CfP: from Manga to ManifestoYouth Culture, Protest, and the Global Circulations of ONE PIECE

26 March 2026

The interdisciplinary research workshop will be held 26–27 March 2026 at the Asia-Africa-Institute at the University of Hamburg:

In the spirit of the motto “1 theme, 2 days, 3 departments”, the workshop is jointly organized by Nora Derbal (Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies), Kerstin Fooken (Japanese Studies) Hewan Semon Marye (African Studies).

The workshop explores how popular culture—particularly the global phenomenon of ONE PIECE—travels across linguistic, cultural, and political boundaries to inspire new forms of protest, belonging, and political imagination among young people in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

We welcome colleagues and students interested in questions of youth culture, protest aesthetics, and the global reimagining of Japanese visual media to join us for two days of presentations and discussions.

Please find the Call for Papers here. We warmly encourage you to circulate it among interested colleagues and graduate students.

Submission deadline: 1 December 2025