Welcome to
EuroSEAS 2026

Word of Welcome

A warm welcome to all participants of the 14^th conference of the European Association for Southeast Asian Studies (EuroSEAS), to be held from 1 to 3 September 2026 at the Complutense University of Madrid. We are delighted to host you and look forward to the conversations and encounters that EuroSEAS makes possible.

The Complutense University of Madrid has a long institutional history. It was founded in 1499 in Alcalá de Henares as the Universidad de Alcalá. In 1836 it was transferred to Madrid and renamed the Universidad Central, which went on to consolidate itself as Spain’s leading university. In November 1882, José Rizal (a Filipino national hero) enrolled at the Universidad Central de Madrid and joined two courses: Medicine and Philosophy and Letters. In the 1920s–30s, the Ciudad Universitaria was developed, and in 1970, as part of a reorganization of the Spanish university system, the Universidad Central adopted its current name: the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM).

EuroSEAS 2026 will take place at UCM Faculty of Political Science and Sociology, Somosaguas Campus. The Complutense University of Madrid is also present across other locations, including the University City of Madrid / Moncloa (Spanish: Ciudad Universitaria de Madrid), Chamberí–Centro Campus (Spanish: Campus de Chamberí-Centro) and the Urban Campus (Spanish: Campus Urbano).

Southeast Asian Studies have not historically been a major area of tradition at the Complutense University of Madrid, beyond historical research connected to the region through Spain’s colonial presence. We hope that hosting EuroSEAS 2026 will serve as a catalyst for a new and vibrant chapter, in which Asian Studies—and Southeast Asian Studies in particular—can gain greater visibility and a lasting foothold within the Spanish university system, and especially at UCM.

We also hope that, while attending EuroSEAS 2026, you will enjoy the vibrant city of Madrid. As Spain’s capital, Madrid is a major cultural and intellectual center, with a rich network of museums, theatres, and public institutions. We especially encourage you to visit the Museum of Anthropology (Museo de Antropología) and the Museum of the Americas (Museo de América), which houses important pieces of Philippine origin. Beyond the historic center, the city’s many neighborhoods offer lively markets, local shops, and a wide variety of urban cultural spaces. Getting around Madrid is easy by public transport, and many areas are best discovered on foot.

Before our closing words, we would also like to invite participants to consider joining the post-conference associated event on 4 September, “Timor-Leste and Southeast Asia as Fields of Reflection: Multisituated Perspectives” jointly organized by the Ibero-American Association for Southeast Asian Studies and the Timor-Leste Studies Association. AIA-SEAS representatives for Spain and Portugal are part of the EuroSEAS governance.

We wish you a stimulating conference and many inspiring exchanges over these days in Madrid. Welcome to EuroSEAS 2026, and welcome to the Complutense University of Madrid.