Over the last decades, the cultural turn in International Relations and the growing dialogue between historians and social scientists have profoundly transformed the study of international affairs. Increasing attention has been devoted to the role of ideas, identities, representations, and cultural practices in shaping international orders, challenging approaches centered primarily on military, political, and economic power.
Within this framework, scholars have increasingly recognized that cultural exchanges have often functioned as a principal infrastructure of international relations, sustaining contact when traditional diplomatic channels are strained, suspended, or politically contested.
Moreover, recent scholarship has moved beyond the Cold War framework that long dominated studies of cultural diplomacy and soft power, embracing longer historical trajectories and more diverse geographical contexts, while also broadening the range of actors considered to include not only major powers but also small, medium-sized, and peripheral states shaping international influence and cultural connections across borders.
Building on this, this conference seeks to provide a focused and interactive forum for discussion, exchange, and collaboration on the relationship between culture and power in international relations from the nineteenth century to the present. It welcomes contributions that investigate the changing forms, actors, and practices of cultural diplomacy and soft power across different political regimes, international orders, and geographical settings, while encouraging comparative, transnational, and interdisciplinary perspectives.
Important Dates:
- Abstract submission deadline: 20 October 2026
- Notification of acceptance: 15 November 2026
- Conference 24-26 September 2027, Lisbon
