CONGIST’26
Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Crisis
Date: 13-15 May 2026
Venue: Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters, Istanbul, Turkey
In the context of social sciences, crisis is broadly defined as a period of severe disruption or instability that challenges established structures, norms, or systems within societies. Crises can manifest in various forms—economic collapses, political upheavals, environmental disasters, technological shifts, wars, pandemics, climate or cultural conflicts. Historically, crises have always triggered societal change, which necessitate adaptation, reorganization, and innovation within communities. Throughout history, the impact of crises has been profound, shaping the trajectories of societies by prompting adaptation and transformation. Societies that fail to address crises effectively often face decline, while those that develop robust strategies can recover and evolve. Understanding crises within an interdisciplinary framework helps to reveal patterns, inform policies, and foster resilience in the face of contemporary and future challenges.
This international congress aims to explore the dynamics of crises from interdisciplinary perspectives. Potential themes for papers and panels include, but are not limited to:
- Cultural Crises and Sustainability
- Representations of Crises and Sustainability in Media, Cinema, and Art
- The Crisis of Art Criticism
- Aesthetic Reflections of the Crisis
- Crisis in Performing Arts
- Crisis, Sustainability, and Misinformation
- Social Crises and Transformation: Sociological and Psychological Approaches
- Information and Records Management in Times of Crisis: Digitalization, Archiving, and Sustainability
- Eco-Communication in Crises
- Crisis and Ethics
- War, Crisis, and Sustainability: The Impact of Conflict on Societal Continuity
- Sustainability and Resilience in Historical and Archaeological Perspectives
- Utopian and Dystopian Visions of Crisis and Sustainability
- Geographical Approaches to Environmental Crises and Sustainable Solutions
- Philosophical Reflections on the Relationship Between Crisis and Sustainability
- Crises and Sustainability in the Ancient World
- Anthropological Perspectives on the Social and Cultural Impact of Crises
- The Language of Crisis: Linguistic Perspectives
- Eco-Linguistics and Sustainability
- The Role of Discourse in Shaping Collective Action about Crisis and Sustainability
- Discourse(s) of Crisis
- Semiotics of Crisis
- Multimodal Communication in Crisis Situations: Ecolinguistic and Ecosemiotic Perspectives
- Ecocriticism, Ecofeminism, and the Climate Crisis: Literary Representations of Sustainability
- Apocalyptic and Post-Apocalyptic Fiction: Crisis, Survival, and Sustainable Futures
- Literary Depictions of Resource Scarcity and Environmental Collapse
- The Evolution of Crisis-Related Vocabulary: Historical and Contemporary Linguistic Trends
- Narratives of Crisis and Sustainability: Literary Responses to Environmental and Social Challenges
- Historical Perspectives on Crisis and Recovery
- The Psychological Impacts of Crises
- Eco-translation and Climate Crisis
- Disaster and Crisis Interpreting
- Crisis in Logic
- Episteme and Crisis
- Phenomenology of Crisis
- Postmodernity and Crisis
- Ontology and Crisis
- Identity construction and Crisis
- Language and Signs of Crisis
- The Role of Globalisation in Triggering and Resolving Crises
- Local Effects of Global Crises
- Preparation for Future Crises in the Light of Historical Analyses
- Sustainable Development and Crisis Prevention Policies
- Income Inequality, Class Conflicts and Crises
- The Search For Social Justice and Crisis Management
- Wars, Famines, And Waves of Migration
- The Effects of Refugee Crises on International Politics
- Geographical Dimensions of the Climate Crisis
- Natural Disasters and Social Vulnerability
- Resource Crises and Geopolitical Tensions
- Urbanization and Ecological Crisis
- Digital Crises and Social Interaction
- Social Impacts of Crises
- Post-Crisis Psychological Transformation,
- Resilience, and Adaptation Processes
- Psychological Impacts of Crises
Congress Languages: English and Turkish
PUBLICATION OPPORTUNITIES
ABSTRACTS
Abstracts of the papers presented at the conference will be published in the book of abstracts with ISBN.
