XXI ISA World Congress of Sociology

Guidelines for applying for special sessions by regular and affiliated collective members of the ISA in good standing

The sessions organized by National Associations and other affiliated collective members of the ISA are scheduled to take place daily from Monday, 5 July, to Friday, 9 July 2027. These sessions are intended as a forum at which these ISA Collective Members in good standing can present:

• Research results addressing particularly important problems and challenges facing their regions/fields, aligned with the Congress Theme “Global Sociology in Turbulent Times”.
• Particularly influential, specific traditions in sociology, relevant to the congress theme “Global Sociology in Turbulent Times”. 

The format of the sessions may vary. The proposal could be undertaken by several ISA collective members to promote a dialogue and collaboration between two national or regional associations on a specific theme. No more than two submissions should be made by the same Association.

There are six to ten slots available for Association Sessions in the Congress programme; consequently, applications will be evaluated on a competitive basis.

The deadline for submitting proposals is 28 September 2026 at 23:59 UTC/GMT. 

Proposals for sessions by the ISA Collective Members must be sent by filling out the ISA Collective Members' Session Submission Form, with the following information:

• The name and e-mail of the Association President (or equivalent), who should submit the proposal.
• The name and e-mail of the Session Organizer (up to three).
• The names of the proposed Speakers with their respective topics.
• Proposals should also provide, in a maximum of 250 words, a description of:
  • the problematic which will be addressed
  • how the session will contribute to a reflection about the XXI ISA World Congress of Sociology Theme

A sub-committee will select up to six proposals in late November 2026. This committee shall consist of the four members of the Executive Committee who serve on both the Research Coordinating Committee and the National Associations Liaison Committee, as well as the Vice President for National Associations and the ISA President.

As a qualification criterion, the proposed session must align with one or more dimensions of the theme of the XXI ISA World Congress of Sociology, “Global Sociology in Turbulent Times”.