ECSA-C 2026 Biennial Conference – May 14-16, 2026
ECSA-C 2026 Biennial Conference:
“Canada and Europe Carrying the Torch?” — Call for Papers and Panels
Victoria, Canada – May 14–16, 2026
Deadline for proposals: 15. November 2025
The European Community Studies Association–Canada (ECSA-C) invites scholars, practitioners, and students to submit paper and panel proposals for its 15th Biennial Conference, to be held at the University of Victoria from May 14 to 16, 2026. Under the theme “Canada and Europe Carrying the Torch?”, this conference explores how Europe and Canada can sustain and renew democratic values in a time of uncertainty, polarization, and shifting global influence.
Revisiting the Transatlantic Democratic Promise
As democracies across the globe face growing pressures—from populism and disinformation to social fragmentation and geopolitical tension—ECSA-C 2026 calls on researchers and policymakers to reflect on the shared lessons, challenges, and responsibilities that connect Canada and Europe. The conference title evokes the idea of carrying the torch—passing on the values of democracy, civic engagement, and human rights to new generations.
Participants are encouraged to examine how democratic institutions adapt, how societies remember and reinterpret their pasts, and how global transformations—from climate change to digitalization—affect democratic governance and civic trust.
A Forum for Dialogue Across Borders and Disciplines
The ECSA-C Biennial Conference has long served as a vital forum for exchange among scholars in political science, history, law, economics, sociology, and related fields, as well as for dialogue with policymakers, educators, and civil society. The 2026 edition will continue this interdisciplinary and intersectoral tradition, providing a platform for discussing the future of transatlantic cooperation and the European project in a changing world.
Submissions are welcome on a wide range of topics related to European integration, comparative politics, transatlantic relations, public policy, and identity politics. The organizers particularly encourage panels and papers that connect academic insight with real-world democratic practice, including work on civic education, media and information literacy, migration and diversity, and memory politics.
An Invitation to Engage
The conference will take place at the University of Victoria’s beautiful oceanside campus in British Columbia, Canada. Beyond academic sessions, ECSA-C 2026 will feature keynote lectures, policy roundtables, and opportunities for networking and collaboration across generations of scholars.
Researchers and practitioners are invited to submit:
-
Individual papers that address the conference theme or related topics; or
-
Panel proposals bringing together 3–4 papers and a chair/discussant around a common theme.
All details about submission formats and deadlines are available on the official ECSA-C website:
🔗 https://www.ecsa-c.ca/post/call-for-papers-and-panels
About ECSA-C
The European Community Studies Association–Canada (ECSA-C) is a national, interdisciplinary organization promoting research, teaching, and dialogue on European integration and Canada–Europe relations. Its Biennial Conferences are the premier venue for Canadian and international scholars to share research, build partnerships, and connect academic insights to contemporary policy debates.
