2026 Microsymposiums

2026 Microsymposiums Organized by the Athens Institute

(A microsymposium is one or more special sessions which are thematic and are organized as part of one of our general (non-thematic) conferences. If you want to organize such a thematic event, please review our policy and guidelines, for more details)

11-15 May 2026
Rethinking Mega Sport Events — Impacts, Legacies, and Future Directions
as part of the 26st Annual International Conference on Sports: Economic, Management, Marketing & Social Aspects
Academic Responsible:
Dr. Spiro Doukas, Deputy Head, Sports Unit, Athens Institute & Associate Professor, American Public University, USA.

This microsymposium explores the complex world of mega sport events, such as the Olympic Games, FIFA World Cup, and continental championships, through critical and interdisciplinary lenses. While these events promise global visibility, economic growth, and urban regeneration, they also raise pressing concerns regarding social displacement, environmental degradation, political instrumentalization, and uneven legacy outcomes. Bringing together scholars, practitioners, and policy thinkers, this microsymposium will examine the planning, governance, and long-term implications of hosting mega events in diverse contexts. Topics include stakeholder power dynamics, local community impacts, sustainability challenges, post-event urban transformations, and financial and economic implications. Special attention will be given to case studies from emerging economies, shifting geopolitical priorities, and the role of sport in nation branding and soft power. This forum aims to foster debate on whether mega events can be reimagined to serve more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable goals—or whether the model itself needs fundamental reform.
Deadline: 7 October 2025
Abstract Submitting Form
11-15 May 2026
New Idea of Olympic Games: Venues, Sport and Timing
as part of the 26st Annual International Conference on Sports: Economic, Management, Marketing & Social Aspects
Academic Responsible:
Dr. Mario Nicoliello, Deputy Head, Sports Unit, Athens Institute & Researcher, Universiry of Brescia, Italy.

The Olympic Games are undergoing a deep transformation in response to shifting societal values, environmental concerns and changing patterns of global engagement. The call for papers invites scholars, practitioners and policymakers to explore the evolving nature of the Olympic Movement through the lens of innovation in venues, sport formats and scheduling. How are host cities reimagining Olympic infrastructure to ensure legacy, sustainability and community engagement? What role do emerging sports and disciplines play in maintaining the Games’ relevance for new generations? How does the adjustment of event timing affect participation, viewership and global impact? We welcome theoretical and empirical contributions from a variety of disciplines, including sport management, urban planning, environmental studies, media studies and sociology. Comparative case studies, conceptual frameworks and policy analyses are encouraged.
Deadline: 7 October 2025
Abstract Submitting Form
25-29 May 2026
Environmental Philosophy: Ethics, Technology & Ways of Living
as part of the 21st Annual International Conference on Philosophy
Academic Responsible:
Dr. Oidinposha Imamkhodjaeva, Deputy Head, Philosophy Unit, Athens Institute & Teaching Assistant Professor, Pennsylvania State University, USA.

How should we live in a world shaped by ecological crisis, technological acceleration, and global interdependence? This microsymposium invites philosophers, scholars, and practitioners to explore the ethical, cultural, and political dimensions of our relationship with the environment. We welcome contributions that examine how environmental philosophy can guide sustainable living, responsible innovation, democratic governance, and active citizenship in an age of climate change and artificial intelligence. Key themes include: Environmental ethics and ecological justice, Indigenous and non-Western ecological worldviews, AI, automation, and environmental governance, philosophies of nature, sustainability, and technology, business ethics and green enterprise, civic responsibility and ecological citizenship and rethinking human-nature relations in the Anthropocene.
Deadline: 21 October 2025
Abstract Submitting Form
25-29 May 2026
Philosophy of Physics
as part of the 21st Annual International Conference on Philosophy
Academic Responsible:
Dr. Robert Bishop, Head, Philosophy Unit, Athens Institute & Professor, Wheaton College, USA

This microsymposium aims to explore the deep philosophical questions underlying modern physics, including the nature of space and time, the interpretation of quantum mechanics, the role of symmetry in physical laws, and the philosophical implications of cosmology. We welcome papers from philosophers, physicists, and interdisciplinary researchers.
Deadline: 21 October 2025
Abstract Submitting Form
1-5 June 2026
Romanticism
as part of the 19th Annual International Conference on Literature
Academic Responsible:
Dr. William Davis, Head, Literature Unit, Athens Institute & Professor, The Colorado College, USA.

