Open Conference of the ‘International Relations’ Section of the German Political Science Association (DVPW) · 21 to 23 September 2026

We invite proposals for individual papers, panels (with 3-4 papers, chair and discussant) or roundtables (chair and 5-6 participants) from all areas of international relations. Submissions should be made via meineDVPW on the DVPW website: https://meine.dvpw.de. Submissions must be made by 15 February 2026 at the latest.

A paper should be an original piece of research that would be considered on the path to publication in your field. Selected papers are presented orally on-site at the conference and written copies are shared with fellow panel participants about two weeks in advance of the conference.

Paper proposal submissions require an author, a title, and an abstract of not more than 200 words. Titles are limited to 50 words, and all co-authors must be listed. Please indicate all authors affiliations and contact email-addresses.

Panels group together 3-4 papers and include a chair and a discussant. During a panel session, each paper is presented by the author(s) and time in the session is reserved for discussion amongst panelists and the audience, led by the chair. 

Panel proposal submissions must have a title (less than 50 words), abstract (less than 200 words), a chair and a discussant, and 3-4 papers (complete with their own title, abstract and authors). 

When your paper is part of a panel, please do not submit it again as an individual paper.

Roundtables are discussion-centred sessions with high audience engagement. Roundtables do not include papers and follow a less-structured format than standard panels. Roundtable chairs coordinate with fellow participants to organize the session.  Roundtables require a chair and 5 to 6 participants, a title (of not more than 50 words) and abstracts need to be less than 200 words.

Individual paper contributions may be submitted in German or English. Panels and roundtables may be submitted either entirely in German or entirely in English. Please submit your paper, panel, or roundtable in the respective discussion language when submitting your proposal.

In order to represent a variety of groups of people and career paths as wide as possible in the section, we ask that you ensure gender parity and the inclusion of authors from different institutions and career stages when planning panels and roundtables.

Receipt of applications will be confirmed by 15 March 2026.

The preliminary conference programme will be published in early June 2026, the final conference programme will be published in early August 2026 on the conference website, accessible via: https://go.uniwue.de/ib2026. 

Further information on conference registration and accommodation in Würzburg and the surrounding area will be soon published on the conference website. 

Participants will be informed by email in Mid-March 2026 whether their submissions have been accepted or rejected.

We ask all participants to register via the “meineDVPW” platform by 15 May 2026, at the latest: https://meine.dvpw.de/veranstaltungen/.  The participation fee (amount: EUR 80) must be transferred to the account listed after registration. Participation is only possible after binding registration.

Optionally, participants can take part in a guided tour of the Staatlicher Hofkeller (wine cellar) in the Residenz on the second evening of the conference, followed by wine tasting and refreshments (cost: EUR 75). You can bindingly register for this event on “meineDVPW” during registration. The costs must be paid in cash when you register at the start of the conference in Würzburg.

Upon registration on “meineDVPW”, we will ask you whether you would like to serve as chair or discussant of a panel in addition to your planned contribution. We look forward to your active support!

The preliminary conference program will be published here at the beginning of June 2026.

The final conference program follows at the beginning of August 2026.

A block number of rooms is available for conference participants at several hotels. Please book via the booking link provided or state the booking code when booking:

• Moxy (40 Rooms): Bookinglink
• Dorint (20 Rooms): Buchungscode IBSektionstagung
• Ibis (50 Zimmer): Bookinglink
• Premier Inn (55 Rooms): Buchungscode DVPW_260920

We recommend early booking.

Roundtables: We ask all chairs to discuss the content and agenda of their respective roundtables with the participants well ahead of the conference and to inform all roundtable participants accordingly.

Panels: We ask all chairs to ensure that papers are exchanged within their respective panels well in advance of the conference. Chairs should also determine the length of the presentations in the panel. Discussants should receive the papers at least 10 days before the conference in order to prepare constructive feedback. Chairs and discussants can nominate papers of early-career scholars for the ZIB-Best-Paper-Award until 18 September 2026, at the very latest (see the category “ZIB-Best-Paper-Award” for more details).

Papers submitted as individual contributions: The executive committee of the IR section will organize panels with chairs and discussants from the accepted papers that were submitted as individual contributions. All participants in these panels will be informed about these panels when the preliminary program is announced. The chairs of these panels are asked to contact the discussants and panel participants in good time before the conference and to ensure that the papers are exchanged within the panel. Chairs determine the length of the presentations in advance. Chairs and discussants can nominate papers of early-career scholars for the ZIB-Best-Paper-Award by 18 September 2026, at the very latest (see the category “ZIB-Best-Paper-Award” for more details).

Language: The conference language is German and English. To ensure smooth communication is as accessible as possible, we ask all participants to adhere to the language specified in the programme. Roundtables or panel should be held entirely in either German or English. This applies to both presentations and contributions to discussions.

Responsibilities of participants, chairs, and discussants: To ensure that the conference runs smoothly, we ask all participants to arrive at events on time and well prepared. Speakers should prepare their presentations in advance and ensure that their equipment is working properly. Chairs of panels and roundtables make sure that speakers stick to the time limit set from them and  that all speakers, discussants, and the audience are treated equally.

