Call for Papers: International Conference on Reflexive Globalisation and the Law – (South) Asian Perspectives, 12–14 November 2027
Bengaluru, India, 12–14 November 2027
Ongoing debates around colonial legacies in a multipolar world mark a new phase of globalisation that is reflexive: Traditionally viewed in economic terms and often seen as a unidirectional process – ultimately one of “Westernisation” –, globalisation in this new phase reveals critical intellectual dimensions as well and is becoming more multidirectional. The positions of South and North, of periphery and centre, are being redefined and rebalanced. The Northern foundations of concepts, vocabularies, and epistemic assumptions, along with the Northern dominance in knowledge production, are increasingly challenged for their colonial and imperial legacies.
The Conference on Reflexive Globalisation and the Law, co-organised by RefLex and the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, will take place in November 2027. It will explore these dynamics in law and legal discourse, with particular attention to colonial legacies and their impact on law and legal discourse in the 21st century.
Sub-Themes and Participants
While participants are invited to focus on (South) Asia, other regions can also be covered, for example by taking a comparative perspective. Possible sub-themes of inquiry include:
Reflexive globalisation in public (including public international) law, (international); criminal law and transitional justice / transnational law;
Strategies and practice of reflexive globalisation: activism, litigation, campaigns, networks;
History and theory of globalisation, modernity and reflexivity; and
Relationships between globalisation and other social phenomena in the context of law.
The conference will bring together legal scholars, but also scholars from humanities and social sciences as well as practitioners with an academic interest. It aims to focus on voices from (South) Asia in particular. Scholars in early career stages are particularly encouraged to submit abstracts.
Abstracts
If you are interested in delivering a paper and participating in the conference, please submit an abstract of no more than 300 words and a short biographical note of no more than 300 words to reflex.ontour@hu-berlin.de by 30 November 2026 at the latest. Succesful applicants will be informed by May 2027.
Funding
Accommodation for all invited participants will be provided for the duration of the conference. In addition, a limited number of travel grants (up to EUR 1.000 for intercontinental, up to EUR 500 for regional, and up to EUR 200 for domestic travel) will be available for scholars who are not able to self-fund their participation. When submitting your abstract, kindly indicate whether you also apply for a travel grant.
For more details, refer here
