The 20th Annual AGS International Graduate Student Conference 2026
Beyond Polarity: Reimagining Global Governance
Friday, April 17, 2026
Location: Paris, France
To register, please RSVP by email to conference@ags.edu
The American Graduate School in Paris (AGS) is now accepting submissions for its 2026
International Graduate Student Conference on the theme: Beyond Polarity: Reimagining
Global Governance
Theme and Objectives
In a time of global turbulence, fragmentation, and the reconfiguration of power, the world
stands at a crossroads. The traditional frameworks of unipolar, bipolar, and multipolar order
no longer adequately describe today’s international system. Instead, we face a post-polar
world—one marked by uncertainty, overlapping crises, and the urgent need for reconstruction.
This conference, titled Beyond Polarity: Reimagining Global Governance, invites participants to
engage with the question of what lies after polarity—to examine how international relations,
diplomacy, and governance are being reimagined amid paradigm shifts and global
realignments. How might we move beyond polarity toward new principles of cooperation,
legitimacy, and accountability? What kinds of governance can emerge in a world where power
and norms are increasingly diffuse?
We also invite reflections on related subthemes such as:
• A Post-Polar World: Fragmentation, Uncertainty, and Reconstruction
• Post-Polarity and International Relations: Reimagining Global Governance
• No Strings Attached? International Relations in an Age of Unraveling or Paradigm
Shifts in IR
• Beyond Polarity: Navigating Global Shifts in Power and Principles
This one-day, in-person event seeks to bring together graduate, postgraduate, and senior
undergraduate students, as well as scholars, professionals, and advocates, to explore
theoretical, practical, and normative innovations in global governance from political, legal,
economic, social, cultural, and philosophical perspectives.
Participation on panels is selective. Attendance is open to all.
Possible Conference Paper Themes
Papers should engage with the fields of International Relations and Global Governance.
Possible sub-themes include (but are not limited to):
• A post-polar world: fragmentation, uncertainty, and reconstruction
• Beyond unipolarity, bipolarity, and multipolarity
• Global governance beyond state sovereignty
• Governance in the digital and AI age
• Climate diplomacy and planetary governance
• The governance of global commons: oceans, cyberspace, outer space

• Feminist and decolonial perspectives on global order
• Future visions of democracy and global citizenship
• Principles, power, and pragmatism in post-polar governance
• Transnational civil society and global activism

Selected papers will be considered for publication in the Journal of International Relations,
Peace Studies, and Development, a peer-reviewed, open-access journal published jointly by
Arcadia University and the American Graduate School in Paris.
(https://scholarworks.arcadia.edu/agsjournal/)
Date and Location
Friday, April 17, 2026
9:00 AM – 6:00 PM CET
Paris, France

Who Can Submit
This conference is intended primarily for graduate students, though senior undergraduates
may apply with a faculty or professional recommendation in a related field. Applicants must
be able to be present at the conference; No zoom presentations are permitted.
How to Submit
Abstracts should be 200–350 words and submitted electronically to conference@ags.edu as a
Microsoft Word or PDF attachment. Your abstract should clearly how your topic relates to the
theme of the conference.
Please include in the subject line: [Your Name] – AGS Conference Abstract Submission
Include the following details in your submission:
• Paper title (tentative or finalized)
• Research topic and methodology (if applicable)
• University affiliation (degrees earned/in progress)
• Professional affiliation (if applicable)
• Prior conference presentation experience (if applicable)
• Letter of recommendation (required for senior undergraduates outside AGS)
Full papers are encouraged but not required prior to the conference.
For papers selected for publication, a completed draft will be due two weeks after the
conference.
Submission Deadlines
• Abstract deadline: 6 PM EST February 15, 2026
• Working draft : April 10, 2026

Fees and Conditions
All accepted candidates attending in person or virtually must pay a non-refundable 50-euro
registration fee.
Fees support organizational and administrative costs.
Applicants are confirmed only after payment of the fee within 10 days of receiving an
acceptance letter.
If accepted participants cancel after confirmation, the fee remains non-refundable.
Attendance for non-presenting guests is free.
Contact and RSVP
For questions or RSVPs, please contact the Graduate Student Conference Committee at:
conference@ags.edu