ABOUT THE IRFP
The International Research Forum on the Philippines (IRFP) began as a gathering of Filipino postgraduate students in Australia and a research-sharing opportunity. Years later, the IRFP expanded its reach by including Filipino scholars and community leaders from the Philippines, Australia, and beyond.
Spearheaded by the Filipino Australian Students Council (FASTCO) of Victoria since 2013, the IRFP has played an instrumental role in fostering critical thinking, promoting networking opportunities, and facilitating dialogue on pressing issues among established scholars, postgraduate students, early career researchers, and community leaders.
This year, FASTCO, in collaboration with the Philippines-Australia Forum of the La Trobe University (PAF-La Trobe), invite everyone to join and present their research in the International Research Forum on the Philippines (IRFP) 2023 on 10 to 11 July 2023 at the La Trobe University’s Bundoora Campus in Victoria, Australia. The objective of the IRFP 2023 is to bring a diverse community of academics, researchers, and students with a shared interest in the Philippines. The IRFP 2023 also offers an opportunity for scholars to highlight their work while encouraging a broader debate and exchange of ideas among participants.
TRANSCENDING BOUNDARIES: THE FILIPINO DIASPORA IN ACTION
As a field, Filipino diaspora studies has grown since the term “diaspora” was popularised in Filipino studies in the United States during the “massive explosion of overseas Filipino labor” in the 1970s. Most research projects under this field have traversed topics involving experiences on precarity, discrimination and exploitation; formations and negotiations of imagined, hybrid, and mediated communities and identities; gender inequalities and explorations; and cultural and artistic expressions of diasporic experiences, among many others.
Currently, the cases of Filipino, Filipino-American, and Filipinx communities in the United States are widely represented in academic literature. In Australia, Philippine studies and Filipino diaspora studies are usually subsumed into more general Asian, Southeast Asian, or Asia Pacific Studies concentrations in universities, with the exception of institutions such as the Philippine-Australia Forum (PAF) at the La Trobe University and the Philippine Studies Network in Australia (PINAS) in Victoria. Filipino diaspora experiences in other countries and regions such as Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, and the Middle East are also being discussed, although in infrequent and scattered manners.
Meanwhile, little attention is still given to exploring and interrogating the growing base of scholarship and knowledge produced by Filipinos in the diaspora. This year’s theme, Transcending Boundaries: The Filipino Diaspora in Action, seeks to address this dearth in literature and aims to feature research and/or theoretical conceptualisations that critically re-examine and investigate the roles and contributions of Filipino diasporic scholars and academics in research, knowledge production, and intellectualisation in the Philippines and beyond. The conference seeks to recognize the significant contributions of Filipinos as a growing diasporic community across various fields of study–from the Social Sciences and Humanities to the Physical and Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and Engineering. This year’s IRFP presents an opportunity for the Filipino diaspora’s voices to be heard and their scholarly contributions to be recognized. This promotes a deeper understanding of the diaspora’s transformative influence on accepted norms, beliefs, and values while forging new connections between nations and cultures.
We welcome inter-, multi-, and cross-disciplinary perspectives and approaches in addressing this year’s theme. Presenters are encouraged to consider any (but are not limited to) the following questions:
Submission questions
General Diasporic Experiences
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How have the experiences and contributions of the Filipino diaspora changed through time in various parts of the world?
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How can the talents, skills, and competencies of members of the Filipino diaspora be used for the mutual benefit of Filipinos and host communities?
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What are the histories, states, and characters of Filipino diaspora studies in various contexts or nations?
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What innovative aspects of research could be attributed to Filipino researchers’ experiences as migrants?
Arts, Culture, Media, and Humanities
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How might traditional, online, and digital media and technologies help the Filipino diaspora connect with the homeland?
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How have the arts, media, or cultural productions provided Filipino diasporic communities with agency, power, and representation?
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In what ways has the Filipino diaspora contributed to arts and culture industries in their host communities, through Filipino talent and creativity, across a multitude of artistic platforms?
