an annual Journée doctorale interuniversitaire on East Asian languages, which will be held on June 30th, in Salle LO.01, at the Maison de la Recherche de l’INALCO (2 Rue de Lille, 75007 Paris).
The workshop will be held in a hybrid format, both in person and online.
Those who wishe to attend remotely should register using the following link:
👉 https://forms.gle/gix5Y4MNbh56SWs87
The Voov Meeting link (also accessible via Tencent Meeting for participants in mainland China) will be sent several days before the workshop.

Please find program of the workshop and the online announcement here:
👉https://crlao.cnrs.fr/event/journee-doctorale-interuniversitaire-sur-les-langues-dasie-orientale/

Teaching Mandarin to Non-Tonal Language Speakers: Pronunciation Pedagogy at the Intersection of Tone and Intonation

July 1, 10:30 – 13:00

On the 1st of July at the University for Foreigners of Siena (Room 232) Prof. Cao Wen (BLCU) will hold a seminar that addresses the often-overlooked topic of teaching Mandarin pronunciation to learners from non-tonal language backgrounds. The seminar aims to foster discussion and collaboration among researchers and educators interested in this area.

Following the keynote speech, two roundtable sessions will take place, featuring contributions from the following scholars: Carlotta Sparvoli (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice), Chiara Piccinini (Catholic University of Sacred Heart), Hana Třísková (Oriental Institute, Czech Academy of Sciences), Agostino Sepe (University of Trento), Sergio Conti (Roma Tre University) and Wen Ju-May (Taiwan National United University).
The event will conclude with a final Q&A session. All teachers and researchers are warmly invited to participate.

The seminar is organized in collaboration with the Department of Humanities and the Sala Confucio at the University for Foreigners of Siena, with the support of the Italian Association of Chinese Linguistics.

It will be possible to follow the seminar online on Voov (Meeting ID: 362-055-019).

Additional information by writing to davide.francolino@unistrasi.it

Flyer: PronunciationSeminar_UNISTRASI

38th Paris Meeting on East Asian Languages

The Organizing Committee of the Journées de linguistique d’Asie orientale (JLAO-38) is pleased to share the programme of the event, which will take place from July 8 to 10 at the Centre de colloques, Campus Condorcet, in Aubervilliers. The programme provides an overview of all scheduled sessions and presentations.

The programme is available on the conference website: https://jlao-38.sciencescall.org/resource/page/id/5

The organizers warmly invite all attendees who are not presenting to register for participation via the conference website: https://jlao-38.sciencescall.org/registration?lang=en

Registration will allow the Organizing Committee to manage the event more effectively and to ensure that streaming links are shared with all participants in advance.

For ongoing updates and additional information, please visit the conference website regularly: https://jlao-38.sciencescall.org/

Phonetic Approaches to Under-Documented Languages (With a Special Emphasis on Tibeto-Burman Languages)

18–19 September 2025 | Campus Condorcet, Aubervilliers, Paris

This workshop aims to explore how instrumental and experimental phonetics can contribute to the study and classification of under-documented languages. Contributions should address topics such as:
– The role of descriptive phonetics in documenting and analyzing under-resourced languages;
– Correlations between articulatory and acoustic features in under-documented languages;
– The interaction between articulation and perception in shaping phonological systems;
– Applications of instrumental techniques such as electropalatography, ultrasound imaging in phonetic fieldwork;
– The place of tone languages and complex prosodic systems within phonological typologies;
– Studies on voice quality and intra-/inter-speaker variation in phoneme production;
– Contributions to phonological databases aimed at enriching existing typologies.

Submissions focusing on lesser-known Tibeto-Burman languages are especially encouraged. The conference will be held in hybrid mode, allowing participants to present their papers either in person or remotely.

