Charleston Conference Asia 2026 in Bangkok & FORCE2026 in Singapore: Two Conferences for Researchers and Librarians in the Asia-Pacific
Tired of the usual library and scholarly communication conferences in the US or Europe? You're in luck! In 2026, the Asia-Pacific region will host at least two top-class conferences (formerly hosted in US/Europe) that I highly recommend.
Charleston Conference Asia - Bangkok, Jan 26-28 2026
Disclosure: I am a member of the Charleston Conference Asia Directors group.
Many librarians will be familiar with the renowned Charleston Conference, held annually in Charleston, South Carolina, since 1980. While I've only ever presented virtually, I have always been impressed by the quality of presentations and discussions around the latest developments in publishing, technology, and librarianship.
For the first time, the conference is launching an Asia series, with the inaugural event taking place in Bangkok from January 26–28, 2026. The theme is "Between Tides: Sailing the Open Seas."
Key dates to note (as of June 12, 2025):
Call for Papers: May 5–August 15, 2025
Decision Emails Sent: Week of September 8, 2025
Registration Opens: July 15, 2025
Early Bird Registration: July 15–October 10, 2025
Regular Registration: October 11, 2025–January 9, 2026
Pre-Conference: FORCE11 Scholarly Communication Institute (FSCI) 2026 — Bangkok, January 25
Disclosure: I am on the organizing committee.
If you're already planning to attend Charleston Conference Asia, consider arriving a day early for the pre-conference workshop, run in partnership with the FORCE11 Scholarly Communication Institute (FSCI) on January 25, 2026.
For those unfamiliar with FSCI, the official site explains:
Running since 2017, FSCI provides a platform for professionals to gain education and build capacity in key areas of scholarly communication. FSCI courses provide practical training on a particular aspect of scholarly communications, while paying attention to the broader issues at play. FSCI courses may also explore emerging trends, challenges, and possible solutions.
To get a sense of the topics covered, you can view the course list and abstracts from the upcoming 2025 FSCI. As an example, the 2025 program includes my own course, "AI-Powered Search in Libraries: A Crash Course on Understanding the Fundamentals for Library Professionals."
For this hybrid version of FSCI, courses will begin with two online sessions in the week prior to the conference, followed by a final in-person session in Bangkok on January 25, 2026. FSCI will provide travel support for one instructor per course.
Key date to note (as of June 12, 2025):
Call for Course Proposals: May 5–August 15, 2025
Decision Emails Sent: Week of September 8, 2025
Registration Opens: July 15, 2025
Early Bird Registration: July 15–October 10, 2025
Regular Registration: October 11, 2025–January 9, 2026
FORCE2026: Singapore, June 3–5, 2026
Disclosure: FORCE2026 will be hosted by Singapore Management University (my institution).
The FORCE conference series (Future of Research Communications) began in 2011, initiated by a diverse group of researchers, librarians, vendors, and publishers. It has since grown to become a must-attend event in the scholarly communication space.
The conference has had many successful editions, and we are thrilled to bring it to Asia for the first time in 2026!
Hosted by Singapore Management University (my institution!) from June 3–5, 2026, we aim to bring together researchers, librarians, and industry partners to discuss issues of international interest alongside topics with greater regional interest, such as OER, Institutional Repositories, Transformative Agreements, Research Assessment, and more.
Key dates to note (as of June 12, 2025):
Registration details and the call for papers will be announced in the coming months.
Bonus: International Data Week (IDW) 2025 — Brisbane, Australia, October 13–16
Still looking for another great conference in the region? Consider International Data Week (IDW) 2025, which will be held from October 13–16, 2025, in Brisbane, Australia.