Call for Abstracts: 4th Australia-Bhutan Research Conference
The 4th Australia-Bhutan Research Conference (ABRC) will be hosted at the ANU in partnership with the Crawford School of Public Policy, Murdoch University and the Royal Bhutanese Embassy Canberra. The conference comes at an important juncture in Bhutan's development journey. Bhutan is currently implementing transformative national initiatives, including the 13th Five–Year Plan, the Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC), and the Bhutan 21st Century Economic Roadmap (10X Vision). In this context, the 4th ABRC seeks to continue to provide a multidisciplinary platform for researchers, policymakers and development practitioners to exchange ideas, showcase research, explore collaborative opportunities, and contribute to policy discussions relevant to Bhutan's development priorities as well as Australia–Bhutan relations. The conference aims to promote knowledge exchange, strengthen research networks, support evidence-based policymaking, foster collaborative research and capacity building, and enhance awareness of Bhutan’s transformation initiatives.
The theme for the 4th ABRC is “Reimagining Bhutan’s Development for the 21st Century” and four sub–themes:
- STEM—Potential and Prospects
- Socio-economic Development—Challenges and Opportunities
- Sustainability/Environment—Conserving and Navigating
- Culture, Tradition and Values—Preserving and Adapting
For those interested in participating in the conference, please submit your abstracts (400 words) through this link. Please note that the deadline for the submission of abstracts is 23 September 2026.
The conference will be held in person on 16–17 November 2026 at the Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University, Canberra. Some funding may be available for eligible participants to cover partial expenses for interstate travel.
Please contact lhawang.ugyel@anu.edu.au for additional information.