FULL TEXTS
Option 1: Selected papers presented at the congress will be considered for publication in peer-reviewed edited volumes of the Congist Book Series by IU-Press. IU-Press is indexed in the Web of Science Book Citation Index (BKCI).
Option 2: Selected papers presented at the congress will be considered for publication in special issues of international peer-reviewed journals published by IU-Press, which are indexed in the Web of Science Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) and Elsevier Scopus.
Submission of the Abstracts: Please submit your paper proposals (max. 1 DIN-A-Size, Times New Roman 12 point type, 2000 characters including spaces) online at https://eventedebiyat.istanbul.edu.tr/e/congist26 All abstracts will undergo a blind peer-review process.
Keynote Speakers
Albrecht Classen - The University of Arizona
Irma Trattner - University of Arts Linz
Sanem Yazıcıoğlu van der Heiden - İstanbul University
Georgios Salakidis - Democritus University of Thrace
Massimo Salgaro - University of Verona
Congist’26 Boards
Honorary Board
Osman Bülent Zülfikar - İstanbul University
Suresh Garimella - The University of Arizona
Sevtap Kadıoğlu - İstanbul University
Organization Committee Chairs
İrem Atasoy - İstanbul University & Kaan Ata - İstanbul University
Organization Committee Members
Albrecht Classen - The University of Arizona
Maria Grajdian - Hiroshima University
Ksenia Kuzminykh - Georg-August-Universität
Özlem Karadağ - İstanbul University
Fatih İkiz - İstanbul Üniversitesi
Filiz Didem Çoban Sarı - İstanbul University
Semih Sefer - İstanbul University
İstek Serhan Erbek - İstanbul University
Aslı Damar Çakmak - İstanbul University
Çağatay Yılmaz - İstanbul University
Güneşnaz Kuru Pazarlıoğlu - İstanbul University
Aybüke Özcan - İstanbul University
Scientific Committee
Mehmet Ali Akyurt- İstanbul University
Alev Bulut - İstanbul University
Sedef Çokay Kepçe - İstanbul University
Damla Demirözü Alexanian - İstanbul University
Khrystyna Dyakiv - Institut für deutsche Sprache - Mannheim
Aqtime Gnouléléng Edjabou - University of Kara
Gianluca Esposito - Università degli Studi di Napoli “Federico II”
Ensa Filazi - İstanbul University
Nilgün Firidinoğlu Tiryaki- İstanbul University
Csaba Földes - University of Erfurt
Elena Giovannini - Università del Piemonte Orientale
Barbaros Gönençgil - İstanbul University
Maria Grajdian - Hiroshima University
Selin Gürses Şanbay - İstanbul University
Özgüç Güven - İstanbul University
Zita Hüsing - The University of Texas at Tyler
Mehmet İlgürel - İstanbul University
İren Dilara Kongaz - İstanbul University
Barış Konukman - İstanbul University
Ümit Konya - İstanbul University
Denis Yurievich Kozlov - Russian Academy of Sciences
Ksenia Kuzminykh - Georg-August-Universität
Karla Lupşan - West University of Timișoara
Sanela Mešić - University of Sarajevo
Vadim Muhanov - Russian Academy of Sciences
Krzysztof Okoński - Uniwersytet Kazimierza Wielkiego w Bydgoszczy
Özgür Oral - İstanbul University
Paola Partenza - Univeristà “G. d’Annunzio”
Paloma Sánchez Hernández - Universidad Complutense Madrid
Aleksandar M. Savić - University of Belgrade
Georg Schuppener - University of St. Cyril and Methodius
Fadime Suata Alpaslan - İstanbul University
Mustafa Tanrıverdi - İstanbul University
Göklem Tekdemir - İstanbul University
Irma Trattner - University of Arts Linz
Kaan Üçsu - İstanbul University
Hamiti Vjosa - University of Prishtina
Julie Winter - Western Washington University
Serap Yüzgüller - İstanbul University
Advisory Board
İsmail Coşkun - İstanbul University
Sedef Çokay Kepçe - İstanbul University
Ali Şükrü Çoruk - İstanbul University
Hayati Develi - İstanbul University
Çiğdem Dürüşken - İstanbul University
Fethiye Erbay - İstanbul University
Barbaros Gönençgil - İstanbul University
Sevtap Kadıoğlu - İstanbul University
