Call for Papers: The 8th International Forum on Spice Route 2026

The 8th International Forum on Spice Route 2026
From Commodity Routes to Knowledge Commons: Reimagining the Spice Routes in an Age of Climate Crisis, Digital Transformation, and Decolonial Futures

The 8th International Forum on Spice Route (IFSR 2026) invites scholars, researchers, policymakers, postgraduate students, cultural activists, artists/designers, professionals, communities, and civil-society actors from related fields to submit abstracts and participate in a multidisciplinary forum on the Spice Routes as a framework for understanding historical and contemporary global interconnections.

Building on the intellectual approaches of follow the spice, follow the people, follow the metaphor, and decolonizing knowledge and heritage, IFSR 2026 aims to expand critical discussions on the Spice Routes beyond commodity histories. The forum seeks to examine the Spice Routes as pathways of ecology, mobility, memory, cultural exchange, digital transformation, and knowledge justice in response to current global challenges.

Sub-themes / Panels
Panel 1: Spice Ecologies in the Climate Crisis: Biodiversity, Agroforestry, and Biocultural Resilience
Panel 2: Maritime Chokepoints and Island Corridors: Rethinking Connectivity from the Spice Routes to Today’s Disrupted Seas
Panel 3: Follow the People: Migration, Diaspora, Creolization, and Plural Belonging
Panel 4: Decolonizing Spice Knowledge: Archives, Botanical Collections, Provenance, and Restitution
Panel 5: Living Heritage under Pressure: Ritual, Foodways, Craft, and Intergenerational Transmission
Panel 6: Spice as Metaphor: Aesthetics, Sensory Knowledge, and Cultural Imagination
Panel 7: Digital Spice Routes: AI, Archives, Cultural Data, and the Future of Heritage Interpretation
Panel 8: Heritage Diplomacy and the Politics of Heritage

Call for Paper Submission
Contributors are invited to submit an abstract of no more than 300 words. The abstract should clearly include the proposed research question, main argument, and methodology. Submissions should also include:
Title of the paper
1. Name of author(s)
2. Institutional affiliation(s)
3. Email address
4. Selected panel
5. A short biography of no more than 150 words

Accepted abstract contributors will be invited to submit a full paper of 5.000-7.000 words. Selected papers will later be included in the Proceedings of the International Forum on Spice Route, published by the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) and Negeri Rempah Foundation. Papers that have been accepted and presented at IFSR 2026 may be considered for publication in a SINTA-accredited journal, subject to editorial selection, peer-review process, journal scope, and additional publication fees.

Call for Artwork / Non-Traditional Research Output Submission
Artists and designers are invited to submit artwork proposals aligned with the concept notes of IFSR 2026. The submission should include an abstract of no more than 300 words outlining the creative rationale behind the proposed work. Artwork/NTRO submissions should also include:
1. Title of the work
2. Name of artist/designer(s)
3. Institutional affiliation(s)
4. Email address
5. Proposed format
6. A short biography of no more than 150 words

Accepted contributors will be required to submit the final artwork and a written creative rationale. Selected artwork will be featured in the IFSR 2026 digital exhibition and included in an official Catalogue of Works published by the Negeri Rempah Foundation. Creative formats may include, but are not limited to:
- 2D artworks, such as posters, photography, and infographics
- Video-based works, including short films and animations
- Interactive and gamified designs that engage users through participatory or digital interaction

Important Dates
Deadline for abstract submission: 20 June 2026
Notification of accepted abstracts: 10 July 2026
Registration payment deadline for accepted presenters/contributors: 31 July 2026
Full paper/artwork submission: 10 September 2026
Presentation file submission: 14 September 2026
Conference dates: 21–24 September 2026

Submission
Please submit your abstract through the IFSR 2026 OJS submission system:
https://s.brin.go.id/l/ifsr

All contributors are required to register or log in before submitting their abstract.

Payment Information
Registration fees may be transferred to:
Account Name: Yayasan Negeri Rempah
Bank: BRI
Account Number: 0524-01-000314-30-0

Accepted presenters/contributors are required to complete the payment no later than 31 July 2026. Proof of payment must be submitted through the registration/submission form or sent to the conference committee as instructed.

Contact
For further information, please contact,
Email: internationalforumonspiceroute@gmail.com
Uus Faizal Firdaussy: +62 858 13472119
M. Iqbal: +62 821 94595358
Aryandini Novita: +62 812 7322051
Sultan Aquilla: +62 877 76408012
Widya Safitri: +62 812 10294804

Social Media
Instagram:
@negerirempah
@pmbbrin
@pralmbb_brin
@ekologi_brin

Website:
http://www.negerirempah.org/
https://brin.go.id/