Virtual Conference | September 17-19, 2026
In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the American Research Institute of the South Caucasus (ARISC), we invite scholars to join us for our upcoming Virtual Conference on September 17-19, 2026. Since its founding in 2006, ARISC has been a pioneer supporting interdisciplinary research on the South Caucasus, and it remains the only organization of its kind dedicated to the study of the histories, politics, and cultures of all three South Caucasus states – Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. The South Caucasus has grappled with enduring historical legacies and witnessed dramatic ruptures brought about by globalization, armed conflict, political upheaval, and the push and pull between democratic and authoritarian governance. Taking stock of continuity and change across the region, ARISC’s Virtual Conference will bring together a multigenerational group of scholars who work on the South Caucasus. While critically engaging with the divisions and antagonisms which dominate headlines about the South Caucasus, we invite papers that emphasize the ways in which the South Caucasus is an interconnected space shaped by shared material culture and the cross-border circulation of ideas, texts, and traditions. We seek proposals that explore the region in all of its diversity and complexity.
The conference is an opportunity to reflect on the scholarship produced by ARISC members and friends of ARISC over the past two decades, and to provide a platform to showcase new research by senior researchers, early career scholars, and students alike. At a time when rapidly shifting political circumstances have made research in the South Caucasus much more challenging, we seek to provide an open forum for posing new questions, exchanging ideas and methodologies, workshopping works-in-progress, and outlining new research agendas that will propel our scholarship forward. At the conference, we will strive to deepen our understanding of the South Caucasus and renew our commitment to sustaining the ARISC community.
We welcome scholarly contributions from all academic fields but we encourage applicants to consider the following:
- Interdisciplinary Studies
- The South Caucasus in Regional, Transnational, Global, and Comparative Perspective
- Movements of People and Materials Across Heterogenous Social and Topographical Spaces
- Imperial Encounters and Trans-Imperial Subjects
- Regional Alliances and Collaborations in the South Caucasus
- Borders, Boundaries, and Frontiers
- Methodological Challenges and Strategies
The conference is open to university-affiliated and independent scholars, graduate students, and undergraduates working in the social sciences, humanities, and sciences.
Abstracts may be submitted in the form of individual papers or panel discussions (featuring 3-5 presenters). Panel submissions must include a combined chair-discussant. We also welcome creative submissions provided that applicants explain how the creative work will be shared online, in a virtual space. All submissions must demonstrate the work’s connection to one or more of the countries of the South Caucasus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and/or Georgia.
For panel presentations, please submit the following through the form below:
- An abstract with a title (in English) of no more than 500 words summarizing the panel.
- Abstracts with titles (in English) of no more than 500 words summarizing each paper.
- Contact information and a brief academic bio of no more than 250 words for each panel member and chair-discussant. Please include your institutional affiliations.
For individual papers, please submit the following:
- An abstract with a title (in English) of no more than 500 words summarizing the paper.
- Contact information and a brief academic bio of no more than 250 words. Please include your institutional affiliation.
For creative submissions, please submit the following:
- In no more than 500 words, propose a topic, the contribution to the understanding of the Caucasus, and a brief description of the sort of creative material you propose to make available.
- Contact information and a brief academic bio of no more than 250 words for each panel member. Please include your institutional affiliation.
Link to Submission Form: https://forms.gle/3LeBVG5XspuvM4ca6
Submission Deadline: March 31, 2026
All submissions will be reviewed by the organizing committee. Please note that we aim to facilitate constructive, collaborative, and respectful discussions. We welcome thoughtful, scholarly contributions that advance our knowledge of the region and further our mission of a welcoming academic community devoted to the study of the South Caucasus. The conference language is English. All submissions must be in English.
Registration Fees
- Regular registration: $60
- ARISC members regular registration: $50
- U.S. students and postdocs (early career scholars): $20
- ARISC student members (including students at institutional member universities): $10
- Participants from Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia: $10
Please direct all inquiries to: info@arisc.org
ARISC does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, physical or mental disability, medical condition, ancestry, marital status, education, age, income, socio-economic status, or status as a covered veteran.