Hasibe Kalkan - İstanbul University
Mahmut Karakuş - İstanbul University
Abdullah Kızılcık - İstanbul University
Ufuk Kocabaş - İstanbul University
Ümit Konya - İstanbul University
Mehmet Ölmez - İstanbul University
Fatih Mehmet Sancaktar - İstanbul University
Fadime Suata Alparslan - İstanbul University
Hacer Topaktaş Üstüner - İstanbul University
Arsun Uras - İstanbul University
Pınar Ünsal Bayrakçı - İstanbul University
Asnu Bilban Yalçın - İstanbul University
Nedim Yıldız - İstanbul University
Important Dates
Congress Dates: May 13 – 15, 2026
Deadline for abstract submissions: November 15, 2025
Notification of evaluation results: December 15, 2025
Early payment period: January 15 – March 15, 2026
Late payment period: March 16 – April 15, 2026
Participation Fees
Early Payment
For participation with a single paper:
Participants from Turkey: 70 Euro
Participants from abroad: 120 Euro
For participation with a second paper:
Participants from Turkey: 35 Euro
Participants from abroad: 60 Euro
For postgraduate students:
Participants from Turkey: 35 Euro
Participants from abroad: 60 Euro
Late Payment
For participation with a single paper:
Participants from Turkey: 80 Euro
Participants from abroad: 130 Euro
For participation with a second paper:
Participants from Turkey: 40 Euro
Participants from abroad: 65 Euro
For postgraduate students:
Participants from Turkey: 40 Euro
Participants from abroad: 65 Euro
Dinner
The dinner on May 13, 2026 (per person): 60 Euro
Notes:
1- Fees are charged per participant.
2- Each participant can submit a maximum of two papers. Postgraduate students can only submit one paper.
3- Participation as an attendee is free of charge.
* Istanbul University Faculty of Arts reserves the rights to make any changes related to the congress.
CONGIST’26
Since 2018, Congist has been an international social sciences congress organized by the Faculty of Letters at Istanbul University. Our previous congresses focused on the themes Homecoming Soldier-War and Society (2018), The City's Language (2019), and Social Sciences and Artificial Intelligence: Theory and Practice (2024).
Our fourth Congist, to be held on May 13–15, 2026, will focus on the theme Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Crisis. This congress aims to bring together scholars from various fields of social sciences to explore the societal dimensions of crises and to seek viable solutions.
We chose this theme for the following reason:
In the social sciences, a crisis is broadly defined as a period in which established structures, norms, or systems within societies are severely shaken or destabilized. Crises can manifest in various forms such as economic collapses, political turmoil, environmental disasters, technological transformations, wars, pandemics, climate disruptions, or cultural conflicts. Historically, crises have marked turning points in societal change, compelling communities to adapt, restructure, or innovate. The impacts of crises have been profound, shaping societal trajectories, prompting adaptation, and triggering transformations. Societies that fail to effectively address crises often face collapse, while those that develop robust strategies are able to recover and evolve. Understanding crises within an interdisciplinary framework helps to reveal patterns, inform policies, and strengthen resilience in the face of current and future challenges.
Congist’26 aims to explore the dynamics of crises and sustainability through interdisciplinary perspectives. The event will highlight the importance of interdisciplinary work, fostering academic exchange and knowledge-sharing among experts from different fields. Beyond academic discussions, our congress seeks to promote interdisciplinary collaboration and offer innovative and applicable perspectives within the social sciences.
