Beyond the Conference Space: Reflecting on the PSA ECN Annual Conference 2026
By Dr. Aruni Samarakoon and Dr. Michael Bolt
On 7 July 2026, the Early Career Network (ECN) hosted its virtual annual conference, this year with the theme: “Reshaping Political Studies”. The organisation of the event was led by Dr Aruni Samarakoon and Dr Mike Bolt. We were very lucky to have a fantastic range of presentations across the day, from PGRs (postgraduate researchers) and ECRs (early career researchers) based at institutions around the world including the UK, India, Morocco, Pakistan, and Australia!
In this blogpost, we reflect on the aims for the conference, our experiences of organising the conference, and the benefits of taking part as a presenter or delegate. More broadly, we consider what a conference space can offer to political studies at a time when the discipline is being asked to respond to significant intellectual, technological, and political changes.
The Annual Conference is a well-established part of the ECN’s yearly programme of events. This year’s conference was again held online, making it more accessible for ECN members who may not be based in the UK, as well as saving on potential travel/accommodation costs.
The aims of the ECN Conference include to:
- provide a platform for PGRs and ECRs to disseminate, nurture, and enhance their research by engaging with subject experts and peers
- create a supportive space for dialogue which can potentially shape and inform in-progress research
- raise the profile of cutting-edge research in political studies, the researchers doing this research, and the work being done to shape the discipline in new ways
- provide invaluable experience for PGRs/ECRs in presenting and explaining their research, with an eye on doctoral vivas and potential future academic conferences
These aims shifted the individual-centred research journey towards a collective experience through the conference platform, enabling researchers to engage in dialogue that fed into and informed their own research. This process was important for completing doctoral research and developing their careers, both of which were also among the conference’s objectives.
Following a warm welcome from PSA’s CEO, Michelle Doyle Wildman, 15 presentations were delivered across 4 different panels, with each panel well attended. The papers were grouped thematically: Emerging trends, methodology & interdisciplinarity in Political Studies; Digital Politics; AI, climate & the future of governance; and Politics in a fragmented world. The range of topics and approaches demonstrated the continuing vitality of Political Studies. The papers engaged with changing political realities through different methodologies, forms of evidence, and theoretical perspectives. In doing so, they showed how researchers are revisiting established questions while also developing new ways of understanding politics in a rapidly changing world.
Despite the occasional challenges of online academic events, it was a great day with lots of fascinating research resulting in a platform for universal collective learning. It was particularly gratifying to see those at the conference engaging with each other’s research, making connections, asking questions, and suggesting new ideas and new avenues to explore during some fascinating Q & A sessions.
We would thank our excellent chairs for volunteering their time in facilitating the conference and providing useful feedback for our presenters: Prof. Colin Tyler (University of Hull), Dr Stephanie Luke (Cardiff University), Prof. Rose Gann (Nottingham Trent University), and Dr Ashley Dodsworth (University of Bristol). And thank you to everyone who participated in the conference as either a paper giver or a delegate.
Following the conference, as in previous years, the prize committee came together to award several “Best Paper” awards for presentations at the conference. These were awarded to: Alexander Robinson (Cardiff University), Krishanu Bhargav Neog (Jagiroad College, Assam, India), Gah-Kai Leung (University of Warwick), and Rabia Gizem Senoğlu (University of Sussex). Congratulations to you all from the ECN Committee!
We are grateful to our sponsors and supporters who provided the “Best Paper” prizes: Manchester University Press, Princeton University Press. And our thanks to Michelle and the team at the PSA for their help an in planning, promoting and hosting the conference, and to our colleagues on the ECN Committee, Angeliki and Sebastian, for their continued support.
Organising the conference was challenging at times, but it was gratifying to see everything come together and we received some really positive feedback from those involved in the conference.
We encourage early career academics to get involved with future ECN events to disseminate knowledge, enhance research profiles, network with peers, and participate in horizontal learning with and from colleagues. And do consider getting involved in next year’s ECN Annual Conference to further develop your presentation skills, hear about the latest range of innovative research, and connect with fellow PGRs and ECRs.
