[Air-L] IPA2026BR: Panel on 'Critical Policy Studies in the Age of Digital Imperialism, Sovereignty Crises and Tech Races'

[Preeti Raghunath]

Dear all,

Three of us cordially invite those of you working on/interested in policy
research to consider applying for a panel on “Critical Policy Studies in
the Age of Digital Imperialism, Sovereignty Crises and Tech Races” at the
forthcoming IPA conference – and sending the call on to interested
colleagues, especially in the Global South. The call is here:

https://www.ippapublicpolicy.org/conference/14a-ipa-conference-br/panel-list/28/panel/critical-policy-studies-in-the-age-of-digital-imperialism-sovereignty-crises-tech-races/2046

More information on the wider conference setting can be found below.

Please do reach out should you have any questions.


Guilherme (Guilly), Regine and Preeti

---

Dear colleagues,

We are pleased to invite the critical-interpretive policy studies community
to submit proposals for IPA2026BR – the Interpretive Policy Analysis
Seminar, to be held in Brasília, Brazil, from November 9–11, 2026.

IPA2026BR is an international gathering dedicated to critical and
interpretive approaches in public policy. It is designed as a welcoming
academic space, open to interdisciplinary dialogue and methodological
experimentation, where theory and practice are understood as deeply
intertwined dimensions of social life and of the critical analysis of
contemporary policies.

Originally launched in 2006, the IPA conferences have been held in multiple
regions worldwide, but never before in the Global South.

This relaunch, under the overarching theme “Interpretive Policy Analysis
Community: Renewing Critical Dialogue, Building Connections,” seeks to
renew both the format and the experience of these meetings, strengthening
more collaborative and interactive approaches while expanding the reach,
diversity, and depth of debate in the field.



IPA2026BR will take place at the University of Brasília (UnB), at the Darcy
Ribeiro Campus, located in the Plano Piloto de Brasília, Brasil. The
seminar unfolds in a territory shaped by intellectual and political
projects associated with foundational critical thinkers such as Paulo
Freire and Darcy Ribeiro. The choice of Brasília is not merely logistical,
but political: the city is positioned here as a decolonial hub for the
production and circulation of critical interpretive knowledge in public
policy.

The event is supported by the Critical Policy Studies Journal (CPS), the
Critical Interpretive Policy Studies Network (ipa.science), and the
International Public Policy Association (IPPA), as well as by the National
School of Public Administration (ENAP) and the Foundation for Support to
Research and Technology (FINATEC).

IPA2026BR combines interactive and agile methodologies, articulating
academic production, territorial experiences, and decolonial perspectives.
It also seeks to reduce the environmental impacts associated with
long-distance travel while reinforcing Brasília’s role as a hub for global
and macro-regional circulation of knowledge.

You can explore the full proposal and program here:

https://www.ippapublicpolicy.org/conference/14a-ipa-cnference-br/28

Beyond academic panels, the seminar offers an expanded experience of
learning and exchange. The program balances intellectual debate,
territorial immersion, and formative activities. It will include advanced
workshops, ethnographic walks across Brasília, and visits to insurgent
democratic initiatives in the Federal District, alongside dedicated time
for discussion, networking, and research group meetings.

We believe this initiative may resonate with your work, as it seeks to
foster both the collective construction of critical knowledge in public
policy and dialogue across diverse theoretical traditions, including Latin
American critical thought and other situated perspectives.



Call for Papers

The Call for Papers is now open. We warmly invite the submission of
extended abstracts (up to 500 words) aligned with the thematic tracks of
the panels, all developed and coordinated by members of the Scientific
Committee.

Submission period: April 15, 2026 – June 12, 2026
Notification of acceptance: July 25, 2026
Full paper submission deadline: September 29, 2026
Please note that this is an in-person event.

Explore our eight panels, organized and led by members of the Scientific
Committee, on the website. We are confident that at least one of them will
be of interest to you!

https://www.ippapublicpolicy.org/conference/14a-ipa-conference-br/28

In addition to panel submissions, calls for advanced workshops will be
published on the website starting May 15.

Registration for ethnographic walks and visits to insurgent democratic
initiatives will open soon and close two months prior to the event.



Governance and committees

IPA2026BR is supported by a strong international network of scholars
committed to academic excellence, including an Executive Organizing
Committee, an International Advisory Committee, and a Scientific Committee
composed of 61 researchers from 18 countries, reflecting a diverse and
plural academic community.

Full details are available on the website!

We warmly invite you to visit the website, explore the proposal, submit
your work, and join this international space of ideas, practices, and
dialogue. This is an opportunity to contribute to a more plural and
situated production of knowledge, attentive to the inequalities shaping the
global field of public policy, and to engage with multiple epistemologies,
particularly from the Global South.

For any further information, please feel free to contact us at:
ipa2026br at gmail.com

We very much hope to welcome you to Brasília!

Best,
Preeti

-- 
Dr Preeti Raghunath, SFHEA
Lecturer in Digital Media and Society
School of Sociological Studies, Politics and International Relations
University of Sheffield, UK

🌐preetiraghunath.com
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