You are using a web browser we do not support. To improve your experience please try one of the following options:
Date: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Location: West Meeting Room 120, Vancouver Convention Center, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
The Society for the Study of Early China is pleased to announce its 2026 annual conference. The conference will take place on Thursday, 12 March 2026, at the Vancouver Convention Center in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. It will be held in conjunction with the Association for Asian Studies annual conference, but those who attend only the SSEC conference are not required to register for AAS. The SSEC conference is free and open to the public.
We invite proposals for presentations on all topics related to Early China (i.e., the Han
dynasty and before). Presentations will be approximately 20 minutes in duration.
Proposals are due 14 January 2026.
Decisions will be announced by 21 January 2026
To submit a proposal, send in a single document:
• Your name, institutional affiliation (e.g., “Department of Ancient History, Miskatonic
University”), and formal 7tle (e.g., “Doctoral student,” “Professor Emerita,” etc.).
• Your institutional email and mailing addresses. (Put these in the proposal.)
• The title of your proposed presentation and an abstract of not more than 250 words.
Remember that topics should be suited to an approximately 20-minute presenta7on.
• Send your proposal (DOC or PDF format) from your institutional email address to the
organizing committee at SSECConference2026@gmail.com. Please direct questions to
the same address.
Selection Criteria
Membership in the Society is recommended but not required at present. However, all else being equal, proposals from current members receive preference.
v Submission and formal aspects
Ø Punctual submission
Ø Abstract within the stated word limit
Ø Inclusion of full personal information, including professional affiliation
v Scope
Ø Each proposal as submitted should be suited to a presentation of the length
specified in the call for papers (no more than 20 minutes).
v Professional status and location
Ø We desire geographical diversity and want to include scholars located at large and
small institutions both inside and outside the United States.
Ø We seek the participation of a variety of faculty members, from recent PhDs to
senior scholars.
Ø This forum is primarily for professionals. Only a small portion of the presenters in
any given year will be students (including ABD students).
v Variety
Ø We wish to have a group of presentations with a broad range of topics that represent
the breadth of early China studies.
Ø We seek to have a different set of presenters every year and to avoid consistently
selecting from a small group. For that reason, presenting two years in a row will be
exceptional and presenting three years in a row will be impossible.
v Suitability
Ø Proposals should be suited to the conference in terms of topic, approach, and
period (Han and before). Early China, the journal of the SSEC, is the standard for
these judgments.
v Credibility
Ø Proposals should demonstrate sound research methods and use of legitimate
sources.
v Clarity
Ø Proposals should be clear and easy to understand.
v Significance
Ø The significance of each proposal’s argument should be evident.