Writing Workshop on Asian Cities and International Law

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP

The Indian Society of International Law, New Delhi in collaboration with Dharmashastra
National Law University, Jabalpur announces its first Writing Workshop for the international
law Teachers themed on ‘Asian Cities & International Law’. The workshop aims to make a career intervention, instilling & cultivating writing & research potential among the early scholars in international law. The workshop also aims to build an interactive channel formal & informal- between the seasoned & the early scholars, & to establish a long-term academic & research culture, by providing amplatform to engage with the wider ecosystem of international law in India.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

We invite international law teachers who demonstrate a dedicated interest in international law research, from Asia, to send us their works on the theme of the workshop.

The participants are required to submit:

• Abstract: An abstract of around 500 words including the line of enquiry, method (date collection or any other method) & approach to city (or cities) & a short bio-note for 150 words.
• Example writing: Any previously published work (Article, book chapter, blog, or News article) as an example of their writing in international law.

The selected participants will be requested to send us their drafts which will be discussed & reviewed by the international law scholars at the workshop. The final drafts, after the workshop, are planned to be compiled as a Book.

Venue: ISIL, New Delhi

The workshop intends to accommodate up to 20 participants.

Registrations: The registration for the Writing Workshop is Rs. 2000 INR. The further details will be shared with the participants after the abstract selection.

AIMS

The workshop broadly intends to support the international law Teachers in their research potentials, & develop a research environment among the international law community in Asia, and stimulate research networks in international law. It further aims to stimulate thinking around cities, and center ‘cities’ in international law, and possibly create a resource for future purposes.

THEME- ‘ASIAN CITIES AND INTERNATIONAL LAW’

The focus of international law has been on States. ‘State’ has been the primary unit—the subject & the object— of international law (barring a few rare occasions when international organizations & individuals are subjects). International law operates through States. The thematic discourses & the praxis of international law have been focused on States. The focus of international law has been on States. ‘State’ has been the primary unit—the subject and the object— of international law (barringa few rare occasions when international organizations and individuals are subjects). International law operates through States. The thematic discourses and the praxis of international law have been focused on States. All the sub sets of international law from (International Trade and investment law to international humanitarian laws) are shown as products of State interactions. The history of international law is also seen through States. Cities remain obscured in international law and its teaching and research.

In this milieu of focusing on State, cities are embodied, bracketed and subsumed by the States. There has been a shifting focus of international law to cities. Cities are emerging as global actors and as soft power. Global cities are sites of decentralized globalization. Cities are emerging as law makers and law shapers. Saskia Sassen revealed how New York, London and Tokyo have become command centers for global economy.

Different Asian cities have interacted with international law in different degrees, but their accounts remain largely absent. Ceylon, Dhaka, Delhi, Jakarta, Madras, Manilla, Peking, Hyderabad, Lucknow were sites of significant treaties. Bandung’s significance in generating critical politico legal discourse is immense. Some of the Asian cities nurtured institutions and figures (practitioners, teachers and others) who were pivotal in shaping international law teaching and research in Asia. Various cities played a significant role during different dynasties and reigns and produced or affected the rules of international law. Some cities were annexed on the legal justification of a (unequal) treaty. Certain cities were centers of trade, some cities had celebratory academic status, some cities were locations of historic political negotiations, some were sites of peace treaties conclusion. Some cities cultivated institutions and figures that had a subtle, and subdued presence in international law.

The present workshop intends to bring out the stories and accounts of Asian cities with international law. To this end, we encourage the ECTs:

• To take empirical (interview based or other interactive techniques) enquiries to find first-hand accounts, oral histories, & other trivia about any one Asian city’s interactions with international law, &;
• to take non-mainstream approaches to international law and alternatives methodologies to approach the theme.

The sub-themes are non-exhaustive and are as follows:

1. Cities as treaty-shapers: to critically evaluate, or review a city’s power asymmetries in unequal treaties on trade, taxes, rights (such as Diwani rights in case of the 1765 Treaty of Allahabad) from the perspective of contemporary international trade, tax or other laws.
2. Cities in the pedagogy of international law: To locate the contribution of any Asian city (in terms of treaties signed or negotiated, events, institutions established or individuals) to the concepts, or precepts of international law;
3. Cities as sites of praxis of international law: To critically review a city/cities as sites of creating either new, subdued or alternate versions of existing International Law concepts such as those of State succession, ceding rights, and sovereignty (as in case of Oudh);
4. International law engagements with a city: For instance, whether, how and why international law treats different cities differently (treatment and recirculation of a city in theory and practice; choice of a city for establishment of an international organization; and other such enquiries);
5. Cities as significant actors in environmental law or human rights or other such domains.

We are open to sub-themes other than those stated above.

Key dates:

• Abstract submission: 19 September 2025
• Announcement of selected abstracts: 29 September 2025
• Registration date: 2 October 2025
• Submission of first draft of chapters: 10 November 2025
• First Review of the drafts: 20 November 2025
• Submission of second drafts: 1 December 2025
• Workshop (offline): 13 December 2025

For queries, please reach out to us at swatiparmar@mpdnlu.ac.in; kanak_sharma03@yahoo.com.

Coordinated by:

Dr. Anna Bashir, EC Member, ISIL.
Dr. Kanika Sharma, Assistant Professor, Indian Society for International Law, New Delhi.
Ms. Swati Singh Parmar, Assistant Professor, Dharmashastra National Law University, Jabalpur.