Conference

Image: Tsang Chung Yee

2026 American Political Science Association

Global Research Association of Politics in Hong Kong (GRAPH)

CALL FOR PAPERS

Submission Deadline: Jan 14, 2026

The 2026 Annual Conference of the American Political Science Association (APSA) will be held between September 3 and 6, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. The conference theme will be “Democracy Under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild.” GRAPH invites papers and proposals on Hong Kong’s political identity, domestic politics, socio-economic resilience, diasporas, and international relations resonating with this theme.

Although Hong Kong has never been a democracy, it has long enjoyed robust rule of law and a high degree of civil liberties—both key components of liberal democracy and the foundation of the city’s role as an international financial center. In recent years, however, both civil liberties and the rule of law have faced unprecedented challenges, as China has imposed a national security law (NSL) on the city. The year 2026 marks the sixth anniversary of the NSL’s implementation, yet scholarly works examining its social, political, and economic effects remain in short supply.

Beyond its domestic consequences, the NSL has also shaped the experiences of Hongkongers overseas. The law’s extraterritorial provisions have raised concerns about political restraint within diaspora communities, illustrating how legal and political control can extend beyond national borders and influence civic life in transnational contexts.

We therefore invite colleagues to address the theoretical and empirical understanding of these transformations, whether examining the NSL’s multifaceted impacts, its broader international and diasporic implications, or efforts to protect the rule of law and rebuild Hong Kong’s once-vibrant civil society. We believe that Hong Kong’s experience offers valuable insights relevant to the conference theme.

We welcome scholars from diverse methodological backgrounds to contribute to this conversation, particularly those employing innovative approaches to address the difficult causal challenges within Hong Kong’s political context.

Please submit your proposal here: https://convention2.allacademic.com/one/apsa/apsa26/ and select “Global Research Association of Politics in Hong Kong” as your PRIMARY desired division.

If you have any question, please contact us: graph.hk@gmail.com