Engage in Scholarly Discourse
Engage in Scholarly Discourse

Join the Conversation
Experience academic forums where current and aspiring scholars share ideas and engage in meaningful discourse. Join us at events — from academic seminars and symposia to conferences and colloquia — to discuss ideas and challenges shaping the good society.
Explore Upcoming Events
Meet and collaborate with scholars on a specialized research topic.

Emerging Questions in ESG
Zoom · Event date: December 13, 2023 · Event time:4:30–6:00 PM ET
Overview
Join IHS online to discuss emerging questions in environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG). This program will gather a diverse group of scholars to explore a range of subjects related to ESG policies, market incentives, and corporate social responsibility.
The program will feature an opening presentation from Siri Terjesen, followed by a time of breakout discussions. In the breakout rooms, participants will be encouraged to network with other scholars by discussing their own research projects related to ESG.
This event takes place on Wednesday, December 13, from 4:30 to 6:00 PM Eastern Time, and will be hosted via Zoom. Apply today!
Speaker
Siri Terjesen, Executive Director of the Madden Center for Value Creation at FAU

Drivers of Immigration
Zoom · Event date: February 1, 2024 · Event time:4:30–6:00 PM ET
Overview
Connect with other scholars to discuss the complex combination of push and pull factors that influence people’s decisions to immigrate to a new country. This casual networking forum will commence with brief research presentations on humanitarian and economic drivers of immigration, as well as drivers of forced migration.
Following the presentations, participants will have the opportunity to engage with other researchers working on similar issues and further hone their own ideas. Please come prepared to discuss your current research and share ideas for future academic research or public-facing work, such as op-eds.
This event will take place on February 1, 2024, from 4:30 to 6:00 PM Eastern Time, and will be hosted via Zoom. If you have research interests in this area, we encourage you to apply for this opportunity.
Panel
Cecilia Menjívar, University of California, Los Angeles

Polarization: Global Perspectives
Zoom · Event date: February 28, 2024 · Event time:3:30–5:00 PM ET
Overview
To help sustain peace, freedom, and prosperity, the Institute for Humane Studies invites an interdisciplinary group of faculty and graduate students to examine the mechanisms and effects of polarization across diverse national contexts.
Join us online for a panel discussion followed by breakout conversations where you can share your expertise and tackle pressing questions with other scholars. This event takes place online on February 28, beginning with opening remarks at 3:30 PM Eastern Time and concluding with breakout discussions from 4:00 to 5:00 PM.
Please come prepared to discuss your current research and share ideas for future academic research or public-facing work, such as op-eds, on polarization in countries other than the US. If you have research interests in this area, we encourage you to apply for this opportunity.
Panelists
- Jennifer McCoy, Georgia State University
- David Samuels, University of Minnesota
Schedule
*All times are listed in Eastern Time
Wednesday, February 28
3:15 PM | Room Opens
3:30 PM | Opening Remarks
3:35 PM | Panel
4:00 PM | Breakout Discussions

Partisan Divisions and Geographic Sorting
Zoom · Event date: April 2, 2024 · Event time:4:30–6:00 PM ET
Overview
With the aim of sustaining a peaceful, prosperous, and pluralistic society, the Institute for Humane Studies invites an interdisciplinary group of faculty and graduate students to examine how geographic sorting impacts political, ideological, and affective polarization.
Join us online for a presentation by Dante Scala, followed by breakout conversations where you can share your expertise and tackle pressing questions with other scholars. This event takes place online on April 2, 2024, beginning with opening remarks at 4:30 PM Eastern Time and concluding with breakout discussions from 5:00 to 6:00 PM.
Please come prepared to discuss your current research and share ideas for future academic research or public-facing work, such as op-eds, on partisan divisions and geographic sorting. If you have research interests in this area, we encourage you to apply for this opportunity.
Speaker
Dante Scala, University of New Hampshire
Schedule
*All times are listed in Eastern Time
Tuesday, April 2
4:15 PM | Room Opens
4:30 PM | Opening Remarks
4:35 PM | Presentation
5:00 PM | Discussion
Meet and collaborate with scholars on a specialized research topic.

