CALL FOR PAPERS: STAND Conference 2027: Asymmetries of Power in Science Diplomacy

CALL FOR PAPERS: STAND Conference 2027: Asymmetries of Power in Science Diplomacy
Lisbon, Portugal, 21 to 23 July 2027

International relations have entered an “age of disruption,” as it was termed by the Royal Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in their 2025 joint report on science diplomacy. In this context, the potential of science diplomacy solely as a tool of cooperation is being increasingly questioned in the face of divisive nationalisms, destabilizing technologies, and mounting geopolitical competition.

Recent historical research has shown that when experts, politicians, diplomats, activists, and other actors come together, they bring national and local interests that must be negotiated with the ideals and practices of global cooperation. Moreover, these negotiations do not take place on neutral ground, and historical research has demonstrated how asymmetries of power and hierarchies of knowledge fundamentally shape the international arena. Historical approaches can provide context for contemporary tensions in the discourse on science diplomacy, providing nuanced and critical perspectives for scholarship and policymaking.

The Commission on Science, Technology, and Diplomacy (STAND) of the Division of History of Science and Technology (DHST/IUHPST) wishes to discuss these matters in its next international conference on Asymmetries of Power in Science Diplomacy, which is jointly organized with the NOVA University of Lisbon, in a partnership between the Interuniversity Center for the History of Science and Technology (CIUHCT) at NOVA School of Science and Technology (NOVA FCT), and the Portuguese Institute of International Relations (IPRI) at NOVA School of Social Sciences and Humanities (NOVA FCSH). It will take place at NOVA FCSH, Campolide Campus, in Lisbon, Portugal, from 21 to 23 July 2027.

We welcome proposals that critically address power dynamics in current and past international negotiations on science, technology, medicine, and related fields, considering:

* The political, economic, and cultural integration of regional and national spaces across the Global North/South and East/West divides, as well as within each bloc
* The design and implementation of cooperation and assistance programs to build technological infrastructure, scientific capability (including exchange student programs), public health (e.g. vaccination campaigns), etc.
* The coordination of efforts to contain transnational threats, such as cyberattacks, pandemics, nuclear proliferation, bioterrorism, pollution, biodiversity loss, climate change or existential AI risks
* Formal and informal imperialist relations, including continuities and discontinuities from colonial to postcolonial times
* The definition and imposition of standards for scientific nomenclature, units, concepts, theories, practices, instrumentation, etc.

We are interested in looking at the roles played not only by individuals, but also by expert organizations (universities, academies, professional societies) and non-state actors (national and international NGOs, the private sector, civil society initiatives). Likewise, we encourage proposals that consider the agency of women, indigenous peoples, and other historically underrepresented or marginalized communities.

[SUBMISSION GUIDELINES] Please send us an abstract (150 to 300 words), including proponents’ name(s) and affiliation(s) by email to:
– Email: dgm@fct.unl.pt (with subject: STAND Conference 2027)
– Deadline: 30 October 2026

The STAND Commission remains committed to finding ways to support in-person attendance for scholars in need, including those at early career stages.