Call for research pitches by 8 January 2026

Organiser: Governance and Inclusive Development (GID) research group at the University of Amsterdam – When: 27-28 January 2026 – Where: International Institute for Research and Education (IIRE) Conference Centre, Amsterdam – Participation is free of charge.  

How can we imagine the future of our world in the midst of intersecting global crises? Geopolitical instability and genocidal violence, resurgent nationalism and retreat from multilateralism, disruptive and indiscriminate technological change, and a woefully disregarded climate emergency all exacerbate global inequalities and vulnerabilities. What are the implications of these polycrises on our thinking about ‘development’, a contested notion not least because of its enduring legacies of asymmetrical power relations and knowledge hierarchies?

The above-mentioned destabilising forces call for a renewed impetus for ‘international development’, one that does not (re)produce the very inequities it seeks to address through the imposition of external values, technologies, or Western modes of governance. Emerging scholarship, for instance, increasingly turns toward ideas of repair, reparation or regeneration, seeking to rebuild relations and systems on more just and life-affirming foundations. Against this backdrop of pressing concerns about political, social, economic, and ecological collapse, a crucial question thus arises: How can we rethink and transform the study and practice of ‘international development’ in ways that do not reinforce the polycrises, but aspire to discern the potential for more just futures instead?

Call for Research Pitches

Researchers, practitioners, and professionals working in the field of international development are invited to participate in a Research Pitch Session at the JUST International Development Forum: Transformative Approaches in Times of Polycrises (Amsterdam, 27–28 January 2026).

This session is an excellent opportunity to share your work—whether it is at the conceptual, exploratory, in-progress, or final stages—with a diverse audience of scholars, policymakers, civil society actors, and practitioners. The pitch format allows you to refine your ideas, strengthen your communication skills, and expand your professional network while contributing to a vibrant and interdisciplinary dialogue on justice and development.

Practical Details

Pitch duration: 3–5 minutes.

Content: The focus of your presentation will depend on the stage and nature of your work. The following tips may help you prepare:

1. Begin with a strong hook.
2. Introduce your project clearly and concisely. What issue are you addressing? Why does it matter in the current global context of intersecting crises?
3. Share your insights or emerging findings.
4. Explain what your research or professional experience has revealed so far. What do we know about this topic? How is your work contributing new perspectives or evidence?
5. Highlight the key contribution.
6. Describe how your work—completed or anticipated—advances knowledge or practice. How does it enhance understandings of justice in development or support transformative change?

How to Participate

Please submit your expression of interest (your name and the title of your research or project) to JustID@uva.nl no later than Thursday, 8 January 2026, at 17:00 CET.

For enquiries, please email: JustID@uva.nl