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, development practitioners, civil society actors and media for a six-day research capacity building 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 during 23–28 January 2026. The second workshop is open to all applicants whose qualifications meet the criteria, including—but not limited to—those who were not selected in the first round, and it also welcomes new applicants. Previous applicants may resubmit the same materials or submit revised abstracts or statements; however, all applicants are required to complete the full application process.
This 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).
This second workshop, organized under the same theme and framework as one held in December 2025, aims to strengthen research capacity among young and junior scholars from underrepresented regions and educational institutions in Southeast Asia, including—but not limited to—non-academic practitioners who are actively engaged in public communication and in producing research outputs in creative forms. The workshop centers on environmental justice, addressing climate change as a political and structural issue, and explores potential responses through humanities and social science perspectives. It engages young scholars in Southeast Asia by fostering research approaches and methods that are analytically rigorous and attentive to questions of power, inequality, and justice.
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 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
- thematic lecture & discussion on political ecology, climate/agrarian change, extractivism, environmental governance, ontological politics, and methods for justice-oriented research,
- case-based learning, and
- a field trip.
Eligibility
Open to applicants from Southeast Asia (especially Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Timor Leste), including:
- Master’s degree holders or those in the process of conducting thesis research.
- Current graduate students, early-career faculty, and or independent researchers with backgrounds in the social sciences, humanities, or related fields
- Development practitioners, civil society, or media working on environmental issues, agrarian change, climate justice, migration, and social inequality with a social science and/or humanities approach
Support & Costs
Full or partial funding will be provided to selected participants, covering travel, accommodation, meals, and workshop materials, subject to budget availability and program arrangements
How to Apply
Please apply online here, please prepare the following information:
- Personal information
- Statement of Interest (maximum 500 words): Please submit a statement describing your research or project focus, its relevance to the workshop themes, your expected contributions to the workshop, and—where applicable—your plan to further develop and share the output after the workshop in other formats, such as academic papers, articles for public engagement platforms or blogs, documentaries, or other creative outputs.
- Short CV (max 2 pages).
- Abstract of going/completed research & project (max 500 words) related to environmental justice, political ecology, or agrarian change etc. Please indicate the current status of the research (ongoing, completed, or planned).
Important date Dates (Bangkok time, GMT+7)
- Application deadline: 4 January 2026
- Notification of selection: 9 January 2026
- Workshop dates: 23-28 January 2026
For further information or inquiries please email us here