“The Actors of International Relations: Legitimacy, Solidarity and Contestation”
Thursday 14th March 2019, Université de Montréal – Montréal, Canada

The Centre for International Peace and Security (CEPSI-CIPSS) of Université de Montréal and McGill University, in collaboration with the Centre for International Policy Studies (CÉPI-CIPS) from University of Ottawa, are pleased to announce the 2019 edition of the annual Graduate Student Conference to take place on Thursday 14th March 2019.

The theme of this multidisciplinary and bilingual conference is “The Actors of International Relations”. While some actors’ capacity to influence international relations is widely recognized, the agency of others is the subject of many debates. Their multiplicity and diversity force a constant redefinition of what constitutes an actor in international relations. To explore the theme of the conference, three axes have been identified: legitimacy, solidarity and contestation. The following is a non-exhaustive list of questions that could guide students’ submissions:

• Who are the most visible actors?
• Who are those that tend to be forgotten?
• How is legitimacy attributed to actors?
• How can actors’ legitimacy be questioned?
• What place does solidarity have in the relations amongst actors?

• Are actors necessarily in competition?
• What is the role of researchers? Of practitioners?
• Is the concept of actors pertinent in international relations?

The scientific committee also welcomes submissions that offer an original take on the proposed theme.

This conference is an opportunity for graduate students (masters and PhD) to share their research, hone their presentation skills, and network with other researchers. Participants will receive feedback on their work from CEPSI-affiliated professors during thematic panels. In addition, the “Best Paper” presented at the conference will be automatically eligible for publication in Potentia: Journal of International and Public Affairs, the annual CIPS Graduate Student Journal.

The submissions as well as the final papers can be presented in French or in English. To submit a proposal, please send an abstract no longer than 300 words and 5 keywords that define your submission to [email protected]by Friday 30th November 2018, 23:59 EST. Please include with your abstract your name, program of study, department, and university. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance by Thursday 20th December 2018 and will be required to submit their final paper by March 1st 2019.

The conference will also feature a keynote speech by Amitav Acharya from American University, Washington D.C.

As CEPSI is unable to offer financial assistance to participants coming from outside of Montreal, we invite students to contact their home universities regarding potential travelling funds.

For further information, please contact us at [email protected]. For more details on CEPSI, visit http://cepsi-cipss.ca.
We look forward to receiving your submissions!