The Anthropological Association for Humankind (AAfH) is dedicated to addressing contemporary human challenges through anthropological insights and applications. As part of its commitment to advancing the field, the association launched its biennial World Applied Anthropology Congress (WAAC)—a flagship global event that fosters academic discourse, interdisciplinary collaboration, and applied solutions to pressing societal issues. The World Applied Anthropology Congress aims to engage with contemporary issues through academic scholarship, applied practice, and intervention in the public sphere. The Congress showcases compelling ways of how anthropological knowledge can address a wide range of human problems. The Congress aims to assemble anthropologists (and scholars of cognate disciplines) virtually or physically from throughout the world not only to show a range of anthropological applications in the present context, but also to create a better future.

As part of its mission, the Anthropological Association for Humankindis charged with organizing a biennial international conference to promote professional dialogues, new departures, theories, understandings, and findings in anthropology and learn from the success stories of how the anthropological applications could provide solutions to various pressing issues worldwide help improve human condition. The first event National Applied Anthropology Conference occurred in 2021 at Andhra University, with Prof. Arjun Appadurai as the keynote speaker.

In 2023, the inaugural World Applied Anthropology Congress (WAAC-2023) was successfully hosted at the University of Kansas, USA, in collaboration with the Department of Anthropology and the Institute for Policy and Social Research (IPSR). This groundbreaking event brought together leading scholars, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners from around the world to explore the critical intersections of anthropology, public policy, and human development. The congress served as a platform for diverse perspectives on how anthropology can contribute to solving real-world challenges through interdisciplinary approaches.

Building on the success of the first congress, AAfH is now preparing to host the second biennial World Applied Anthropology Congress (WAAC-2026) in Hyderabad, India, from January, 29–31, 2026. This edition is being organized in collaboration with ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics), Hyderabad, as the Knowledge Partner and Hosting Institution. The congress will also involve a diverse group of global knowledge partners, including national and international premier institutions and NGOs dedicated to addressing the challenges of climate change, migration, and sustainable development.

The theme for WAAC-2026, "Interwoven Worlds: Anthropology Engaging with Global and Local Challenges of Climate Change and Migration," reflects the urgent need for anthropologists to engage with critical global transformations. With climate change and human migration reshaping societies, this congress aims to explore how anthropology can bridge the gap between scientific research, policymaking, and community-level adaptation and resilience strategies.

WAAC-2026 will feature:

• Keynote Addresses by distinguished global scholars and policymakers
• Panel Discussions on interdisciplinary approaches to climate change and migration
• Case Studies & Workshops on applied solutions and innovative methodologies
• Distinguished Lectures from leading anthropologists and climate scientists
• Poster Presentations showcasing cutting-edge research from emerging scholars
• Roundtable Sessions to facilitate dialogue between academia, policymakers, and communities

This congress is an opportunity to foster long-term collaborations between anthropologists, environmental scientists, policymakers, NGOs, and community leaders to develop sustainable, people-centered solutions to some of the most pressing global challenges of our time.