CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

2nd UNIC Thematic Conference

Institutions in Transition: Justice, Security, and Well-Being in Post-Industrial Cities

17-19 June 2026
Koç University, Istanbul

The 2nd UNIC Thematic Conference titled Institutions in Transition: Justice, Security, and Well-Being in Post-Industrial Cities, will be hosted by Koç University from 17 to 19 June 2026.

Within the context of post-industrial urban transformations, the conference examines how institutions strive to respond to the challenges of growing socio-spatial inequalities, uneven access to health and social care, and the pressures of governing increasingly diverse and superdiverse urban populations, including how everyday encounters with institutions in clinics, schools, welfare offices, neighborhood councils, streets, platforms, and housing systems shape well-being and belonging. From local administrations and public health providers to universities, schools, and civil society organizations, institutions play a critical role in shaping how cities address disparities between neighborhoods, ensure democratic participation in local decision-making, and foster collective well-being.

Building on UNIC's Thematic Lines 4 (Justice, Security, and Institutions) and 6 (Health and Well-being), the conference is organized around two key thematic streams—focusing on justice, security, and institutional dynamics, and on health and well-being in post-industrial urban settings—with Superdiversity serving as a transversal theme that highlights questions of inclusion and belonging in post-industrial cities.

We invite proposals, from scholars, independent researchers, students, civil society actors, practitioners and policymakers. Submissions may include individual papers, thematic panels, workshops, roundtables, book talks and special issue presentations. Both theoretical and empirical work are welcome from applicants at all stages of their career.

For further details, please visit the 2nd UNIC Thematic Conference website.