The 23rd N-AERUS Conference invites researchers, scholars, and practitioners to critically examine how collaborations shape global urban agendas amidst shifting institutional landscapes and deep-seated power asymmetries. Hosted in a unique hybrid, multi-locational format across both the Global North and Global South, this event provides a vital platform for inclusive, trans-disciplinary knowledge exchange.
- Date
- Tuesday 27 Oct 2026, 09:00 - Thursday 29 Oct 2026, 17:00
- Type
- Conference
- Spoken Language
- English
Thematic focus & background
Founded in 1996, N-AERUS (Network-Association of European Researchers on Urbanisation in the South) is a trans-disciplinary network dedicated to urban development in the Global South. Today, as global cities face compounding challenges like climate change, socio-economic inequality, and migration, partnerships between universities, governments, civil society, and communities have become central to how urban knowledge is produced. However, these partnerships are not neutral; they are inherently shaped by unequal power relations, funding regimes, and competing institutional hierarchies.
To interrogate these dynamics, the 2026 conference is structured around four institutional tracks and one cross-cutting theme. For more information, please read the full Call for Papers.
Anchored by the Faculty of Philosophy, Letters and Human Sciences (FFLCH) and the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism (FAU) of the University of São Paulo, Brazil, this theme explores urban development partnerships from Global South perspectives. It invites analyses on grassroots collaborations, municipal partnerships, and alternative geographies of knowledge that challenge Eurocentric development models.
Coordinated through IHS, Erasmus University Rotterdam, this track focuses on how partnerships between governments, private actors, and communities converge around affordable housing, neighborhood upgrading, and service provision, critically examining whose knowledge informs interventions in climate-vulnerable contexts.
This track, developed by the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), targets the political negotiations embedded within partnerships. It invites critical engagement on how formal and informal governance structures reshape the role of the state, influence global development agendas, and protect vulnerable or displaced populations.
Hosted by the Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), University of Twente, this theme investigates how technological collaborations, remote sensing, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mediate how cities are analyzed and governed, raising crucial questions about data ownership, epistemic inequality, and ethical digital stewardship.
A shared focus across all hosting institutions, this theme invites reflexive contributions on joint academic programmes, research training networks, and alternative pedagogies that aim to disrupt traditional institutional hierarchies and promote mutual learning.
Reflecting its core theme, the conference will take place simultaneously across multiple physical and virtual hubs. Sessions in the Global South will be anchored by the University of São Paulo (Brazil), while Global North tracks will be hosted by universities in the Rotterdam-The Hague area (Netherlands), offering participants the flexibility to engage either online or in person.
Submission guidelines & selection
- Maximum 2 abstract submissions per author via the official online form. Joint panel proposals are welcome (submit individual abstracts under a shared panel name).
- Format: Maximum 300 words in English.
- Required details:
- title
- 5 keywords
- preferred theme/location
- preferred language
- author affiliation(s)
- attendance mode (in-person/online)
- panel name (if applicable)
- Selection process: Double-blind peer review coordinated by an independent scientific committee.
Publication opportunity
Selected papers will be considered for a special issue/volume in collaboration with Trialog – Journal for Planning and Building in the Global South.
Practical information & deadlines
| Key milestone / information | Date / details |
|---|---|
| Call for papers launched | 08 June 2026 |
| Abstract submission deadline | 15 July 2026 |
| Review decision notification | 31 July 2026 |
| Full paper submission deadline | 02 October 2026 |
| Confirmation of participation | 05 October 2026 |
| Conference dates | 27 – 29 October 2026 |
| Conference fees | Free - No registration fees will be charged. |
| Format & venues | Hybrid:
|
| Contact | naerus.2026@gmail.com |
| Official website | N-AERUS: Company Page |