The session on Romanticism will take place within the larger Athens Institute’s Literature Conference. Our hope is to create an international discussion on current topics, approaches, and theories related to the study of literary, historical, philosophical, and political Romanticism. Our call for papers is thus broad: we encourage proposals on any aspect of literary Romanticism, including comparative studies, national Romanticisms, trans-Atlantic, papers on single authors or texts, as well as papers that reflect current trends in Romantic studies, i.e., Romanticism and gender studies, new materialism, posthuman, etc.
Deadline: 28 October 2025
Abstract Submitting Form
1-5 June 2026
"Visual History and Images as Sources"
as part of the 24th Annual International Conference on History & Archaeology: From Ancient to Modern
Academic Responsible:
Dr. Snezhana Filipova, Deputy Head, History Unit, Athens Institute & Professor, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, North Macedonia

isual history brings together art history, media studies, and cultural studies to explore how images shape and reflect historical narratives. With digital technologies, the field has expanded—enabling new methods of analysis, wider access to collections, and immersive reconstructions of the past. Research on pre-photography periods often turns to drawings, prints, and monuments as historical sources, showing how images and public art construct memory, identity, and cultural imagination. From lost tombs to repurposed structures, monuments reveal both permanence and erasure. Today, digital tools revive destroyed sites and offer new perspectives on history. We invite contributions on visual history methodologies, images as historical sources, monuments and memory, and the impact of digital technologies across periods and regions.
Deadline: 28 October 2025
Abstract Submitting Form
15-19 June 2026
Polls and Gallups
as part of the 24th Annual International Conference on Politics & International Studies
Academic Responsible:
Dr. Gregory T. Papanikos, President, Athens Institute.

The aim of the microsymposium is to explore the role, methodology, and impact of public opinion research in modern societies. This microsymposium welcomes both theoretical and empirical contributions that critically examine the design, execution, and interpretation of opinion polls across political, social, economic, and cultural contexts. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: Methodological innovations in polling and survey design; Polling accuracy and error margins; Electoral forecasting and political implications; Media use and misuse of polling data; Cross-national and comparative public opinion research; Online polling and digital data collection; The psychology of survey response; Public trust in polling institutions; Ethical considerations in opinion research.
Deadline: 11 November 2025
Abstract Submitting Form
8-12 June 2026
The Transmission and Maintenance of Diaspora Identity Through time and Generation
as part of the 17th Annual International Conference on Visual and Performing Arts
Academic Responsible: Dr. Maria-Irini Avgoulas, Academic Member, Athens Institute & Casual Academic, School of Health, Medical & Applied Sciences, CQUniversity Australia and Cultural Counselling and Consultancy, Australia
Diaspora communities with their specific cultural identity are found throughout the world and exist on a continuum of redevelopment as they evolve. The experience of diaspora identity and the transmission of memory culture that supports identity maintenance may vary by generation, the original migrants and their descendants born in diaspora. Diaspora community members of all generations may maintain a sense of nostalgia but also negative emotions of not belonging to either their original homeland or the host community. This may be expressed as having two homelands and, in a sense, belonging to both. While potentially enriching, diaspora identity may in fact be more like belonging nowhere and being a stranger in both cultures. This may represent a negative emotion associated with the experience of migration and acculturation despite the generation of membership. This session will explore the transmission and maintenance of diaspora identity through time and generation and consider how associated psychosocial factors and the recreated social environment of the culture of origin may influence wellbeing and the experience of illness that are significant factors in overall health as well as the promotion of health and wellbeing in diaspora. You may participate as stream leader, presenter of one paper, chair of a session or observer.
Deadline: 4 November 2025
Abstract Submitting Form
6-10 July 2026
Interior Architecture
as part of the 16th Annual International Conference on Architecture
Academic Responsible: Dr. Atlihan Onat Karacali, Research Fellow, Architecture & Design Unit, Athens Institute and Lecturer, University of Lancashire, UK.
This microsymposium seeks to explore emerging dialogues, theoretical frameworks, and design practices that are redefining the interior as a site of cultural, social, and ecological engagement. We welcome abstracts that address topics such as adaptive reuse, sustainability, digital fabrication, immersive technologies, spatial politics, post-pandemic interior environments, materiality, and the narrative potential of interior space. Interdisciplinary approaches and contributions in interior architecture, design, history, and related fields are encouraged.
Deadline: 2 December 2025
Abstract Submitting Form
13-17 July 2026
Waste Management and Recycling
as part of the 21st Annual International Symposium on Environment
Academic Responsible: Dr. Isaac T. Rampedi, Deputy Director, Sciences Division, Athens Institute & Associate Professor, University of Johannesburg, South Africa.
This session aims to explore current challenges, innovations, and best practices in the management of municipal solid waste, including but not limited to topics such as waste collection and disposal systems, recycling and resource recovery, waste-to-energy technologies, circular economy strategies, smart waste management solutions, regulatory frameworks, community engagement, and environmental impacts.
Deadline: 9 December 2025
Abstract Submitting Form