Organizers:

Center for East Asian Linguistics (CRLAO, CNRS) and the Laboratory of Phonetics and Phonology (LPP, CNRS)
Contact: phon-udl@sciencesconf.org

Submission guidelines:

Abstracts should not exceed 1,000 words, including tables, figures, and references.
– Deadline for abstract submission: 1 June 2025
– Notification of acceptance: 10 July 2025
Abstracts can be submitted via the conference site at: https://phon-udl.sciencesconf.org

Manuscript Studies in Asia and Africa

Organizers: University of Naples “L’Orientale”, Department of Asian, African and Mediterranean Studies
Venue: Palazzo Corigliano, Naples, Italy
Conference dates: 6-7 October 2025

The aim of this conference arises from the desire to bring together in one event PhD students whose research, directly and or indirectly, deals with the study of manuscripts and books belonging to the cultures of Africa, Middle East and Asia, making up an interdisciplinary context of discussion and academic growth for all young scholars.

Topics:

• Cataloguing and description of manuscripts.
• Codicology and paleography.
• Digital Humanities.
• Linguistics and philology for manuscript studies.
• The role of manuscript in cultural history: case studies.
• Relationship between text and manuscript format.

Abstract submission deadline: May 1st 2025
Contacts: convegnomanoscritti2025@gmail.com

For further details, please refer to the attached poster.

Lanzhou University International Summer Program

Lanzhou University is organizing a full-time non-credit Summer Program under the theme of Sustainability & Ancient Silk Road, landing in the hot-spots within Gansu provincial region. This program highlights on an 7-day project-based fieldtrip. Participants will gain rich experience of on-the-way lectures, group discussions, excursions, and more.

Important information:

Time: July 13-25, 2025 (13 days)
Location: Lanzhou, Gansu, China 3
Theme: Sustainability & Ancient Silk Road
Registration fee: 150€ (includes lectures, transport, accommodation, and food)

Before Arrival Timeline:

Nomination: April 30
Online-registration: May 03
Orientation: July 13

Online Application:

https://scamp.lzu.edu.cn/apply

Contacts:

Office of International Exchange and Cooperation
222 South Tianshui Road, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, P.R. China
Tel: +86-931-8912076
Fax: +86-931-8615330
E-mail: scamp@lzu.edu.cn

More details in the attached PDF.

The 38th Journées de Linguistique d’Asie Orientale (JLAO38)

The Centre for Linguistic Research on East Asia (Centre de recherches linguistiques sur l’Asie orientale – CRLAO) is pleased to announce that the 38th Journées de Linguistique d’Asie Orientale (JLAO38) will take place from July 8 to 10, 2025. The conference will be held in a hybrid format, allowing participants to attend either in person or virtually. In-person sessions will be hosted at the Centre des Colloques, Campus Condorcet, Place du Front populaire, 93322 Aubervilliers Cedex. Registered attendees wishing to participate virtually will receive a streaming link.

All sub-disciplines of linguistics will be represented, including:

• Descriptive and comparative linguistics
• Historical linguistics
• Theoretical linguistics
• Language documentation
• Typology
• Phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics
• Writing systems
• Dialectology
• Natural language processing and AI

Presenters are invited to submit an abstract (in French or English) of no more than 700 words (including examples and references).

Presentation duration: 20 minutes, followed by 5 minutes of discussion.

Submissions must be made exclusively through sciencesconf (jlao-38.sciencescall.org).

Important dates:

Abstract submission: April 5, 2025.
Notification of acceptance: by May 5, 2025.

31st Annual Conference of the International Association of Chinese Linguistics

The 31st Annual Conference of the International Association of Chinese Linguistics (IACL-31) will take place on July 2-4, 2025, hosted by Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Italy. Ca’ Foscari University is happy to invite scholars and students in relevant fields to join the event in Venice.

The International Association of Chinese Linguistics (IACL) is the only international professional organization devoted to the promotion of scientific research on Chinese linguistics/languages, and has held its annual conference at various leading institutions in Asia, North America, Europe, and Australia since its establishment in 1992. The event serves as an important occasion for scholars and researchers working on Chinese linguistics across the globe to present original and unpublished research work in all subfields of linguistics on a great variety of the Chinese languages or other languages of China.

