Call for Papers

Global Chinese Migration and the Belt and Road: Emerging Connections in the Middle East and Africa

Dates: January 9-11, 2026
Location: American University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Abstract Deadline: October 1, 2025
Notification of Acceptance: October 15, 2025

We invite paper proposals for an international workshop that explores the evolving dynamics of global Chinese migration and the expanding Chinese presence in emerging nodes of economic and geopolitical significance along the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), with particular attention to the Gulf region, the broader Middle East, and Africa.

As China deepens its political and commercial engagement across these regions, new patterns of mobility, transnational interaction, and socio-cultural exchange are taking shape. This workshop aims to bring together scholars who are examining these developments through sociological and anthropological lenses, with a particular emphasis on qualitative and ethnographic research. We also welcome interdisciplinary contributions that shed light on Chinese migration through related fields such as human geography and political science.

We invite empirically grounded and theoretically informed papers that explore, but are not limited to, the following topics:
    •    The role of the BRI in shaping new routes and patterns of Chinese migration
    •    Chinese entrepreneurs, investors, and laborers in Gulf cities and special economic zones
    •    Migration infrastructures and the intermediaries facilitating Chinese mobility across Africa and the Middle East
    •    Encounters between Chinese migrants and local communities: tensions, collaborations, and cultural exchanges
    •    The transformation of Chinese religious practices and institutions in Muslim-majority or religiously pluralist contexts
    •    The role of Chinese embassies, state-owned enterprises, and diaspora associations in governing and shaping migrant experiences
    •    Gendered dimensions of Chinese migration in BRI-linked regions
    •    Digital diasporas and the role of technology in maintaining transnational connections
    •    Comparative case studies across multiple BRI regions

The workshop is partially supported by an internal research grant from the American University of Sharjah (AUS) and co-organized by Dr. Yuting Wang, Professor of Sociology at AUS, Dr. Nanlai Cao, City University of Hong Kong, and Dr. Angela Man Xu, Postdoctoral Associate at AUS. We will provide accommodation and cover local expenses for selected participants. Limited support for international travel may also be available and will be communicated upon acceptance.

As a key research outcome of the workshop, we plan to publish selected papers as a special issue in a leading journal in migration studies (details to be shared with accepted participants).

Please submit a 250-300 word abstract of an original and unpublished paper, along with a short bio of each author (max 150 words for each author) by October 1, 2025, to: mxu@aus.edu.

Acceptance decisions will be announced by October 15, 2025.

We look forward to your contributions to this timely and collaborative inquiry into the transnational trajectories of Chinese migration.

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