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First call for Applications - AIM-CC 2026
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YOUNG SCHOLAR CONFERENCE & RESEARCH SCHOOL
AI & Methods in Computational Communication (AIM-CC 2026)
Astana, Kazakhstan | August 8–16, 2026
Deadline for applications: May 31, 2026

The Kazakhstan Sociology Lab in partnership with Nazarbayev University, invite applications for the Young Scholar Conference & Research School AI & Methods in Computational Communication (AIM-CC 2026).
Computational social science is undergoing a profound transformation driven by artificial intelligence. Methods that once relied on limited automation and classical analytical approaches are now being reshaped by large language models, embedding-based techniques, generative agents, and AI-assisted experimental designs. These developments open new analytical possibilities while simultaneously raising important methodological and epistemological questions.
AIM-CC 2026 is designed to address these transformations directly. The Conference & School provides structured methodological training in major areas of Computational Social Science and Computational Communication Research, while systematically integrating AI-related developments into each course.
The program is designed for PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, advanced Master’s students, and early-career scholars working in Computational Communication Research, Computational Social Science, digital sociology, political communication, network science, AI & Society, and related fields. Alongside intensive methodological training, participants will have a chance to present their research in a poster session and receive feedback from instructors and mentors, with the opportunity to further refine and present updated versions of their work.

Instructors
Taha Yasseri – Director, TCD–TU Dublin Joint Centre for Sociology of Humans and Machines (SOHAM), Full Professor and Chair of Technology and Society, Trinity College Dublin & Technological University Dublin
Ivan Smirnov – research consultant for AI in Research and Researcher Training, University of Technology Sydney; External Faculty Member, Complexity Science Hub Vienna
Olessia Koltsova – Director, Laboratory for Social and Cognitive Informatics, Professor, Department of Sociology, HSE University
Basak Taraktas - Assistant Professor of Political Science at Bogazici University
Miriam Schirmer – Postdoctoral researcher, LINK Lab, Northwestern University

Courses and workshops:
Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Artificial Intelligence in Social Sciences
Social Network Analysis (SNA) and Artificial Intelligence in Social Sciences
Experimental Methods and Artificial Intelligence in Social Sciences
Workshop: The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Misinformation - Current Trends, Detection, and Mitigation

Contact
More details on the eligibility criteria, application process and travel information are available on the AIM-CC 2026 website. For inquiries, please contact: aim_cc26@kazsoclab.kz