4th Southeast Asia Economic Research and Development Conference
Date: December 2–4, 2026 Venue: Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia (PUC) – Siem Reap Campus, Krong Siem Reap, Cambodia
Join us for the 4th Southeast Asia Economic Research and Development Conference (SAERD 2026) — a platform bringing together young scholars, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to exchange perspectives and advance evidence-based understanding of Southeast Asia’s socio-economic landscape.
Register Now Submit Your Abstract
General participants: you are responsible for your own meals during the conference, including coffee breaks, lunch, and dinner.
About SAERD 2026
Southeast Asia is experiencing rapid and uneven socio-economic change shaped by structural transformation, widening inequality, demographic shifts, climate vulnerability, pressures on land and natural resources, and the uneven impacts of digitalisation on economic life and public service delivery. These dynamics raise urgent questions about emerging growth pathways, the distribution of risk across households, firms, and territories, and the institutional and fiscal capacities required for social protection, climate resilience, and inclusive development.
SAERD is designed to be both supportive and rigorous for young scholars from the region and around the world. We welcome early-stage work and fully developed papers, and we prioritise meaningful feedback through discussant-led sessions and moderated discussion. SAERD aims to strengthen Cambodia as one of the centres of regional research convening, where young and senior scholars can meet on equal intellectual ground, learn from disagreement, and build collegial and solidarity-based research networks.
Organisers
Host / Strategic Partner: Agricultural and Rural Development Bank (ARDB), Cambodia — Akkak Pundit Sapheachar Aun Pornmoniroth Center (APM Center)
Co-organisers:
- Young Scholars Initiative (YSI), Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET)
- Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia (PUC) – Siem Reap Campus
- Cambodia Development Resource Institute (CDRI)
Suggested Contribution Topics
Submissions may address (but are not limited to) the following themes:
- Economic growth, inequality, and inclusion
- Social protection, welfare systems, and human development
- Public finance, budgeting, expenditure quality, and fiscal sustainability
- Governance, institutions, accountability, and state capacity
- Monitoring & evaluation (M&E), performance management, and public sector reform
- Sustainability, ecology, natural resource governance, and climate resilience
- Climate finance, green budgeting, and just transitions
- Digital transformation, innovation, automation, and public services
- Food security, agrarian transformation, and rural livelihoods
- Urban and regional economics; infrastructure and spatial change
- Labour economics, gender, care, and welfare regimes
- Regional integration, trade, and global uncertainty
- History of economic thought, economic history, and path dependency
- Interdisciplinary and pluralist approaches in economic analysis
Conference Format
The conference will feature plenary sessions with invited senior scholars and parallel paper sessions for young scholars. Papers will be selected through a peer review process. Parallel sessions will use a discussant model to ensure constructive and substantive feedback for presenters. In addition to research paper panels, keynote addresses and roundtables will be organised with senior scholars.
Parallel Track: Master’s Thesis Development Workshop
SAERD 2026 will host a two-day Master’s Thesis Development Workshop in parallel with the main conference (10–12 participants). The workshop is intended for Cambodian and regional Master’s students and early-career researchers and will focus on:
- Research design and question formulation
- Conceptual framing and theoretical clarity
- Methods training (qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods)
- Feasibility, ethics, and data strategies
- Structured mentoring and proposal-development sessions
Participants will leave with a revised proposal (or chapter outline) and a clearer methods and data plan.
Program and Speakers
The full conference program — plenary sessions, panel discussions, and 25 parallel sessions with all accepted papers — is now available, along with our invited speakers.
View the Program Meet the Speakers Download Program (PDF)
Please note: the conference program on this website and the PDF are updated automatically whenever changes are made. The time, room, or order of your session may therefore change, so please check back regularly for the latest version.
