Call for Papers – ICARDC XVIII: Rural China Unbound

The 18th International Conference on Agriculture and Rural Development in China (ICARDC XVIII), themed “Rural China Unbound: Exploring New Concepts, Theories and Paradigms,” will be hosted by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University from 11–13 December 2026. The submission deadline is 30 May 2026.

The conference is hosted by the Department of Applied Social Sciences (APSS) and the China and Global Development Network (CGDN) at PolyU. The ICARDC network, established in 1989, has organised many international conferences in and outside China, generated numerous publications on the country’s agricultural and rural development, and now counts close to 400 members worldwide.

The Chinese countryside has often been studied through dualistic frameworks — “rural” versus “urban,” “city” versus “countryside.” Under new institutional reforms and dynamics shaped by technological change, state ambitions, and market forces, these binaries warrant critical rethinking. ICARDC XVIII seeks to traverse such boundaries and open dialogue across theoretical and methodological approaches.

Dates

11–13 December 2026

Venue

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong

Submission deadline

30 May 2026 (individual abstracts and organised panel proposals)

Enquiries

icardc2026@gmail.com (PolyU Organising Committee) · secretariat@icardc.org (ICARDC Secretariat)