Depok, Indonesia — Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII) will host the 2026 IFAR Consortium Conference. Titled “Contours of Inequality: Power, Protest, and Privilege in Southeast Asia”, the conference will take place on 12-14 August 2026, bringing together leading scholars, researchers, and policy experts from across the region and beyond to examine the changing dynamics of inequality in Southeast Asia.

Organized by the Institute for Advanced Research (IFAR), and supported by the Indonesian Scholarship and Research Support Foundation (ISRSF), the conference seeks to foster critical dialogue on one of the most pressing challenges facing contemporary societies. Participants will explore how inequality intersects with state formation, economic development, globalization, identity politics, environmental change, and resource governance. In addition to these thematic areas, the conference welcomes broader discussions on the causes, manifestations, and consequences of inequality in Southeast Asia.

The event has attracted significant international interest. A total of 173 abstracts were submitted, with 88 papers accepted through a competitive review process. Researchers from Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Europe, Australia, and the United Kingdom will participate in the conference, reflecting the growing global scholarly engagement with issues of inequality in the region.

A highlight of the conference will be a keynote address by Prof. Vivek Chibber of New York University, a prominent scholar known for his contributions to political sociology and the study of capitalism and development. His participation underscores the conference’s commitment to engaging cutting-edge scholarship on social and economic inequality.

The conference program will feature keynote lectures, thematic panel discussions, paper presentations, workshops for early-career researchers, and roundtable discussions addressing contemporary policy challenges. Three major panels are planned: Inequality in Southeast Asia, Inequality in Indonesia, and Climate and Resource Politics. These sessions will bring together distinguished scholars from institutions including ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute, the Australian National University, the University of Sydney, the National University of Singapore, the University of Indonesia, and UIII.

Beyond academic exchange, the conference aims to generate meaningful policy insights and strengthen research networks dedicated to the study of inequality. Expected outcomes include policy recommendations, collaborative research initiatives, and the publication of selected conference papers.

As Southeast Asia continues to experience rapid economic transformation alongside persistent social disparities, the conference offers a timely platform for examining how power, privilege, and protest shape the region’s future. By convening leading voices from academia and policy circles, UIII reaffirms its commitment to advancing globally relevant scholarship and contributing to informed public debate on critical societal challenges.

For scholars, students, and policymakers interested in understanding the evolving contours of inequality in Southeast Asia, the conference promises to be a significant forum for dialogue, reflection, and collaboration. []