On behalf of the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations (SHAFR), the College of Integrative Studies at the Singapore Management University, with support from the Department of History of the National University of Singapore, is pleased to host the inaugural SHAFR-in-Asia Pacific Workshop. We invite applications from scholars of U.S. foreign relations and international history who are based outside of North America and Europe and in institutions of the Asian and Pacific region.
The two-day workshop will take place 3-4 March 2026 on the campus of the Singapore Management University (SMU).
This inaugural workshop draws inspiration from the long running AAS-in-Asia dissertation workshop. Early and mid-career scholars of U.S. foreign relations and international history intending not only to workshop their works-in-development but also serve as discussants of other participants’ works-in-development should apply to participate. We also welcome applicants who wish to serve only as discussants, though author-discussants will be prioritized.
Applicants’ works-in-development can be in forms such as a full draft of the following:
- A dissertation chapter (as in the case of graduate students);
- A journal article or edited volume chapter based on a completed dissertation chapter (or chapters);
- A journal article or edited volume chapter not based primarily on doctoral research;
- Draft chapters (maximum of two) of a book manuscript in progress, as in the case of early-to-mid career scholars.
The workshop will pair each author with one discussant for an in-depth critique of their works-in-development. Where possible, authors and discussants will be paired based on the similarities or intersections of their research topics.
When an author and the discussant matched to them are not conducting their workshop, they will be able to attend the workshops of other authors, and can read other authors’ works-in-development ahead of time. All works-in-development will be circulated before the workshop commences in March 2026.
To ensure effectiveness, as in the style of the AAS-in-Asia workshop, participation is capped at 20 authors/discussants.
If you are interested in being a part of this workshop, please note the following details as you prepare your application:
- Registration Fee and SHAFR Membership: There is no registration fee for this workshop. Authors and discussants need not be SHAFR members to apply.
- Workshop Theme and Field of Expertise: There is no prescribed theme for this workshop. For those who have not attended SHAFR conferences, do familiarize yourself with the wide range of research topics that have been presented on and discussed at SHAFR to determine the fit of your work (see the most recent SHAFR conference program and the articles of Diplomatic History).
Based in the Asia Pacific: The organizing committee welcomes applications from scholars of U.S. foreign relations and/or international history who are based outside of North America and Europe and in institutions of the Asian and Pacific region.
To clarify, the above refers to the following: doctoral students of any nationality currently enrolled in institutions of the region; postdoctoral researchers of any nationality who may have earned their PhDs outside of the Asia Pacific but are currently based in an institution of the region; and scholars of any nationality who hold permanent or adjunct positions in an institution of the Asia Pacific.
Airfare and Accommodations: The organizing committee will not be able to cover the cost of participants’ travel to and from Singapore. However, we will be able to cover up to two nights of accommodation for participants.
Authors or discussants who can secure their own institutional funding once their application is accepted may request an official letter of acceptance from the organizing committee if needed.
Applicants who wish to arrange for and cover their own accommodations may contact the organizing committee to seek recommendations for accommodations close to the SMU campus, which is centrally located in Singapore, near the civic and business districts.
- Meals: During the two-day workshop, the following meals will be provided without charge to all authors and discussants—breakfast, lunch, and refreshments, and one dinner.
- Workshop Schedule, Plenary Sessions, and Off-Campus Socials:
Both days of the workshop are expected to run from 8:00am (breakfast) through 5:30pm.
Visitors to Singapore should plan to arrive by the evening before the workshop begins on 3 March. We encourage participants whose workshops are completed on the first day to remain through the second day and participate in other authors’ workshop sessions and the plenaries.
There will be up to 3 plenary sessions during the two-day workshop. These plenaries will likely be concerned with the following: (a) an opportunity for all attendees to discuss issues, practical and conceptual, related to conducting scholarly research in U.S. foreign relations and international history while based in Asia Pacific institutions; (b) a session for interested scholars to discuss and work on a collaborative project and/or publication(s) that are separate from the work-in-development they have submitted; (c) discussions about organizing a future SHAFR-in-Asia Pacific event slated tentatively for 2028.
One or more of these plenaries will be conducted by Professor Mark Bradley (University of Chicago), editor of The American Historical Review, Professor Anne Foster (Indiana State University), co-editor of Diplomatic History, in cooperation with the co-convenors of the workshop: Wen-Qing Ngoei (SMU), Joey Long (NUS), and Brian Cuddy (Macquarie University).
The organizing committee will make plans for off-campus dinners and sightseeing at the end of each day of the workshop, to which all participants are invited. Please note that the price of admission to places of interest will be at the participants’ own expense.
Discussant, Author-Discussant, Materials for Submission & Deadlines:
Via the application form at the link provided below, please indicate clearly if you are applying solely as a discussant or as an author/ discussant.
- Discussants should submit the following as a single document via the application link by 1 October 2025.
- Curriculum Vitae (2 pages maximum) and a Cover Letter (1 page maximum, single-spaced) that briefly explains your suitability, experience, and desire to serve as a discussant at the workshop.
- Discussants will be informed of their acceptance by end of January 2026. Do note that spaces are limited as author-discussants will be prioritized.
- Author-Discussants should submit the following via the application link provided by 1 October 2025:
- Description of Project (2,000 words maximum) and Curriculum Vitae (2 pages maximum) as a single document.
- The Description of Project should outline the themes and argument of the work-in-development, the significance of the research question vis-à-vis the existing scholarly literature, the novelty of the methods or sources employed, and (where relevant) a brief outline of the chapters of the larger work from which this submission is drawn.
- Successful applicants should expect to hear from the organizing committee by the end of November 2025. Following, author-discussants must submit their works-in-development by 15 January 2026. This is a hard deadline and author-discussants who fail to submit on time may be excluded from the workshop. Further instructions on how to submit works-in-development will be provided only to successful applicants.
Should you have any queries, please direct them to: cis_events@smu.edu.sg
Organizing Committee/ Co-convenors:
Wen-Qing Ngoei, Singapore Management University (wqngoei@smu.edu.sg)
Brian Cuddy, Macquarie University (brian.cuddy@mq.edu.au)
S.R. Joey Long, National University of Singapore (hislsrj@nus.edu.sg)
