The Regional Center for Social Science and Sustainable Development (RCSD), Faculty of Social Sciences, Chiang Mai University invites applications from graduate students, early-career scholars, and development practitioners for a five-day training workshop on Environmental Justice: Rethinking Knowledge, Power, and Inequality in the Context of Climate Change and Agrarian Transitions in Southeast Asia, to be held at Chiang Mai University from 8–12 December 2025. The workshop is part of Cultivating the Humanities & Social Sciences and Supporting Underrepresented Scholars of Asia (CHSS), supported by the Association for Asian Studies (AAS) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).
Rationale
Across the Mekong and Southeast Asia, agrarian change and climate pressures are reshaping rural landscapes, livelihoods, and the environment. Large-scale land concessions in Laos and Cambodia, shifting river flows in the Mekong Delta linked to dam construction, and conservation and climate adaptation projects in upland northern Thailand, the Myanmar–Thailand borderlands, as well as other frontier regions, are transforming access to land, water, and resources by the people. These processes interact with regional geopolitical dynamics, including state agendas, transnational investment, extractive resources, and cross-border infrastructure initiatives, that determine whose interests are prioritized and whose are marginalized.
The workshop encourages participants to reflect on the way agrarian change and environmental transformations shape ways of living with and understanding nature through farming practices, community traditions, state policies, and global climate initiatives. This workshop will highlight how different forms of knowledge and power relations influence perceptions of the environment, and how local experiences can challenge dominant models of governance and justice. This perspective draws on the idea of ontology, recognizing that people hold diverse ways of knowing and relating to nature, which are central to rethinking environmental justice in times of agrarian and climate change.
The workshop will bring together approximately 15–18 early-career researchers, graduate students, development practitioners, and media and community actors from across the Mekong Region and Southeast Asia. Through lectures, case-based discussions, collaborative research activities, and reflective dialogue, participants will engage with diverse perspectives on environmental justice. The program also aims to build lasting connections and may serve as a foundation for ongoing scholarly collaboration, research initiatives, and future exchanges.
Workshop Components
The workshop consists of 1) thematic lecture & discussion on political ecology, climate/agrarian change, extractivism, environmental governance, ontological politics, and methods for justice-oriented research, 2) case-based learning, and 3) a field trip.
Eligibility
Open to applicants from Southeast Asia (especially Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam), including:
- Graduate students, early-career faculty, independent researchers.
- Practitioners and civil society actors working on environment, agrarian change, climate justice, migration, and social inequality.
- Individuals committed to interdisciplinary, community-engaged, and collaborative approaches
Support & Costs
Selected participants will receive full or partial support (travel, accommodation, meals, and workshop materials).
How to Apply
Submit the following via this link: https://tally.so/r/Bz4xvK
- Personal information
- Statement of interest (max 500 words): your research/practice focus, relevance to the workshop themes, and expected contributions (including any cross-hub linkages).
- Short CV (max 2 pages).
- Abstract of going/completed research & project (max 500 words) related to environmental justice, political ecology, or agrarian change etc.
Important Dates (Bangkok time, GMT+7)
• Application deadline: 15 November 2025• Notification of selection: 18 November 2025
• Notification date moved to 21 November 2025
• Workshop dates: 8–12 December 2025
Contact
Regional Center for Social Science and Sustainable Development (RCSD)
Faculty of Social Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Thailand
office@rcsd-cmu.com