Important Dates
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Abstract submission deadline | July 15, 2026 |
| Notification of acceptance | 4th week of July 2026 |
| Full paper deadline (min. 6,000 words) | September 30, 2026 |
| Conference dates | December 2–4, 2026 |
Submission Guidelines
Please submit the following:
- Title and abstract (300–500 words)
- Author name(s), affiliation(s), and contact details
- 4–6 keywords
- Indicate whether you wish to be considered for travel/accommodation support (if eligible)
- Indicate if you would like to be considered for the Master’s Thesis Development Workshop (if applicable)
- Indicate if you want to be considered for the best paper award, which is conditional on the submission of a 6,000–10,000 word working paper and publication with ARDB
Participation, Travel, and Accommodation
Participation is free for authors of selected papers. A limited number of travel and accommodation support grants may be available for PhD students and early-career scholars (≤5 years post-PhD), subject to funding availability. Priority will be given to women researchers and researchers with disabilities. Please indicate your interest and eligibility in your application.
Travel to Siem Reap
- Airport: Siem Reap–Angkor International Airport (SAI) is the main gateway, with direct flights from Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City, and other regional hubs.
- From the airport: Taxi USD 15–20 (30–40 minutes to the city centre). Many hotels also provide transfer services if arranged in advance.
Transportation in Siem Reap
- Tuk-tuks: The most common way to get around, usually USD 2–5 per trip within the city.
- Ride-hailing apps: PassApp and Grab are widely used for tuk-tuks and cars.
- To the venue (PUC Siem Reap Campus): About 10–15 minutes by tuk-tuk from most central hotels.
Additional Tips
- Visa: Most nationalities can obtain a tourist visa online at evisa.gov.kh or on arrival. Check requirements before travelling.
- Currency: Cambodian riel and US dollar.
- Weather in December: December falls in the dry season — cool, sunny, and pleasant, around 22–32°C. Ideal conditions for the conference.
Contact
For inquiries about the conference, please contact us at saerdconf@gmail.com.
Updated information will be posted at: saerdconf.github.io
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Have the travel stipend and accommodation support decisions been announced?
Yes. The travel stipend and accommodation support decisions were announced approximately two weeks after the abstract selection results.
As our funding is limited, we unfortunately cannot provide support to all scholars. Participants who have been selected for travel stipend and/or accommodation support have been contacted directly by email.
If you have not received an email from us regarding funding support, please check your inbox, including your spam or junk folder. We kindly ask participants to wait for the official notification rather than sending individual emails asking about their funding status, as we are unable to respond to these enquiries individually.
If a participant who received support withdraws from the conference, the available support may be offered to another eligible participant on the waiting list.
2. Who can receive travel stipend and accommodation support?
The available support is primarily intended for young scholars and students, including:
- Young scholars
- PhD students
- Master’s students
- Bachelor’s students
However, support is limited and is not automatically provided to all participants. Recipients are selected based on the available funding and the conference’s selection process.
3. Do I need to submit a full paper?
No. Full paper submission is not compulsory.
If you would like to submit your full paper, the deadline is 30 October 2026. Submitting your paper will allow us to share it with other conference participants so that they can better understand your research and provide more informed comments and feedback during your presentation.
The 30 October deadline refers only to the full paper. It does not refer to your presentation slides or other presentation materials.
4. When should I submit my presentation slides?
Presentation slides should be submitted one day before your scheduled presentation session.
Please note that this is separate from the 30 October deadline for the full paper.
5. How can I apply for a visa to attend the conference in Cambodia?
Participants who require a visa should apply for a Cambodia Tourist e-Visa online through the official Cambodian government website.
A conference invitation letter from the SAERD26 Organising Committee is not required for the Tourist e-Visa application.
Please check the latest visa requirements and application instructions on the official Cambodian government website before applying.
6. I have not yet confirmed my participation. Can I still attend the conference?
If you have received an acceptance notification but have not yet confirmed your participation, please complete the required registration or confirmation process as soon as possible.
If you have missed the confirmation deadline due to circumstances such as research travel, please contact the Organising Committee as soon as possible. We will check your registration status and let you know whether we can still accommodate your participation.
8. Can I attend the conference if I do not receive travel or accommodation support?
Yes. Acceptance of your abstract means that you are invited to participate and present your research at the conference.
However, participants who do not receive travel or accommodation support will need to cover their own travel and accommodation expenses.
9. What happens if I need to withdraw from the conference?
If you are no longer able to attend the conference, please inform the Organising Committee as soon as possible.
Early notification is appreciated because it allows us to update the programme and, where applicable, offer available travel or accommodation support to another participant on the waiting list.