Call for Papers
III Congress of Researchers of the History of Belarus, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine
A New Image of Our Neighbours – A New Language, New Narratives, and New Education about the Past, Present, and Future
Kyiv, 20 September 2025 – Warsaw, 22–24 September 2025
Who are we – who are the “others”?
The shifting nature of the concept of “otherness” is one of the central themes in contemporary research on history and collective identity. To what extent are our perceptions of “others” shaped by place, time, tradition, prejudice—in short, by cultural context? When does a “stranger” become “one of us”? How have communities living along cultural and political borders throughout history coped with difference and mistrust—and when have such borders given rise to hatred or violence?
We aim to address these and many other questions at the 3rd Congress of Researchers of the History of Belarus, Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine, which will take place in two parts:
- 20 September 2025 – Kyiv, National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy
- 22–24 September 2025 – Warsaw, University of Warsaw
The thematic scope of the Congress centers on seeking new languages to describe history, redefining narratives about neighbors, and examining the role of education and memory in shaping a shared future. We invite submissions under the following thematic blocks:
- Historical Education in Schools: New Projects
- Academic Historical Education – Limitations, Challenges, Prospects
- New Narratives – New Concepts in Historiography and Public Discourse
- New Perspectives in Sociological Research
- Literature – New Books in the Shared Neighbourhood
- Disinformation and Cooperation: Negotiating a Shared Future (Political Science)
- A New Culture of Memory and Memory Policy Toward Neighbours
- Institutional Heritage: Previous Collaboration and Projects on the History of Central and Eastern Europe
- New museums and new narratives in the context of Russia's war against Ukraine
- Cultural Heritage: War Damage and the Need for Reconstruction
- History in Public Space (1): New Media and New Language in the Digital Era
- History in Public Space (2): Representations of Neighbours in Contemporary Cinema, Theatre, and Performing Arts
Submissions
We invite proposals for discussion panels (including a description and proposed list of participants) to be submitted by 15 June 2025.
Proposals for individual papers (abstract up to 300 words + short biographical note) should be submitted by 1 July 2025.
Please send all submissions to: kongres.studium@uw.edu.pl
We encourage participants to align their presentations and panels with their most recent research.
Organizational Information
- The working languages of the Congress are: Polish, Ukrainian, Lithuanian, and English.
- The organizers will provide accommodation and partial board for participants from Ukraine and Belarus.
- Travel expenses will not be reimbursed.
We look forward to welcoming you in Kyiv and Warsaw in September 2025!
