2nd HCIAS SYMPOSIUM ON IBERO-AMERICAN STUDIES

The Heidelberg Center for Ibero-American Studies (HCIAS) invites abstract submissions for the 2nd HCIAS International Symposium. This event, organized in collaboration with the Facultad de Ciencias Sociales of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, and with the support of the Heidelberg Center Latin America (HCLA), focuses on theories, methods, and practices that broaden our understanding of social sustainability and its communication dynamics in Ibero-America and Europe, using perspectives from both the Social Sciences and the Humanities. The symposium aims to foster academic exchanges, generate knowledge, and contribute to the formation of the next generation of scholars in interdisciplinary Ibero-American studies.

The proposal of this international symposium is based on the premise that economic and environmental sustainability alone are not enough to guarantee poverty reduction and sustainable development. Social sustainability — understood as a society’s ability to organize and develop with security, equity, adaptability, inclusion, social cohesion, and quality of life — is also essential. Communication dynamics play a crucial role in all these areas. Communicative processes and practices are key levers for the maintenance of social sustainability in the present, drivers of the continuous social innovation needed to address future challenges, and can also serve to correct past failures of social sustainability. The symposium focuses on communicative practices and processes that sustain and promote social sustainability, as well as those which address its failed aspects, adopting a comparative perspective between Latin America and Europe.

The 2nd HCIAS International Symposium uses this interdisciplinary perspective to highlight the analytical potential of the social sustainability framework, exploring the potential of countries, cultures, or communities to withstand crises, including health, environmental, socio-political, or economic challenges.

CALL FOR  CONTRIBUTIONS

-open until June 30, 2025-

We welcome PROPOSALS addressing one of these three sections:

 1. Communication dynamics for the protection of social sustainability

Contributions to this section explore the key indicators of social sustainability, including well-being, equity and justice, democracy and participation, respect for identities, safety and security, inclusion, and cohesion. They also examine the interconnections between these indicators in specific contexts. A distinctive focus in this section is understanding the risks and protective factors that influence changes before they occur, either enhancing or undermining aspects of social sustainability.

2. Communication dynamics for the promotion of social sustainability

This section invites exploration of the potential to develop and promote social sustainability in all its fundamental dimensions, including resilience and legitimacy. Special attention is given to quality of life, where physical and psychological well-being, along with emotional awareness, play essential roles. Our proposal for this area of research focuses on practices that harness and develop human potential, in order to obtain positive social results, such as attention to mental health and the inclusion or political legitimation of marginalized identities.

3. Communication dynamics and correction of past failures of social sustainability

This section encourages the examination of the ways in which past violence and conflicts between individuals and social groups shape current communication dynamics (e.g., political and ideological polarization, hoaxes, organized violent groups). A key feature is its dual focus: reflecting on the past to identify failures in social sustainability, as well as looking to the future to discuss new ways of addressing these failures and restoring social sustainability in situations where well-being, safety, democracy, justice, or cohesion have been compromised.

Participation modalities and language

The symposium will be held in person, with simultaneous live-streaming of the lectures and plenary activities. The working language of the symposium will be English.

Submission of contributions

You may contribute to the 2nd HCIAS International Symposium with a presentation addressing one of the three sections outlined above. Presentations should be no more than 15 minutes in length. These will be organized in panels, consisting of a group of four presentations followed by a 30-minute discussion session.

Alternatively, doctoral candidates in particular may contribute to the symposium in the form of a poster that illustrates their research.

Please make sure to submit your abstract proposal for either a presentation or a poster by June 30, 2025 using the submission form. You will be notified about the acceptance of the submitted proposal by July 14, 2025.

Registration

Participation in the 2nd HCIAS International Symposium requires prior registration. Registration will start after the notification of acceptance of proposals and will be open until September 30, 2025. Spaces are limited.