The symposium is part of a series the British Academy’s organises and also related to the Academy’s Global (Dis)Order international policy programme, a collaboration with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

More about the programme

The symposium will take place in Mangaratiba, Brazil, from 21-22 January 2027. The symposium aims to incentivise and develop international engagement and collaboration between early career researchers and policymakers, encouraging the exchange of ideas from different perspectives and professional standpoints. The symposium format is highly interactive, enabling extensive discussion, listening and debate, with considerable time set aside for this and wider networking opportunities. The symposium will not follow a conventional conference format based around formal paper presentations or lectures. Sessions will instead be discussion-led, with short provocations and other formats used to stimulate collective debate. The symposium will bring together around 40 early career researchers (understood as up to 10 years after obtaining a PhD) and early career policymakers from across all regions of the world. The symposium is designed specifically to encourage collaboration and networking.

Purpose

The symposium starts from the premise that the study and practice of international order is undergoing significant change. Great power competition has returned to the centre of international politics; international norms and law face deep transformation; global capitalism is being reorganised through geopolitical and technological competition; climate change increasingly structures political choices; and established forms of institutionalised cooperation coexist with new forms of fragmentation.

Focus

For applicants, we intend to focus the discussions at the symposium on a series of thematic issues, including the below and expect applications to attend to engage with one or more of these areas in demonstrating their interest and/or experience related to global (dis)order.

• Sovereignty and Nationalism
• Economic and Ecological Interdependence
• Regions and Regionalism
• Hierarchy and Empire
• Religion
• Justice

Eligibility

For the purpose of this symposium, early career is defined as being within a ten-year period from the award of a doctorate. Early career policymakers are expected to similarly be within 10 years of the start of their professional career.Participants must be able to travel on dates and times, and on trains or other modes of transportation chosen by the British Academy. All travel to the symposium will take place on 19/20 January with departure from Brazil on 23 January.Attendance is mandatory for the entire symposium. If this is not met it will result in a participant not being eligible for the seed funding available.

Selection criteria

Applications will be assessed against the following criteria:

• Proven research interest and/or experience in the symposium’s theme;
• Commitment to interdisciplinary engagement and research;
• Value of symposium to applicant’s career development.

Application process

Interested applicants are required to complete an online application form via Flexi-Grant® by Wednesday 4 November at 17:00 (GMT).We will seek to notify successful applicants by the end of November. The symposium covers travel, accommodation, and visa costs. Participants are expected to attend the entire symposium and travel on designated dates.

Scheme guidance

Please download the scheme notes for detailed guidance on how to apply. Please read these scheme notes carefully. Any incorrectly submitted applications will be ineligible for the award.

Contact details

Further information is available from p.strigel@thebritishacademy.ac.uk.