Call for Abstracts: Inaugural UM-UESTC International Symposium on AI Ethics and Law 2026, Chengdu and Macau (Hybrid)

The University of Macau (UM) and the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC) have announced the inaugural UM-UESTC International Symposium on AI Ethics and Law. It is co-hosted by the Faculty of Law at UM and the Institute for Advanced Study in Humanities and Social Sciences at UESTC, and is held in celebration of the 45th anniversary of the University of Macau.

The organisers describe it as an international forum on the legal, ethical and governance challenges raised by artificial intelligence, with the stated aim of building a dialogue between leading international thinkers and Chinese scholars, and of connecting theoretical inquiry with regional technological development.

The symposium runs across two cities, and applicants indicate whether they wish to take part in the Chengdu segment, the Macau segment, or both.

• Chengdu segment, 14-15 December 2026 (UESTC): drawing on UESTC's strength in technological research, this segment covers applied ethics, industry practice, and the legal and ethical issues attached to cutting-edge technical challenges. Chengdu is a major hub for technology and innovation in western China.
• Macau segment, 17-18 December 2026 (University of Macau): focused on international perspectives, foundational theory and comparative law, with in-depth discussion of global AI regulatory models and specific domain applications. Macau is presented by the organisers as a meeting point of East and West and a bridge for global dialogue on AI governance.

The symposium operates on a hybrid model, so selected authors may present either in person or virtually. That makes it workable for overseas presenters who cannot travel to either city.

The overarching theme is "AI Legal Issues, Social Problems and Algorithm Ethics: Global Perspectives and Regional Practices". The call names four topic clusters and states that submissions are not limited to them.

A. Foundational Questions and Algorithm Ethics

• Philosophical foundations of AI and consciousness
• Algorithmic bias, fairness and transparency
• The ethics of autonomous systems and moral agency
• Human rights, autonomy and dignity in the age of intelligent machines
• The "black box" problem: explainability and interpretability of AI decisions

B. Legal Frameworks and Regulatory Models

• Comparative analysis of global AI governance frameworks, for example the EU AI Act, the US AI Bill of Rights and China's AI regulations
• Jurisdictional challenges in a globalised digital economy
• AI and liability: who is responsible for algorithmic harm
• Data governance, privacy and intellectual property in AI systems
• International law and the governance of frontier technologies, including AGI and quantum AI

C. Domain-Specific Applications and Social Impact

• AI in the judicial system: predictive policing, automated sentencing and access to justice
• Platform governance: content moderation, recommendation algorithms and consumer protection
• AI in healthcare: regulatory challenges, medical liability and patient rights
• AI in finance: automated trading, credit scoring and financial inclusion
• Social impact: the future of work, economic inequality and the digital divide

D. Regional Practices and Industry Perspectives

• Responsible AI implementation in industry, including manufacturing, logistics and technology
• Case studies on AI ethics in the Chinese tech ecosystem
• Cultural and historical perspectives on AI governance in the Asia-Pacific region

The call invites scholars, legal practitioners, technologists, philosophers and policymakers to submit abstracts for presentation. The official notification places no restriction by nationality, institution or bar membership, and the published speaker list already spans the University of Texas at Austin, the New Jersey Institute of Technology, the National University of Singapore, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Xiamen University and the University of Macau.

All submissions must be in English.

Two kinds of submission are accepted.

• Traditional research abstracts: proposals for full papers on theoretical or empirical research.
• Panel proposals: proposals for a group of 3 to 4 speakers on a specific theme. A panel proposal must include a brief description of the panel plus an individual abstract for each speaker.

Abstracts must run to 300 to 500 words, must be in English, and should clearly set out the research question, the methodology, the main arguments, and the conclusions or relevance to the symposium theme.

All abstracts go by email to jointaisymp2026@um.edu.mo. The organisers ask for the subject line in the format "[Author's Name] + [Purpose of the Email]", for example "John Smith - Abstract Submission" or "John Smith - Inquiry".

The body of the email must clearly state the author's name, institutional affiliation or affiliations, email address, telephone number and the title of the abstract, along with the abstract itself, which may be attached as a separate file. Applicants must also say whether they wish to take part in the Macau segment, the Chengdu segment, or both.

A submission counts as successfully received only once the author gets a confirmation email from jointaisymp2026@um.edu.mo or aisymphelper@um.edu.mo. If no confirmation arrives, the organisers ask applicants to first check that the submission went to the correct address, then resend from a different email account or write in to ask about its status.

The official call for abstracts states no submission fee and no registration fee. It is equally silent on travel support, accommodation and any publication outlet for accepted papers, so none of those should be assumed either way.

A registration deadline of 30 October 2026 applies to accepted presenters. Anyone who needs certainty on cost, funding or post-symposium publication should write to jointaisymp2026@um.edu.mo before committing to travel.

The official Important Dates table and the symposium poster both give 30 September 2026 for notification of abstract acceptance. Note that one line in the submission-details section of the same page reads 15 September 2026, so applicants should treat mid-September as the earliest point to expect a reply and write to the organisers if nothing has arrived by the end of September.

Selected authors present their research in thematic panels, in person or online under the hybrid model. Registration must be completed by 30 October 2026.

The symposium committee is drawn from both host institutions. From the University of Macau: Prof. Rostam Neuwirth, Prof. Io Cheng Tong, Prof. Li Du and Prof. Zhe Li. From UESTC: Prof. Ruipeng Lei, Prof. Xiaolong Wan, Prof. Kui Ran, Prof. Nicola Liberati and Prof. Ian Mc Gonigle.

The published list of invited guests includes Prof. Benjamin Gregg (University of Texas at Austin), Prof. Kumaralingam Amirthalingam (National University of Singapore), Prof. Ge Zheng (KoGuan School of Law, Shanghai Jiao Tong University), Prof. Yonghui Ma (Xiamen University), Prof. Renan Lenonel (New Jersey Institute of Technology) and several members of the UM Faculty of Law. The organisers note that further invited guests will be announced.