Conference technology: A projector with HDMI connection and HDMI cable is available in each conference room. We ask all participants to bring their own presentation device (laptop, tablet) and pointer, if necessary. In exceptional cases, a laptop (limited availability) can be provided for a presentation. Please ask the organization team at the conference for support.

Technical support: For roundtables and panels, technical support staff from the local organization team will be on site and can help you connect your devices if necessary. You will also find members of the organization team at the registration desk in the foyer of the Wittelsbacherplatz 1 building.

Registration: The registration desk in the foyer of the Wittelsbacherplatz 1 building is the central point of contact for all conference guests and contributors. Please register at the registration desk at the beginning of the conference. There you will receive your name tag and, of you wish to participate in, pay the fee for the wine tasting in cash (please have the exact amount ready, thank you).

Availability of the organization team: The registration desk will be staffed throughout the conference. The staff there will be happy to help you at any time within the scope of their possibilities.

Cloakroom: We do not provide a cloakroom. We kindly ask you to take care of your own coats and luggage. On the day of arrival or departure, it is advisable to store larger items of luggage at the hotel or in one of the lockers at Würzburg railway station.

Catering: During the coffee breaks, coffee, tea, water, and pastries are served on the ground floor of the conference building. As the catering options around Wittelsbacherplatz are very limited, we recommend that you bring your own food for the longer lunch breaks. The reception on the evening of the first day of the conference (included) and the wine tasting on the evening of the second day of the conference (optionally bookable) includes drinks and a light dinner. The food will be appropriately labeled with allergens and dietary requirements (vegetarian, vegan) and the organizing team will be available to answer any questions.

Quiet room: To be announced.

Breastfeeding and diapering room: To be announced.

Childcare: Unfortunately, due to limited resources, childcare cannot be provided.

During the conference, the Executive Committee of the IR-Section and the ZIB editorial team will award the best conference paper by an early career scholar.

Conditions of participation: The ZIB Best Paper Award is linked to publication in the ZIB. Therefore, only articles that are either written in German or translated into German upon receipt of the award can be nominated for the ZIB Best Paper Award. The award is a tool for promoting researchers in the qualification phase (early career). Therefore, only papers by doctoral students or postdocs can be submitted.  It is essential that the authors give their consent to the nomination. The submitting chairs and discussants are requested to obtain this consent in advance by email.

Nomination: Once you have obtained the authors' consent to participate in the ZIB Best Paper Award, please send the completed form, the nominated paper as an MS-Word version, and the authors' full contact details (including email addresses) to zib@nomos.de by Friday, September 18, 2026, at the latest.

The award ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday, 22 September 2026, as part of the evening event.

We look forward to receiving exciting submissions!

We want to make sure that the conference is as accessible and inclusive as possible.

Accessible and inclusive communication: Before, during, and after the conference, we will ensure that communication is accessible and inclusive. Unfortunately, we cannot rule out the possibility that we or other participants at the conference may make mistakes. This awareness concept is intended to serve as motivation and encouragement for us as organizers and all other participants in the conference to contribute to a barrier-free and non-discriminatory conference.

Support in dealing with discrimination: Discrimination cannot be ruled out at any event. As organizers, we see it as our responsibility to clearly communicate incidents and complaints (in consultation with those affected) to guests and to take appropriate action. If you have any questions about the conference schedule and organization, you can visit the organization team in the foyer of the Wittelsbacherplatz building at any time. The staff there will be happy to help you. For support in dealing with discrimination, you can contact the conference team at any time and be assured that your concerns will be listened to and dealt with in a confidential and responsible manner.

Accessibility of conference rooms:

The conference will mainly take place in the building of the Faculty of Humanities, Wittelsbacherplatz 1, 97074 Würzburg. Information on the accessibility of the conference building “Faculty of Human Sciences - Wittelsbacherplatz 1” can be found here  (in German).

The event on the first evening of the conference will take place in the “Audimax” in the New University building at Sanderring 2, 97072 Würzburg. The reception will follow in the atrium “Lichthof” in front of the Audimax. Information on the accessibility of the conference venue “Audimax” in the New University building at Sanderring 2 can be found here (in German).

All lecture rooms have wheelchair-accessible seating.

The lecture rooms are adequately lit and large enough for all participants to follow the conference in a comfortable manner.

If you require assistance (e.g., with mobility, assistance, nutrition, or other requirements), please let us know as early as possible by emailing ib-sektionstagung@uni-wuerzburg.de.

We warmly invite you to attend the Section's open conference and look forward to a successful  conference in Würzburg!

Please send any questions regarding the conference organization to:

ib-sektionstagung@uni-wuerzburg.de

Executive Committee of the IB Section at the DVPW:

Sonja Grimm
Markus Lederer
Melanie Morisse
Dennis Redeker (currently acting)

Organization team in Würzburg:

Prof. Dr. Sonja Grimm
Chair of International Relations and European Studies
Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg
Wittelsbacherplatz 1, 97074 Würzburg, Germany

Team assistant: Ms. Tabea Yilu