[Call for papers]
The 3rd Conference of the Society of Asian Food Studies & The 16th Asian Food Study Conference
Food Culture in the Age of AI: Heritage, Innovation and Global Dialogue
Conference Notice Ⅱ
(Notice on the Extension of the Presentation Submission Deadline and Online Participation)
Main Theme
Food Culture in the Age of AI: Heritage, Innovation and Global Dialogue
Dates
August 22nd – 23rd, 2026 (Sat. – Sun.)
Venue
Harbin Museum
Add: No. 13 Liushu Street, Daoli District, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
Hybrid format: on-site participation and Zoom webinar
Organization
Host: Society of Asian Food Studies (SAFS)
Organizers: Laochujia - Binjiang Official Cuisine Museum
Harbin Culinary Archive Museum
Zhejiang Merchant Institute, Zhejiang Gongshang University
Co-organizers: Institute of Thai Studies, Chulalongkorn University
Heilongjiang Food Culture Research Association
European Etching Collection Museum
(Sponsors and other supports are being confirmed.)
Tentative Program
Saturday, August 22, 2026
Morning: Opening Ceremony, Keynote Speeches
Afternoon: Parallel Sessions (Thematic Presentations + General Papers)
Sunday, August 23, 2026
Morning: Parallel Sessions (Thematic Presentations + General Papers), Closing Ceremony
Afternoon: Harbin City Tour
Concurrent Events
The 9th Suiyuan Book Award Ceremony
Culinary-Themed Visual Arts Exhibition
Keynote speakers:
Dr. Jakob A. Klein, Associate Professor (Reader) in the Department of Social Anthropology at SOAS, University of London.
Prof. Zhao Rongguang, President of the Asian Food Study Conference, and Founder and Honorary President of the Society of Asian Food Studies.
Other keynote speakers are currently being confirmed.
Suggested Topics
Living heritage, brand innovation, and sustainable management of traditional culinary practices;
AI and smart technologies reshaping the food industry, food service, and consumer behavior;
Integrated development of culinary heritage, gastronomic tourism, and dining spaces/settings;
Traditions and transformations of food culture in Northeast Asia;
Diversity, global dissemination, and market adaptation of Asian food cultures;
Regional culinary branding, urban cultural development, and local culinary development;
Harbin’s urban memory and the revitalization of its culinary heritage resources;
Food-themed visual arts and representational studies;
Other topics relevant to food studies.
Important Dates and Deadlines
– Abstract Submission Deadline: July 3, 2026
– Early-bird Registration Fee Payment Deadline: July 3, 2026
– Presentation slides (PPT) Submission Deadline: August 3, 2026
– Detailed program released: August 15, 2026
Registration Application
Please complete the online registration form at the link below to indicate your intention to attend:
https://forms.office.com/r/ewYB5sgrtk
Registration Fee
Standard Registration: 1,000 RMB / 24,000 JPY
Early-bird Registration: 800 RMB / 19,000 JPY
Online Participant Registration: 650 RMB / 15,000 JPY
Payment Link: https://asianfoodconference2026.peatix.com/view
Participants from China please refer to the instructions provided in the Chinese version of the conference notice.
Note ①: To qualify for the early-bird rate, payment must be completed by 23:59 (Beijing Time) on July 3, 2026. The early-bird discount applies to in-person participants only.
Note ②: The registration fee includes a one-year membership fee for the Society of Asian Food Studies and conference materials. For in-person participants, the fee also includes lunches on August 22 and 23, coffee/tea breaks during the conference, the themed dinner on August 22, the post-conference excursion, and a souvenir. Travel and accommodation expenses are to be borne by participants themselves.
Note ③: For payments made through Peatix, receipts/invoices can be downloaded directly from Peatix.
Call for Collaborators and Sponsorship
- We welcome proposals from universities, research institutes, and nonprofit organizations to host parallel sessions. Self-nominations or recommendations for session convenors are encouraged. Students and early-career scholars are particularly invited to submit innovative proposals for presentation.
- We invite representatives from food, beverage, and food service enterprises in China and abroad to participate in conference sponsorship, exhibition collaboration, and the organization of parallel sessions.
- Those who are interested should contact the Committee with a curriculum vitae or organizational profile, a list of at least three distinguished scholars (preferably from diverse disciplines, nationalities, and ethnic backgrounds) relevant to the conference theme, and a preliminary proposal for the parallel session or concurrent event (minimum two A4 pages).
