Call for Papers Announced for Fully Funded 2026 Interdisciplinary Conference on Transitional Justice
The European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder) in collaboration with the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy has issued a call for papers for an upcoming fully funded interdisciplinary conference on transitional justice scheduled for 2026.
The conference will explore the theme “Transitional Justice beyond the rule-based world order: Interdisciplinary perspectives on peace and justice” and aims to bring together scholars, practitioners, and researchers working across law, political science, sociology, history, and related disciplines.
Conference Details
The event is scheduled to take place on 1–2 December 2026 at the European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder) campus in Germany.
Organisers have confirmed that the conference will be fully funded for selected participants. This includes coverage of:
- Travel expenses
- Accommodation costs
Speakers whose abstracts are accepted will be supported financially, making the event accessible to international researchers and early-career scholars.
Theme: Transitional Justice in a Changing Global Order
The conference focuses on examining transitional justice in the context of evolving global political and legal systems. It seeks to critically engage with how peacebuilding, accountability, and justice mechanisms function in a world where traditional rule-based international frameworks are increasingly contested.
Key areas of interest include:
- Post-conflict justice and reconciliation
- International law and human rights
- Peacebuilding and political transitions
- Memory, truth commissions, and historical accountability
- Interdisciplinary approaches to justice and governance
The organisers emphasize an interdisciplinary approach, encouraging contributions from both established and emerging scholars.
Submission Guidelines and Deadlines
Researchers interested in participating are invited to submit abstracts by 15 June 2026.
Submissions should be sent via email to:
Accepted participants will be invited to present their papers during the two-day conference.
Academic Collaboration Across Borders
The collaboration between the European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder) and the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy highlights a strong commitment to international academic cooperation, particularly in the fields of peace studies and transitional justice.
By supporting fully funded participation, the conference aims to broaden global access to academic dialogue and ensure diverse perspectives are included in discussions on justice and post-conflict transformation.
Opportunity for Emerging Scholars
The organisers encourage submissions from both senior researchers and early-career academics whose work engages with questions of justice, peacebuilding, and institutional transformation in transitional contexts.
Why This Transitional Justice Conference Matters Now More Than Ever
The 2026 interdisciplinary conference on transitional justice, jointly convened by the European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder) and the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, arrives at a moment when the global architecture of peace, accountability, and international law is under visible strain.
While transitional justice has traditionally been associated with post-authoritarian transitions and post-conflict reconciliation such as truth commissions in Latin America or post-apartheid South Africa the current geopolitical environment is reshaping its relevance in more complex and contested ways.
One of the most significant undercurrents shaping this conference theme is the weakening predictability of the “rule-based international order.” Conflicts characterized by hybrid warfare, fragmented sovereignty, and prolonged instability have exposed the limitations of conventional justice mechanisms. As a result, transitional justice is increasingly being reinterpreted not as a linear “transition from conflict to peace,” but as an ongoing and often non-linear process of negotiation between memory, justice, and political power.
The collaboration between a German and a Ukrainian academic institution is particularly symbolically significant in this context. Ukraine’s ongoing experience of conflict and reconstruction adds immediacy to theoretical debates on accountability, war crimes documentation, and institutional rebuilding. Meanwhile, Western European academic frameworks provide methodological depth in comparative transitional justice studies, enabling a dialogue that is both empirical and normative.
Importantly, the conference’s fully funded structure also signals an intentional shift toward inclusivity in academic knowledge production. By removing financial barriers for participation, the organisers are not only widening geographic representation but also ensuring that early-career scholars and researchers from underrepresented regions can actively shape the discourse.
Another emerging dimension is the increasing intersection between transitional justice and interdisciplinary fields such as digital archiving, AI-assisted evidence gathering, and environmental justice in post-conflict zones. These expansions suggest that transitional justice is no longer confined to legal or historical inquiry alone but is becoming a broader framework for understanding systemic harm and societal repair.
Ultimately, the conference represents a timely intellectual intervention—one that acknowledges that justice in the 21st century must adapt to fragmented realities while still striving for accountability, truth, and sustainable peace.
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Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) is not the organization offering this opportunity. For any inquiries, please contact the official organization directly. Please do not send your applications & CVs to GSO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails, we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.
