We invite scholars, researchers, teachers, writers, artists, and students to submit original papers for SUSTAIN 26, an International Hybrid Conference on “Studies in Universal Sustainability through Texts, Art, Identities, and Narratives,” to be held on 3, 4 and 5 September 2026. The conference explores how literature, language, art, culture, media, education, identity, and narrative can advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Interdisciplinary papers addressing the environmental, social, cultural, technological, and ethical dimensions of sustainability are welcome. Only original, unpublished, plagiarism-free, and AI-free manuscripts not submitted elsewhere are eligible for publication, irrespective of registration fee payment.

Sustainability is an urgent global concern that encompasses environmental protection, social justice, gender equality, cultural continuity, quality education, public health, peace, economic equity, and responsible technological development. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide the central framework for addressing these interconnected concerns and constitute the prime motif of SUSTAIN 26.

The International Conference on “Studies in Universal Sustainability through Texts, Art, Identities, and Narratives” [SUSTAIN 26] examines the role of literature, language, art, culture, media, education, identity, and narrative in advancing the aims of the SDGs. It recognises that sustainable development depends not only on scientific innovation, economic planning, and public policy, but also on ethical awareness, cultural understanding, inclusive representation, and creative engagement.

Texts, artistic practices, cultural traditions, and media forms influence the ways in which societies understand climate change, ecological degradation, inequality, migration, marginalisation, cultural loss, and technological transformation. They can preserve traditional knowledge, challenge dominant structures, represent under-represented communities, and imagine equitable and sustainable futures.

The conference foregrounds Gender Studies, Cultural Studies, Environmental Humanities, Traditional and Indigenous Knowledge Studies, Posthuman Studies, Translation Studies, English Language Teaching, Media Studies, Literary Studies, and Digital Humanities. It encourages interdisciplinary inquiry into the relationships among human beings, non-human life, language, technology, society, culture, and the environment. 

By bringing together scholars, teachers, researchers, writers, artists, media practitioners, and students, SUSTAIN 26 aims to promote dialogue, collaboration, and knowledge exchange across disciplines. The conference seeks to affirm the vital contribution of the humanities, arts, language studies, and cultural studies to the realisation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

• United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Humanities

• Literature and Sustainable Development

• Environmental Humanities and Ecocriticism

• Climate Change and Climate Narratives

• Gender Studies and Gender Equality

• Queer Studies and Inclusive Identities

• Caste, Class, Race, and Social Justice

• Cultural Studies and Cultural Sustainability

• Postcolonial Studies and Global South Perspectives

• Indigenous, Tribal, and Traditional Knowledge Systems

• Folklore, Oral Traditions, and Cultural Memory

• Heritage Studies and Sustainable Tourism

• Translation Studies and Sustainable Knowledge

• Linguistic Diversity and Language Preservation

• English Language Teaching and Sustainable Education

• Children’s Literature and Environmental Education

• Media Studies and Environmental Communication

• Cinema, Television, and Sustainability

• Social Media and Digital Storytelling

• Digital Humanities and Artificial Intelligence

• Posthumanism and Transhumanism

• Animal Studies and Multispecies Relations

• Migration, Diaspora, and Refugee Narratives

• Disability Studies and Social Inclusion

• Art, Music, Theatre, and Performance Studies

• Creative Writing and Practice-Based Research

• Food Studies and Sustainable Agriculture

• Health Humanities and Planetary Health

• Urban, Rural, and Spatial Sustainability

• Consumer Culture, Globalisation, and Greenwashing

• Human Rights, Peace, and Sustainable Institutions

• Ethics, Spirituality, and Sustainable Living