Call for submissions

 Sri Lanka Roundtable 2026

 Ghent University, Belgium

6-7 May

 

We are pleased to announce the next “Sri Lanka Roundtable” on 6 and 7 May 2026 in Ghent, Belgium.

 

Submission details:

  • Focus: Papers can address any theme or focus drawn from research on Sri Lanka, from across the social sciences, humanities and rule of law.
  • Format: When you submit an abstract, please indicate which format you would like to present:

1) academic paper presentation for plenary session
2) panel discussion
3) draft academic paper to be workshopped in small group
4) other formats, such as films and creative/artistic expressions.

  • Deadline: Please submit your abstract of maximum 300 words by 28 November.

To submit your paper abstract, please complete this online form.

 

We aim to announce a (preliminary) programme in January 2026.

 

There is scope to provide financial support for Sri Lankan scholars to participate in the event. This budget is highly constrained, but we hope to be able to support two or three participants. The submission form will ask you to indicate your need for such support.

 

The Sri Lanka Roundtable provides a platform for exchange between academics and research-oriented professionals with an interest in Sri Lanka. It operates on budgets generated on an event-by-event basis. It is not backed by a formal institutional structure and does not charge participation fees.

 

The Roundtable was first held in 2010 and most recently in June 2023 at Utrecht University. Roundtables are informal events, organized by academics working in Europe (and beyond) and hosted by universities. This upcoming Roundtable is being hosted by the Conflict Research Group at Ghent University. It is supported by the Conflict Research Group (premises and administration), the European Research Council (grant 101170073; operational costs) and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (financial support for travel costs of selected Sri Lankan participants).

 

For every Roundtable, an informal organizing committee is formed, which takes responsibility for programming and logistics. The organizing committee for this event comprises: Bhadrajee Hewage (Oxford University), Deborah Johnson (University of Exeter), Roshni Kapur (Ghent University and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung), Bart Klem (Ghent University), and Jayanthi Lingham (Sheffield University).

 

For inquiries about the Roundtable, please email Roshni.Kapur@UGent.be. Please do not email your submission but send them to the above-listed form.