Call for Papers
Themed Issue of Southeast Asia: A Multidisciplinary Journal (SEAMJ)
‘Future Sustainability of Borneo’
The Themed Issue aims to shed light on the future of Borneo, focussing on sustainability interests. The development of Ibu Kota Nusantara (IKN), Indonesia’s new capital in Kalimantan, has raised concerns from various groups regarding potential impacts on the rainforest and vulnerable endemic species, given the size of Indonesia’s economy. However, to others, this offers an opportunity for growth and sustainable development of this largely neglected region of east ASEAN, or BIMP-EAGA, which comprises Brunei, the Bornean parts of Indonesia and Malaysia, and southern Philippines. Meanwhile, climate change is threatening the major cities of Borneo, most of which are found along the coast.
Borneo is widely known for its rainforest and diverse indigenous groups, which are threaten by modern development. However, few outside Borneo really knows the situation on the ground or the aspiration, culture and indigenous wisdom of its people. This special issue aims to shed light on realities through work done by academics working in Borneo, particularly natives of the land, regarding sustainability concerns, climate change, increasing digitalisation, globalisation and the development of IKN.
Key Themes Include:
- Sustainability considerations associated with IKN.
- Climate change adaptation, specifically sea level rise.
- Digitalisation.
- Ecological designs and sustainability.
- The future of traditional knowledge/culture, and society.
Guest Editors:
- Rosnah Abdullah
Head, Borneo Studies Network Secretariat, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei. - Zairin Zain,
Universitas Tanjungpura, Indonesia - Poline Bala
University Malaysia Sarawak, Malaysia
Journal Information: Scopus Journal Q3, H-Index 2
Important Dates:
- Submission Deadline of Full Paper: 28 February 2026
- Expected Publication Date: End of 2026
For enquiries, please contact Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Ahsan Ullah at ahsan.ullah@ubd.edu.bn.
All submissions and peer review must be done via the journal’s ScholarOne submission and peer review system. Please select the issue ‘Future Sustainability of Borneo‘ when preparing your submission in the system.
Author Guidelines must be strictly followed.
For more details refer here
