The 28th Canadian Ethnic Studies Association (CESA) Biennial Conference: Ethnic Dynamics and Immigration in a World in Flux
Friday 9 – Saturday 10 October 2026, Banff, Alberta, Canada
There is little doubt that the world we are living in is going through a major transformation, driven by powerful economic, political, cultural, and social forces, and reflected through many unprecedented developments at global, regional, national, and local levels. This includes new wars, economic rivalry, cyber-attacks, redrawn political maps, electoral surprises, the rise of populism, new resistance movements, new technology, and so on. Some have begun suggesting new names for this emerging world, from ‘new world order’, to ‘cyber world order’, to the ‘post-liberal era’, and so on. This transformation has had undeniable implications for international Immigration, as well as race and ethnic relations, in many different countries, including Canada; and it calls for new theorizing efforts to understand it and to ameliorate the serious problems that come with it.
The 28th Canadian Ethnic Studies Association’s conference will be held in person at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity (https://www.banffcentre.ca), located in the town of Banff, Alberta, surrounded by the Rocky Mountains. This is an opportunity to be engaged in lively intellectual conversations, while enjoying the beautiful autumn in the heart of the Rocky Mountains.
Who Should Attend
In addition to members of the Canadian Ethnic Studies Association, the conference will be relevant to a wide range of people interested in history, ethnicity, race, immigration and citizenship issues in Canada and internationally. University professors, graduate students, other researchers and teachers; policymakers and civil servants from all levels of government; those who work in various non-governmental organizations, as well as those involved as frontline workers delivering various kinds of social services – all of these will find that this conference offers them worthwhile information, challenging critical perspectives, and an opportunity to network and discuss important issues with people from across the country and from a variety of academic disciplines and institutional perspectives.
A number of small travel subsidies will be available for participants in precarious employment statuses and graduate students. The number of the subsidies and the amount of support will be dependent upon the resources available to CESA at the time.
Important Dates
- April 15, 2026 (Revised): The deadline for submission of proposals for papers, sessions, panels, roundtables, and poster presentations
- May 1, 2026 (Revised): The communication of the decisions on the submitted proposals
- May 15, 2026 (Revised): Deadline to apply for travel subsidy for those in precarious employment statuses and graduate students
- June 1, 2026 (Revised): The deadline for early-bird registration.
- July 1, 2026 (Revised): Deadline for final registration
- October 8, 2026: The pre-conference event organized by Bridging Divides team
- October 9-10, 2026: The CESA conference
- November 15, 2026: Submission of papers to be considered for publication in the special issue of the Canadian Ethnic Studies journal (to be submitted via email to cesa@ucalgary.ca)
*Registration Fees
The registration for the conference closes on June 30, and no refunds will be issued after July 31.
| Registration Category | Early Bird (Prior to May 31) | Regular Rate (Registration deadline June 30) |
| Faculty Members | $400* | $480* |
| College or University Instructors or Postdoctoral Fellows | $230* | $300* |
| Non-Academic Professionals | $230* | $300* |
| Graduate Students | $200* | $250* |
* Registration fee includes all meals and refreshments for the duration of the conference.
Find more information and book your spot here: https://cesa-scee.ca/2026-conference/
This event will be held at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Banff, Alberta, Canada.