The International Politics, Law & Society Research Group — an informal scholarly collective comprising researchers from the Department of Political Science and International Relations at the University of the Peloponnese — is convening the international conference “Rethinking International Relations in Times of Global Transformation”.

13 – 14 June 2026
Corinth, Greece

Conference Theme

The field of International Relations (IR) is increasingly confronted with unprecedented global shifts that test its theoretical frameworks, normative assumptions, and methodological approaches. The erosion of the post-Cold War liberal order, the emergence of multipolarity and regional contestations, the acceleration of climate change, and the disruptive potential of new technologies such as artificial intelligence and cyber capabilities, all demand fresh analytical tools and perspectives. Long-standing challenges — such as armed conflict, forced displacement, human insecurity, and global inequality — persist and are exacerbated by overlapping crises and fragile governance structures.

At the same time, the international system is witnessing renewed debates about sovereignty, intervention, and the legitimacy of global institutions. New configurations of power and the proliferation of hybrid threats are reshaping understandings of security, borders, and human rights. These dynamics require scholars to reflect critically on the ways in which IR, as a discipline, conceptualises the interplay between structure and agency, local and global, the material and the normative.

Against this backdrop, this conference is conceived not merely as a forum for analysing the current transformations in international politics, but as a space for reflective engagement with the evolving identity and scope of International Relations as a discipline. In a context marked by overlapping crises, normative ruptures, and epistemic fragmentation, the event aims to interrogate the conceptual foundations, methodological boundaries, and disciplinary assumptions of IR itself. It encourages conversations across diverse analytical traditions and research perspectives, and welcomes contributions that question inherited categories or propose alternative conceptual and empirical frameworks. By fostering such exchange, the conference aspires to offer a generative space for international scholarly dialogue and disciplinary rethinking, one that explores how IR can meaningfully respond to the demands of a rapidly changing world.

This conference offers an opportunity to revisit the core concepts, empirical cases, and research agendas that define contemporary IR scholarship. It seeks to create an inclusive platform for dialogue among scholars working across political science, IR theory and practice, international law, political economy, anthropology, geography and other cognate fields. By examining the complex realities and possibilities of global transformation, the event aims to foster exchanges that bridge theory and practice, advance interdisciplinary insights, and interrogate how international politics can be better understood — and perhaps governed — in a period of profound uncertainty. In doing so, the conference aims to contribute actively to the internationalisation of IR scholarship within and beyond Europe by fostering cross-institutional exchange and strengthening collaborative networks among scholars at different career stages.

Grounded in Europe’s diverse intellectual traditions, this initiative particularly seeks to amplify underrepresented voices from Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean, and other peripheral regions, while fostering substantive engagement with perspectives from the Global South. The conference thus positions Europe not as an insular academic space, but as a facilitating hub for genuinely pluralistic scholarship that challenges conventional geographical and epistemic boundaries within the discipline.

We invite contributions that critically assess the discipline’s capacity to analyse and engage with the multifaceted challenges and possibilities of our time. Participants are encouraged to explore conceptual debates, empirical developments, and policy-relevant questions that shape and are shaped by contemporary international politics.

Indicative Themes
We welcome papers that address, but are not limited to, the following themes:

• Power, order, and legitimacy in a post-hegemonic era
• Global governance in crisis: rethinking multilateralism and institutional authority
• Sovereignty and intervention in the age of AI, hybrid threats, and digital disruption
• Climate crisis, energy geopolitics, and environmental collapse
• Conflict, Violence, and Peacebuilding in an Era of Uncertainty
• Borders, Migration, and Human Security in a Changing World
• Decolonising IR and amplifying epistemologies from the Global South
• Legal fragmentation, norm contestation, and accountability politics
• The future of IR as a global discipline: theoretical innovation and epistemological pluralism

Abstract Submission Guidelines
Abstracts should be written in English and should not exceed 300 words. 
Submissions must include a title, the full name(s) of the author(s), their institutional affiliation, and 3–5 relevant keywords. Abstracts should be sent to k.oikonomou@go.uop.gr, chris.mantas@gmail.com and e.leoudi@go.uop.gr . 
The deadline for submission is 5 October 2025. Notifications of acceptance will be sent by 27 October 2025.

Programme Committee: Chris Mantas, Konstantina Oikonomou, Eirini Leoudi

Publication Opportunities
Selected papers will be considered for publication in a peer-reviewed volume or special journal issue related to the conference theme.

Conference Format
The conference will be held primarily in person. While on-site participation is the standard format, a limited number of online presentations may be accommodated on an exceptional basis in order to facilitate participation in cases where travel is not feasible.

Contact Information
Konstantina Oikonomou
con.oikonomou@gmail.com