Deadline: 1 September 2017
Applications are open for World Social Science Forum 2018 that is the fourth in a series of international, interdisciplinary social science conferences focusing on contemporary global challenges. The Forum will address the issue of security for all people in an equitable and sustainable world. The Forum will take place from 25-28 September 2018, in Fukuoka, Japan.
The social sciences and humanities have a vital role to play in clarifying and developing principles, norms, rules and institutions to undertake action towards such an understanding of security, and in participating in the dialogue among citizens and policy makers. This Forum seeks to create a platform for interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research to contribute to transformations to a sustainable world.
Theme & Sub-themes
Theme: Security and Equality for Sustainable Futures: In the Anthropocene, human activities are recognized to have a significant global impact on the Earth’s geology and ecosystems. This in turn requires inclusive and coordinated actions to ensure equality and security for human beings. Equality is a basic human right and is built on recognition of diverse values.
Sub themes:
- Sustainability and security: Sustainability has now become a key focus for many disciplines, while the balance (and in many cases the trade-offs) between environmental sustainability and economic and social development have been extensively discussed from various interdisciplinary perspectives.
- Cybersecurity: has become a major security concern, covering not only safety from cyberattacks and cyberwarfare in the cyber realm, but also security in the physical world.
- Human Security: is a new paradigm, in which the issue of security is addressed at the level of each human being. It concerns the basic human requirements of securing food, water and an environment free from pollution and scarcity, as well as the more social or “developmental” agenda of the freedom of education, ideas and religion without anxiety or fear.
- Security and the 2030 Agenda: The issues relating to development in WSSF 2018 relate to, and are motivated by the commitment that ‘No-one will be left behind’ and the seventeen goals set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
- Globalization, diversity, and cultures of belonging: Globalization over the last four decades has influenced human life, society and culture in a way that is qualitatively different from that of the preceding period.
- Development and inclusion in urban and rural areas: Conflicts and exclusion persist in contemporary society. Studies in resilience-building in response to people’s increasing vulnerability in both developed and developing countries have deepened their research agenda, beyond the study of disparity, unemployment, economic stagnation etc.
- Gender equality and security: It wishes to single out the question of gender equality, as women’s empowerment and political participation are central to all aspects of rethinking security and its underlying, often implicit values and norms. The challenge now includes issues relating to LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender), same-sex marriage and masculinity.
- Health, safety and biosecurity: Advances in life sciences research and resulting developments in medicine, industry and agricultural processes have benefitted societies worldwide. However, they have also brought about new risks, especially when coupled with increased movement of people, products and information through travel, trade and new communications technologies.
- Freedom, Democracy and Security: The pursuit of freedom, democracy, and security, has inspired human activities in different cultural contexts. Throughout the world, social and natural sciences are important instruments humankind uses in this pursuit, be it providing diagnostics, searching for solutions, evaluating results, or devising possible scenarios for the future.
Session format and requirements
- A session format is, in principle, a 120-minute symposium featuring paper presentations.
- A session generally consists of 5 presentations, with time for discussion. Session organizers are free to design sessions as they see fit.
- Presentations will be followed by discussion among presenters, or with discussants, led by a chair.
- Sessions should be international. Speakers should come from at least two different countries.
- Interdisciplinary sessions are particularly welcomed. Sessions with non academic speakers are also welcome.
- Applicants may propose a full session with all the papers and presenters set in advance. However, proposed sessions with only one or a few pre-selected papers are also welcomed. In this case, the Scientific Programme Committee (SPC) will help allocate additional accepted papers to the session. An official call for papers will be released by the SPC at a later date. The session organizer will be able to review and select from the listed prospective papers that have been accepted by SPC.
How to Apply
Applicants can apply via given website.
Eligible Countries: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, the Republic of China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia , Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Republic of Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, São Tomé and Príncipe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, United Republic of Tanzania, Thailand , Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zambia, Zimbabwe
For more information, please visit World Social Science Forum.