New Delhi to Host International Workshop on "Visual Research in South & South East Asia: Methodological Opportunities, Challenges and Ethical Concerns" Early September this Year

International Visual Sociology Association's (IVSA) workshop on "Visual Research in South & South East Asia: Methodological Opportunities, Challenges and Ethical Concerns" is going to be held on 1-3 September, 2026, at the South Asian University, New Delhi, "The aim of this three-day workshop is to equip early-career researchers and young scholars working in South Asian contexts with critical methodological, ethical, and practical skills in visual research. This intensive three-day activity brings together leading scholars and practitioners in the field of visual research and South Asian studies to engage young researchers in methodological dialogue and practical skill development. This offers a unique opportunity to participate in field activities on Visualizing Delhi’s Syncretism: History & Heritage<" inform the organizers.

Since the event is being organised in the workshop mode, the participants will be asked to bring their working paper or idea for a research paper for feedback and inputs during the workshop. During the field-based activity in Delhi, participants will learn how to navigate the ethical complexities, cultural sensitivities, and creative potentials of visual methodologies used in social research. It is claimed that the workshop will focus on Methodological Challenges in South Asian Contexts, Ethical Dilemmas and Codes of Conduct in Visual Research, Practical Skill-Building in Visual Methods including photography, ethnographic film, visual storytelling, participatory video, etc. and publishing and disseminating visual research.

Furthermore, the year 2026 marks the 40th anniversary of the as a truly international association. As part of the anniversary activities of IVSA, abstracts for working papers and posters are invited from scholars across the world whose research engages with visual methods, visual cultures, visual media, ethnographic film, photography, digital imagery, or visual storytelling in South and Southeast Asia.

For the workshop, submissions from early-career researchers; doctoral and postdoctoral scholars; faculty members; filmmakers, visual practitioners, and interdisciplinary researchers working with visual materials. The organizers suggest that the submissions may relate to, but are not limited to, the following themes:

• collaborative and participatory visual methods;

• visual ethnography and documentary practice;

• photography and community memory;

• urban visuality and public culture;

• digital images, social media, and platform visibility;

• AI and the future of visual research;

• ethics, consent, and visual authorship;

• visuality, heritage, and place-making in South and Southeast Asia.

Applicants for the workshop have been asked to submit an abstract of 300–400 words for working papers/posters; a short bio-note of 100 words; institutional affiliation and contact details. Selected participants will be invited to submit a working paper of 3,000–5,000 words in advance of the workshop. The workshop is designed to provide constructive feedback and mentorship on these works.

In summary

Kishore (2026) feels that the key discussions in visual research emphasize navigating cultural sensitivities, ethical vulnerabilities in documentation, and practical field challenges, aiming to bridge the gap between academic theory and on-the-ground reality of visual research methodology.

Kishore, L. (2026, June 11). New Delhi to host international workshop on visual research in South & South East Asia: Methodological opportunities, challenges and ethical concerns early September this year [Post]. Lalit Culp, https://lalitculp.wixsite.com/website/post/new-delhi-to-host-international-workshop-on-visual-research-in-south-south-east-asia-methodologi

For details visit the following link

https://visualsociology.org/workshop-visual-research-in-south-asia-methodological-opportunities-challenges-and-ethical-concerns/