The SOAS GLOCAL Conference on Asian Linguistic Anthropology 2023, the fifth GLOCAL CALA (5), at the University of the Philippines Diliman, symbolizes a significant leap forward for Asian Linguistic Anthropology, and hence, for Linguistic Cultural Anthropology in general, from the previous highly successful GLOCAL CALA 2019, GLOCAL CALA 2020, and the GLOCAL CALA 2021, to further problematize current perspectives and praxis in the fields of Asian Languages, Linguistics, and Society.

The GLOCAL CALA 2023, as with the GLOCAL CALA 2019, the GLOCAL CALA 2020, and the GLOCAL CALA 2021, responds to concerns by scholars in Linguistics, Anthropology, Sociolinguistics, Sociology, Cultural studies, and Linguistic Anthropology in general, pertinent to Asian contexts. Previous GLOCAL CALA conferences significantly reduced the gap between a focus on Asian regions and work by Asian academics, a gap largely contributable to issues of funding, expertise, and academic ranking. The GLOCAL CALA 2023 will extend on these efforts to reduce the gap, as it aims to further extend the global networks of Asian Linguistic Anthropology, connecting Asian and other Universities and their academics. All papers in the proceedings will be SCOPUS / ISI indexed, and channeled to high impact journal publication special issues and monographs.

The SOAS GLOCAL CALA 2023 will, to a greater degree than before, opportune academics to exchange knowledge, expertise, and valuable Linguistic and Anthropological data across the world, through the interpersonal and inter-institutional networks built by the SOAS GLOCAL CALA conferences. To ground these efforts, the GLOCAL CALA 2023, at the University of the Philippines Diliman, and with major University Partners SOAS, University of London, Stanford University, the University of Hawai’i, University of Illinois, and 3,000 others, and with major global academic publishing partners, will network a growing number of institutions globally, to support this crucial fully global project.