Chanakya National Law University (CNLU), Patna and the Centre for Trade and Investment Law (CTIL), Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, under the aegis of the WTO Chairs Programme – Chairs of India and Peru, invite paper submissions for the International Academic Research Conference on “Beyond the Text: Re-Imagining International Trade through a Gendered Lens”. The conference will be held on December 15–16, 2026 at CNLU, Patna. The last date for abstract submission is October 5, 2026.
About the Conference
Chanakya National Law University (CNLU), Patna, Bihar, India and the Centre for Trade and Investment Law (CTIL), Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, under the aegis of the WTO Chairs Programme – Chairs of India and Peru, are jointly organising an International Academic Research Conference titled “Beyond the Text: Re-Imagining International Trade through a Gendered Lens”.
The conference is scheduled to be held on December 15–16, 2026 at Chanakya National Law University, Patna, Bihar, India.
The event seeks to foster dialogue and encourage scholarly contributions around the overarching question of whether international trade is truly gender-neutral merely because its rules are framed in gender-neutral terms, or whether such apparent neutrality conceals differentiated realities, opportunities and burdens across gendered and intersecting social contexts.
About the WTO Chairs Programme
The WTO Chairs Programme (WCP) enhances knowledge and understanding of the multilateral trading system among academics, policymakers and other stakeholders by supporting trade-related research, curriculum development and outreach activities at academic institutions in developing and least-developed WTO members and observers.
About Chanakya National Law University
Chanakya National Law University (CNLU), Patna came into existence on July 15, 2006. The University was established with the objective of providing quality legal education, raising national legal standards to competitive international levels and promoting legal awareness in the community in furtherance of the goals embodied in the Constitution of India.
Conference Objectives
- To critically examine the intersections of gender in International Trade Law and Policy.
- To encourage and highlight best practices and innovations that inform inclusion in international trade rules and policy-making at the domestic level.
- To create a platform for meaningful dialogue between academics, practitioners, policy makers and institutions for integrating gender equality in global value chains and capacitating domestic policy spaces for inclusive trade policy-making.
Suggested Themes
Original and unpublished research papers are invited from students, academics, policy makers and researchers on issues including, but not limited to, the following:
- FAIL (Feminist Approaches to International Law) approach to theoretical/praxis-related International Trade Law
- Fourth World Approaches to International Trade Law
- Indigenous Women as stewards of sustainable economies
- Disability, Inclusion and International Trade
- Gender dispositions in Bilateral or Plurilateral Trade Agreements and their impact on Gender Equality in International Trade
- Intersectionality and International Trade
- Gender Inclusive Trade Facilitation Policy Making
- Mainstreaming Gender in Trade Agreements and Domestic Policies
- Women’s Access to Trade Finance and Credit
- Women Representation as Negotiators in Trade Agreements
- Digital Trade and Gender Equality
- Barriers to Women’s Participation in Global Value Chains
- Regional Approaches and Best Practices on Gender in International Trade
- Gender-inclusive Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) in Investment Policies
- Women-led Enterprises’ Access to Electronic Commerce, Technology and Artificial Intelligence
- Unpaid Care Burden and Access to Resources in International Trade
Who Can Participate?
Participation in the conference is open to:
- Undergraduate students
- Postgraduate students
- Doctoral students
- Academics
- Policy Makers
- Think Tank Professionals
- Practitioners
- Institutional Representatives
The conference requires in-person participation to encourage meaningful interactive exchanges between participants and experts. However, in exceptional circumstances, online participation may be permitted by the Conference Directors on a case-to-case basis.
Submission Guidelines
- The abstract must be submitted via email only at [email protected].
- The abstract must clearly outline the Title of the Paper, Research Problem, Relevance, Methodology and Argument.
- The abstract must be accompanied by a mini-bio of all authors with their current institutional affiliations, limited to a maximum of 150 words per author.
- The subject line of the email should be: WCP2026 Patna: Abstract Submission.
- The abstract should be between 350 and 500 words.
- Submissions may be co-authored by a maximum of two authors.
- Submissions will be assessed on the basis of Originality, Relevance, Scholarly Quality and their potential to contribute to discussions at the conference.
- Papers containing explicit AI-generated content will not be considered for publication opportunity.
- Full papers should be between 6,000 and 8,000 words, excluding references and footnotes.
- Formatting requirements, citation style, structure and related details will be communicated to authors upon acceptance of their abstracts.
Important Dates
- Last Date for Abstract Submission: October 5, 2026, 11:59 PM IST
- Notification of Acceptance: October 10, 2026
- Last Date for Registration: October 18, 2026, 11:59 PM IST
- Full Paper Submission: December 5, 2026, 11:59 PM IST
- Conference Dates: December 15–16, 2026
Publication Opportunity
Selected papers will be considered for publication in either:
- A Special Issue of the CNLU Journal of International Trade and Investment Law, a flagship peer-reviewed and refereed journal of CNLU Patna published by Thomson Reuters; or
- An edited volume published by a reputed international publisher.
Registration Fee
Registration is required after the acceptance of the abstract. Registration details will be shared with authors in the abstract acceptance email.
- Indian Nationals: Rs. 3,000 per author
- Overseas/Foreign Participants: Registration fee waived
For co-authored papers, each author is required to pay the individual registration fee.
The registration fee does not include accommodation. It includes the Registration Kit, Reading Material, Lunch, Refreshments and access to all conference sessions on both days.
Accommodation
Participants seeking support from the host institution for accommodation may be facilitated with suitable accommodation/hotel options in Patna, Bihar.
The host institution will also publish a “Logistics Note” providing details of suitable hotel accommodation available in Patna.
Conference Directors
- Dr. Utkarsh K. Mishra, Associate Professor of Law and Director, Centre for Research in International Trade and Investment Law, CNLU, Patna, Bihar, India & Member, Gender Research Hub, WTO
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +91 7905017038 - Mr. Victor Saco, WTO Chair Holder – Peru, Associate Professor, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP)
Email: [email protected] - Mr. Satwik Shekhar, Coordinator, WTO Chair – India, Assistant Professor (Consultant), Centre for Trade and Investment Law, IIFT, New Delhi
Email: [email protected]
How to Submit?
Interested authors must submit their abstracts via email to [email protected] by October 5, 2026, 11:59 PM IST.
The email subject line must be: WCP2026 Patna: Abstract Submission
Contact
For queries relating to the conference, write to:
Email: [email protected]