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How have Philippine languages flourished within diasporic communities, and what role does language play in shaping and expressing the experiences and identities of the Filipino diaspora?
Social Science and Development Studies
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How can the Filipino diaspora help in Philippines development and nation building?
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What can be done to strengthen links between the Filipino diaspora and other diaspora communities?
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What issues, such as prejudice, exclusion, and social marginalization, do the Filipino diaspora confront, and how may they be resolved?
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How has the Filipino diaspora influenced politics and society, particularly on issues such as migration and multiculturalism?
Physical and Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and Engineering
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What emerging scientific and technological innovations have been contributed by the Filipino diaspora, and how are these contributing to the future and development of research efforts in the fields of science, technology, mathematics, and engineering?
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What are the issues, concerns, and politics experienced by Filipino scientists in foreign institutions and laboratories?
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How have the experiences of Filipino STEM researchers been influenced by working in a foreign country? How have their cultural backgrounds shaped their approaches to research in a new environment?
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How have mentorship and relationships within Filipino communities influenced their research?
By addressing these questions, presenters at the IRFP 2023 will play a vital role in fostering a deeper, multifaceted, and nuanced understanding of Filipino diasporic academic communities and their influence on various disciplines.
Information and Guidelines
Submission Requirements
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300-word abstract that includes the (1) rationale, (2) research questions, (3) methodology, (4) findings/conclusions, and limitations.
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80-word bionote
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Completed online Abstract Submission Form
Abstract Guidelines
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The title must be descriptive, clear, and concise (under 20 words).
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The participant must provide 5 keywords to describe the paper.
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The participant must choose their mode of presentation: oral and/or poster presentation.
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A participant may submit up to 3 abstracts (including both oral and poster presentations). If multiple abstracts are accepted, an alternative presenter will be required.
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By submitting an abstract, it will be assumed that all authors have consented to its submission and that all copyright provisions have been met.
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Entries must be based on outcomes, not future projects.
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The participant will receive an email within 14 days from submission if their abstract has been (a) accepted, (b) rejected, or (c) waitlisted.
Accepted Abstracts
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Accepted abstracts may appear on the IRFP website and social media pages for public viewing.
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Accepted participants must follow all formatting instructions for oral and poster presentations. The quality of presentation delivery must be of the highest standard.
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Accepted participants must complete IRFP’s registration process to confirm their participation in the conference.
Criteria for Abstract Review
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Originality: The paper explores new issues or perspectives related to the theme
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Significance & Relevance: The paper highlights important issues relevant to the Philippines and Filipino diaspora communities. The paper addresses the theme Transcending Boundaries: The Filipino Diaspora in Action
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Quality: The paper presents sufficient data drawn from a rigorous and logical research process
Review Process
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Completed submissions will be collected and handled by the IRFP 2023 Co-Chairs.
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The submissions will be subjected to a double-blind peer review process.
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The review committee shall be composed of academic researchers.
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The review committee will either accept, reject, or waitlist submissions. The Organizing Committee will notify participants regarding the status of their abstract within 14 days of submission.
Conference Schedule
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Abstract Submission Deadline: 9 June 2023
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Notification of Decision: 7-14 days after submission
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Regular registration deadline: 5 July 2023
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Conference Proper: 10-11 July 2023
For any inquiries or concerns please email us at 2023.irfp@gmail.com
submission consent
Upon submission, the researcher consents to the following:
a. Posting of their abstracts in the IRFP’s official website and FASTCO’s social media and publicity materials for posterity and promotional purposes.
b. Taking full responsibility for any propriety and authorship issues that may arise from their submission.
c. Providing abstracts of their research to partners and sponsor organizations. The author also allows a partner or sponsor organization to contact them in the event that the partner or sponsor wants to discuss their research further and utilize it for their purposes.
Submissions will be treated with confidentiality and will only be viewed by individuals and groups involved with the paper selection, the organisers of the IRFP, and the judging panel for the IRFP.