ISA Annual Convention in Columbus, Ohio
From 22–25 March 2026, SGAIN researchers attended the 67th Annual Convention of the International Studies Association (ISA) in Columbus, Ohio. The convention brought together thousands of scholars and practitioners from across the globe to engage with the latest research in international relations, global governance, and sustainability. SGAIN was well represented at this year’s convention, with three team members presenting research and chairing panels across a wide range of topics central to the project’s mission.
SGAIN Postdoctoral Researcher Yitong Ye presented two papers at the convention. The first, co-authored with PI Dr. Yixian Sun, examined soft power and competing media narratives surrounding China’s overseas engagement. The second, co-authored with Postdoctoral Researcher at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research Xiaoran Li and Dr. Sun, explored policy connections in China’s national climate governance since the Paris Agreement. In addition to her presentations, Yitong also chaired the panel Greening China’s Overseas Investments and Its Implications for Sustainable Development, bringing together scholars examining the environmental dimensions of China’s global economic footprint.
PhD Researcher Yuen Gu presented two papers drawing on the SGAIN project’s comparative and Indonesia-focused research. The first, co-authored with Dr. Sun and Reader at the University of Bath, Dr. Michael Bloomfield, analysed China’s South-South climate cooperation and the tension between global climate governance and national interests. The second, co-authored with SGAIN’s Indonesia team (based at Gadjah Mada University) — Dr. Maharani Hapsari, Dr. Randy Wirasta Nandyatama, and Prof. Nur Rachmat Yuliantoro — alongside Dr. Sun, investigated community experiences of partial justice in China-supported renewable energy projects in Indonesia, offering grounded perspectives from the Global South on the social dimensions of clean energy transitions.
PhD Researcher Jiuyang Li presented two papers and chaired a panel. His co-authored paper with Dr. Sun and Dr. Bloomfield examined how China’s South-South environmental cooperation engages with and reshapes global green governance norms. His sole-authored paper offered an analysis of China’s ‘Ecological Civilization’ framework as a distinctive approach to environmental governance. Jiuyang also chaired the panel Addressing the Climate Crisis: Finance, the Ecological State, and Resilience, facilitating scholarly dialogue on some of the most pressing structural challenges in global climate governance.
On the evening of 24 March, the SGAIN team attended the ISA Environmental Studies Section (ESS) Reception, joining scholars from institutions around the world who share a commitment to understanding the intersections of international relations and environmental governance. The reception offered a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas, explore potential collaborations, and deepen connections with the global community of researchers working on climate change, sustainability, and global environmental politics. The convention as a whole reinforced the relevance of SGAIN’s research agenda and helped expand the project’s network at a critical moment for global climate governance.