Auckland University of Technology (AUT) Philippine Studies Hub and the Philippine Studies Network Aotearoa New Zealand invite proposals for individual and panel presentations for the 2027 International Philippine Studies Conference, entitled (Re)Imagining the Global Filipino: Roots, Knowledges, Communities and Collective Futures, scheduled to take place on 18–19 February 2027 at the AUT City Campus, Auckland, New Zealand.

This international gathering is the second iteration of Dialogo Philippine Studies Conference and the first to be held outside of the Philippines. Building upon discussions that foregrounded the global trajectory of Philippine Studies, this conference seeks to re-examine Philippine Studies not only as a global and interdisciplinary field but also as a critical framework for engaging with contemporary social, cultural, political and transnational issues.

Centring the ‘global Filipino’ as both a conceptual and methodological lens, the conference seeks to bring together scholars, researchers, students, practitioners and policymakers to exchange insights and generate analyses on the shifting conditions, connections and contributions of Filipinos across the world. The notion of the global Filipino will serve as a point of departure for examining how histories, (im)mobilities, cultural practices and transnational networks shape contemporary Filipino subjectivities and shared futures within and beyond the Philippines.

Amid evolving global security concerns, the conference underscores the urgency of rethinking and reconsidering the evolving scope and shape of Philippine Studies in relation to the pressing challenges and possibilities surrounding migration, democracy, climate change and global interdependence encountered by the Filipino people. It is against this backdrop that the conference spotlights Filipino lived experiences as critical inputs to ongoing debates and research on how communities navigate uncertainty, inequality and disruption, while continuously striving and aspiring for more just and sustainable futures.

Set within the unique context of Aotearoa New Zealand, and conceived in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the two countries’ bilateral relations, the conference likewise seeks to foreground indigenous epistemologies as vital, enduring and dynamic ways of understanding the world. By creating space to consider how Filipino indigenous knowledge(s) is positioned, contested and engaged within global contexts, it hopes to foster meaningful dialogue across Filipino, Māori, and Pacific knowledge systems, as well as with other Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledge traditions worldwide. 

The conference welcomes proposals from a range of disciplinary and methodological traditions that promote awareness and expression of diverse forms of knowledge and knowledge-making on the Filipinos and the Philippines, while also providing a venue to discover and celebrate Filipino/Philippine-focused scholarship and papers across multiple fields such as the following: 

• Art and literature

• Business and entrepreneurship  

• Education and pedagogy  

• Governance and politics (domestic, regional and global) 

• Health and wellbeing  

• History and culture  

• Indigenous epistemologies and connections  

• Methodological issues and trends in Philippine Studies and related fields 

• Migration, (im)mobilities, transnationalism 

• Sustainable development, climate change and disaster resilience 

• Technology, ethics and society  

• Tourism and placemaking

Submissions addressing topics beyond the ones listed above are encouraged and welcome.

The conference welcomes individual papers, panel presentations, and creative presentations. Individual and creative presentations will be allocated 12 minutes for presentation followed by 3 minutes for Q&A. Panel sessions will run for 60 minutes and may include up to five papers.

Keynote Speakers:

• Prof. Rogelia Pe-Pua (University of the Philippines/University of New South Wales Sydney)

• Prof. Alex Tan (University of Canterbury)

• Prof. Deirdre McKay (Keele University)

Conference Dates:

18-19 February 2027

Venue:

Auckland University of Technology (AUT)

WG Building, City Campus

55 Wellesley Street East

Auckland Central, Auckland 1010

Aotearoa New Zealand

Contact

philippinestudiesconference@aut.ac.nz