Opportunity brief
"The vast possibilities of our great future will become realities only if we make ourselves responsible for that future." — Gifford Pinchot
The Academic Paper Presentation invites undergraduate students to submit original research papers that critically engage with the idea of possibility, how imagination, identity, and responsibility shape the futures we are capable of building. The conference theme, "Sambhavana: The Architecture of Possibilities: Imagination, Innovation, and the Futures We Build", draws on the emerging field of Possibility Studies to call for an examination of human life as lived at once in what is and in what could still be. Attendees are invited to critique, analyze, and offer new perspectives on the economic, political, psychological, and ethical dimensions of becoming. This platform provides students with the opportunity to refine their scholarly research, argumentation, and presentation skills, thereby contributing to the development of an emerging discourse on one of the most fundamental questions of our era, how we imagine, construct, and take responsibility for the futures we are already building.
This paper presentation invites participants to break free from the boundaries of single-discipline research. Profound questions about becoming, whether they concern development, governance, uncertainty, or aspiration, often require consideration that spans economics, politics, mathematics, and psychology. An interdisciplinary approach enables students to combine various analytical methods, reveal previously unseen linkages, and suggest nuanced understandings of how imagination, discipline, and ethics might be held together rather than pursued apart. The competition rewards work that not only compares but also transcends disciplines to construct a deeper academic discourse on what it means to build responsibly, and to become, without ever being asked to choose between where we come from and where we are going.
Why shouldn't you miss this?
- Showcase your original research on one of the defining issues of our era
- Compete with some of the brightest undergraduates across disciplines
- Get your ideas heard, critiqued, and celebrated in an intellectual space that values creativity + criticality
- Add a prestigious, CV-worthy achievement to your academic journey
Timeline
- Deadline for Abstracts: 15th September 2026
- Notification of Shortlisted Candidates: 22nd September 2026
- Submission of Final Research Papers: 30th September 2026
- Academic Paper Presentation: 1st October 2026
Word Limit
- Abstract: Maximum 500 words
- Complete Paper: 2,500–3,000 words
Process
- Abstracts to be submitted via mail
- Applicants will be notified of results via email by 22th September 2026.
- Shortlisted participants are required to submit their final research papers via mail by 30 September 2026, EOD.
- Detailed guidelines will be sent for the presentation once the paper is selected.
- Each team will have 12 minutes for their presentation (10 minutes for presentation + 2 minutes for Q&A).
- Online participation is not permitted; presentations must be made in person.
Guidelines for abstracts:
- Submit abstracts to the designated email ID.
- Team size: 1–3 members (maximum of three co-authors).
- The following information has to be included along with your paper:
- Biography of the Author (Name and Course to also be included here)
- Institution affiliation
- Phone number
- Year of study
- Provide 5–6 keywords for your abstract.
- Abstracts and papers must follow APA style formatting.
- The paper and abstract can be discipline-specific or interdisciplinary and should present a unique, well-researched, and engaging paper.
- The abstract must be original. If there are any direct quotes, credit is to be given to the author/speaker, and/or the source is to be cited.
- Strict plagiarism and AI detection checks will be conducted. If it is detected, the submission will be disqualified without exception.
Eligibility & Format
- Team size: 1–3 members (maximum of three co-authors).
- Eligibility Criteria: Open to all students pursuing an undergraduate degree from any recognised college/university.
- Abstracts and papers must follow APA style formatting.
- Submissions must be original and plagiarism-free. Direct quotes, if any, must be properly cited.
- Strict plagiarism and AI-detection checks will be conducted. Submissions failing these checks will be disqualified.
- Abstracts to be submitted via mail - opportunitycell.bap26@gmail.com
- In-person presentations only; online participation is not permitted.