Managing social transformations towards a more socially and environmentally sustainable future has become even more challenging in a world increasingly characterised by:

• social and political fragmentation and polarisation with people divided not only in terms of values and attitudes but also in terms of basic perception of what is true and what is false,
• divergence between the goals of social and environmental sustainability and their increasingly systematic undermining by several major centres of power and wealth, contributing to further environmental degradation, extreme social inequalities and various aspects of social exclusion,
• rapid digitalisation with the major emphasis on artificial intelligence that can provide unprecedented prosperity but also unprecedented social risks,
• a clear trend of autocratisation, decline in political transparency and human rights,
• further shift away from a rules-based global order to might makes right principles, where using force is becoming increasingly normalised.

There is a major lack of leadership in tackling these issues.  Instead of unrealistically searching for any single national or global authority to impose proper solutions, a well-informed and broadly inclusive dialogues are required – involving civil society, political decision makers, business leaders – with the potential of social sciences to provide major inputs to such dialogues in terms of reliable expertise based on rigorous research methods.

In this context, the conference will include the keynote speech on Crisis of Liberalism: Toward Dialogical Liberal Project by:

Professor Sari Hanafi,
From American University of Beirut and
former President of the International Sociological Association (2018-2023).

The participants are invited to contribute and share the results of their research dealing with current social transformations, especially in relation to social and political divisions, inequalities and exclusion, social and environmental sustainability, the societal potentials and impact of new technologies, with the major emphasis on the artificial intelligence.

You may address micro or macro, local or global perspectives, both Eastern and Western societies, global North or global South, deal with broad comparative perspective, individual case studies, and apply a broad variety of theories and research methods. The participants are also strongly encouraged (but not obliged) to provide policy recommendations based on their research.  

Abstract, language, and submission:

The organizers invite theoretically or empirically grounded papers on the above topics. Special consideration will be given to empirically grounded papers, either comparative or country-based. The language of the abstracts, the papers and the conference will be English. Abstracts should be no more than 400 words long. They should be accompanied by the name(s) of the author(s), his/her/their affiliation(s) and e-mail(s).

Abstract submission:

https://forms.gle/eNEfZLxcyGKkeP7B9

Organising institutions:

• Slovenian National Committee of the UNESCO Management of Social Transformations Programme (MOST)
• Faculty of Information Studies in Novo Mesto.
• Slovenian Social Science Association, member of the International Sociological Association

Important Deadlines:

• Deadline for submitting paper proposals (max. 400 words) – March 31, 2026
• Notification of paper acceptance – April 15, 2026
• Deadline for registration – May 10, 2026

Conference Fees: The participation is free.

Conference venue: Ljubljana, Slovenia, precise venue to be announced soon.