Important dates:

Conference dates: July 2-4, 2025
Abstract submission deadline (for regular presentations): February 4, 2025 11:59 pm – Beijing time (GMT +8)
Papers submission deadline: February 2, 2025 11:59 pm – Beijing time (GMT +8)
Early registration deadline: June 10, 2025

Conference website (with submission guidlines): https://www.unive.it/web/en/8400/home

Lingua Franca along the silk road: Correlation between Chinese written sources, language contact and the Chinese dialects spoken in Gansu

The Department of Asian and North African Studies of Ca’Foscari University is organizing a workshop on January 30-31 2025 in Venice, Italy. The workshop will be held in hybrid mode.

You are welcome to attend in person or online. To receive the zoom link, please send an email to julie.lefort@unive.it for registration.

The 5th International Symposium of the European Association of Chinese Teaching in celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the EACT

Challenges and Opportunities for Chinese Language Teaching in a Rapidly Evolving European Society: new standards, multilingual environments and emerging technologies

The European Association of Chinese Teaching (EACT) is pleased to announce that its 5th International Symposium will be held at “L’Orientale” University of Naples (Italy), between the 2nd and the 4th of July 2025, followed by a two-day academic and cultural visit programme (5th and 6th of July).

Call for papers: https://www.ouhanhui.eu/the-5th-symposium-of-the-eact-in-naples-italy/

Abstract submission: https://formulaire.unige.ch/outils/limesurveyfac/lettres/EACT-Napoli

Keynote speakers:

Prof. Joël BELLASSEN (President of EACT)

Prof. CHU Chengzhi 储诚志 (UC Davis, USA)

Prof. LI Yuming 李宇明 (Beijing Language and Culture University),

Prof. Bianca BASCIANO (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Italy)

Other : to be announced

Important dates:

NEW Deadline for abstract submission: 30th January 2024

NEW Notification date of paper acceptance (by email): by 30th March, 2025

Deadline for paper presenters to confirm participation and register online: 30th April, 2025

Contacts:

E-mail address of EACT: ouhanhui@ouhanhui.eu

8th International Conference on Chinese as a Second Language Research

CASLAR-8 invites proposals for presentations that are related to research in any area of Chinese as a Second Language (CSL). Those wishing to participate should prepare abstracts for 20-minute oral presentations or poster presentations.

Call for papers: https://linguistlist.org/issues/35.2729/

Abstract submission: https://easyabs.linguistlist.org/conference/CASLAR-8/

CASLAR is a biennial conference with the goal to bring together scholars from all over the world whose research focuses on the acquisition, development and use of Chinese as a second language to survey available knowledge in the field, exchange ideas and initiate research projects. The conference is a part of the CASLAR movement that aims to transform a field from a primarily experienced-and practice-based discipline into a discipline based on and supported by research and theory.

Organizers:

Chinese as a Second Language Research (CASLAR) Association: https://caslarcenter.com

Transilvania University of Brasov, Romania: https://www.unitbv.ro/en/

Conference Co-Chairs:

Distinguished Professor Istvan Kecskes, Chairman of CASLAR, Editor-in-Chief of Intercultural Pragmatics and the CASLAR journal, State University of New York, Albany, USA.

Mihaela Gheorghe, Professor of Linguistics, Vice-President of Transilvania University of Brașov, senior researcher at the Romanian Academy „Iorgu Iordan” Linguistics Institute.

Adrian Lacatus, Dean of the Faculty of Letters, Transilvania University of Brașov, associate professor of Comparative Literature, vice-president of the Romanian Association of Comparative Literature.

Confirmed Plenary Speakers:

Hang Zhang (George Washington University, USA)

Anqi Ding (East China Normal University, Shanghai, China)

Carlotta Sparvoli (Ca’Foscari University Venice, Italy)

Important Dates:

Abstract Submission Deadline: 15 January 2025

Acceptance Notification (by email): 5 February 2025

Early Bird Registration Deadline: 15 April 2025

Registration Deadline: 15 May 2025

Conference Dates: 30 May – 1 June, 2025

Contacts:

Conference website: https://caslar8.unitbv.ro

Meeting Email: caslar8@unitbv.ro

CASLAR website: www.caslarcenter.com