Doctoral students and degree candidates are invited to apply for the scientific conference "Young Researchers’ Day 2026"

Applications are open until April 20 for the scientific conference “Young Researchers’ Day 2026”, to which doctoral students and degree candidates in the humanities and social sciences are invited to apply. The conference is organized by the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia in cooperation with the University of Latvia Doctoral School.

The aim of the conference is to promote academic networking among young researchers and to encourage interdisciplinary research, while also introducing a broader audience to current research directions in the humanities and social sciences.

Applicants are invited to propose topics relevant to their doctoral research, including its subject, methodology, or problematics. Contributions may be submitted not only as scientific presentations but also as interdisciplinary lectures. Doctoral students and degree candidates working in the humanities and social sciences, or in interdisciplinary fields related to these areas, are encouraged to participate, including in the following fields:

• anthropology  

• architecture  

• gender studies 

• philosophy  

• folklore studies 

• cultural theory 

• movement arts 

• literary studies 

• art theory 

• music  

• theatre and film history and theory 

• fine arts 

• linguistics  

• history  

• environmental humanities 

• visual arts 

The organizers also welcome applications related to contemporary theories and methodologies, including feminism, queer theory, sexuality studies, posthumanism, affect theory, ecocriticism, new materialism, autoethnography, disability studies, and others.

Young researchers from various higher education institutions in Latvia, as well as from abroad, are invited to give presentations. Individual presentations are 15 minutes long, and the presentation language can be either Latvian or English.

The application must include the presenter’s name, presentation title, an abstract of up to 1500 characters, the affiliated institution or workplace, and an email address.

Applications for participation must be submitted electronically by April 20, 2026: https://forms.gle/Qp44qbWJdSk3kfM49

Applicants will be notified about acceptance into the conference program by April 27, 2026. All participants will receive electronic certificates of participation in the conference “Young Researchers’ Day 2026”.

The conference will take place on May 12 from 9:00 to 17:00 in the “Sapere aude” hall of the University of Latvia Doctoral School, Kalpaka Boulevard 4, Riga.

A live internet broadcast of the conference will be provided.

“Young Researchers’ Day”, organized by the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia, is an annual public conference held at the end of the spring semester, bringing together doctoral students and degree candidates from Latvia and around the world. The event aims to support the academic development of researchers at the early stages of their careers and to provide opportunities for networking and collaboration with colleagues from other institutions.

The conference is supported by the State Culture Capital Foundation and the project “University of Latvia and Institutes in the European Research Area – Excellence in Research and Collaboration” (No. 1.1.1.5/3/25/I/011).