The University of Hong Kong and Cornell Law School have announced a Call for Papers for the HKU Cornell Asian Legal Studies Workshop, which will be held at The University of Hong Kong on 21 and 22 December 2026.
The workshop is being co hosted by Professor Xin He of the HKU Faculty of Law and Professor Yun chien Chang of Cornell Law School. The workshop aims to bring together junior scholars conducting research on Asian jurisdictions, with a preference for empirical legal research.
Selected participants will receive reimbursement of economy airfare and accommodation for two nights, providing financial support for scholars travelling to Hong Kong to participate in the workshop.
About the Asian Legal Studies Workshop
The workshop is designed as an intensive academic forum for presenting work in progress and receiving detailed feedback from senior scholars. Around eight to ten papers will be selected for full presentation.
Each selected paper will be assigned to a senior commentator who will provide detailed remarks before the discussion is opened to other participants. The workshop is intended to help researchers strengthen their papers for eventual publication in leading peer reviewed journals and law reviews.
Eligibility for Applicants
The Call is open to junior scholars whose academic rank is Associate Professor or below. This includes Assistant Professors, Postdoctoral Fellows and researchers holding equivalent research track positions.
Submitted papers must focus on Asian jurisdictions, with preference given to research using empirical methodologies. Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods research are eligible for consideration.
Papers must be written in English and must remain unpublished at the time of the workshop. Co authored papers are also welcome, provided that every author satisfies the career stage requirement.
Travel and Accommodation Support
Approximately eight to ten papers will be selected for full presentation at the workshop. The host organisation will reimburse travel costs for economy airfare for selected participants travelling to Hong Kong.
In addition to airfare reimbursement, the host organisation will provide lodging for two nights. This support is intended to facilitate participation by selected scholars in the two day academic workshop at The University of Hong Kong.
Submission Requirements
At the first stage, applicants must submit an abstract of no more than two pages in English. The abstract should clearly state the research question, explain the methodology, summarise the central argument and identify the contribution of the paper to the existing literature.
The workshop organisers will review the submitted abstracts and selected applicants will subsequently be invited to submit their full papers.
Invited papers should not exceed 15,000 words, including footnotes. The final deadline for full paper submission is scheduled for approximately two weeks before the workshop, with the specified deadline being 7 December 2026.
Important Dates and Application
The deadline for submitting abstracts is 20 October 2026. Applicants selected for the workshop will be notified on 1 November 2026.
The full paper submission deadline is 7 December 2026, while the workshop will take place on 21 and 22 December 2026 at The University of Hong Kong.
Submissions and enquiries should be directed to Mr. Yumo Yao at yaoym6@hku.hk. Interested scholars should ensure that their research meets the Asian jurisdiction focus and career stage requirements before submitting their abstract.