Advanced Topics in Liberty: Liberty, War, and Peace
Washington, DC, Area · Event date: March 1–3, 2024
Overview
An essential component of the liberal tradition has been the principle that peace is preferable to war. This tradition recognizes the dangers of conflict: the direct human cost of war, the growth of power wielded by governments, and the destruction of wealth.
In response, the liberal tradition has emphasized the role of free movement and free trade in improving relations between peoples. Additionally, it has been skeptical of extended interventions abroad.
The ultimate aim of this discussion colloquium is to encourage conversation on the historical and theoretical underpinnings of an approach to international affairs that is compatible with a free society. The discussion will be led by Abigail Hall Blanco, associate professor of economics at the University of Tampa, and will be held in the Washington, DC, area.
We encourage late-stage PhD students and postdoctoral fellows interested in this discussion to apply. Participants will receive a $500 honorarium, and travel stipends will be provided based upon need.
Sessions
I : Moral and Intellectual Foundations of Peace
II: War and the State
III: An Experiment in Peace and War: The United States
IV: Trade as an Antidote to War
V: Cultural Responses to War
VI: Interventionism and Non-Interventionism in Theory and Practice

Advanced Topics in Liberty: The Year 1848 in the History of Liberty
Washington, DC, Area · Event date: April 19–21, 2024
Overview
In 1848 there were revolutions in most major European states except Britain. These are often seen as failures but they also had long-lasting consequences, some beneficial to the cause of liberty and limited government, others not. In fact, these events occupy a central yet problematic place in the story of the development of liberty and personal responsibility in the modern West.
Classical liberals were leading actors in the revolts but some classical liberals opposed them or were deeply skeptical. The outcomes of the various revolutions were in many ways favorable to liberty, but in retrospect they can also be seen as the point where European classical liberalism began to lose its way, particularly in Central Europe.
The ultimate aim of this discussion colloquium is to encourage conversation on the place of 1848 in the overall history of the development and tribulations of the cause of liberty and individual self-governance and responsibility. The discussion will be led by Stephen Davies, Head of Education at the Institute of Economic Affairs, and will be held in the Washington, DC, area.
We encourage late stage PhD students and postdoctoral fellows interested in this discussion to apply. Participants will receive a $500 honorarium and travel stipends will be provided based upon need.
Sessions
I : Introduction to the Revolutions of 1848 and the One That Did Not Happen—Britain in 1848
II: France 1848 to 1852
III: The 1848 Revolutions in Germany and the Frankfurt Diet
IV: The Revolutions of 1848 in the Habsburg Lands
V: Nationalism and Liberty in 1848
VI: Democracy and Socialism in Opposition to Classical Liberalism in 1848
Join our research community and collaborate on research with academics and explore current topics through moderated panel discussions and breakout sessions.

Democracy and Online Speech
Washington, DC · Event date: January 2, 2024 · Event time:2:30–7:00 PM ET
Overview
The Institute for Humane Studies is convening an interdisciplinary group of faculty, graduate students, and professionals — including legal scholars and political scientists — to explore the evolving relationship between online speech and democracy.
To help sustain freedom of speech, thought, and expression in the face of complex political and technological challenges, address pressing questions with scholars attending the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) annual meeting in Washington, DC.
The symposium takes place on January 2, 2024 — the day before the AALS meeting starts — beginning with opening remarks at 3:00 PM and concluding after a networking reception at 7:00 PM.
Please come prepared to share your ideas for future academic research or public-facing work, such as op-eds, on democracy and online speech. For your full participation, IHS will provide a $300 stipend to offset one night of hotel accommodations.
If you have research interests in this area, we encourage you to apply for this opportunity.
Plenary Speaker
- Nadine Strossen, New York Law School
Panelists
- J.P. Messina, Purdue University
- Maria Snegovaya, Georgetown University
- Christopher Whyte, Virginia Commonwealth University
Schedule
*All times are listed in Eastern Time
Tuesday, January 2
2:30–3:00 PM | Registration and Coffee
3:00–3:15 PM | Welcome and Opening Remarks
3:15–4:00 PM | Keynote Address
4:00–4:30 PM | Coffee Break
4:30–5:45 PM | Panel Presentations with Q&A
5:45–6:00 PM | Closing Remarks
6:00–7:00 PM | Cocktail Hour

Contemporary Issues in Labor Markets
San Antonio, TX · Event date: January 4, 2024 · Event time:1:30–7:00 PM CT
Overview
The Institute for Humane Studies will be hosting an Academic Research Symposium on “Contemporary Issues in Labor Markets” ahead of this year’s meeting of the American Economic Association.
This symposium will bring together an interdisciplinary group of scholars to discuss contemporary research on various topics related to labor markets, such as wages, labor mobility, and the effects of economic policy on labor dynamics.
The program will be held in San Antonio, Texas, on January 4. Apply for your spot today!
Keynote Speaker
- David Audretsch, Indiana University
Panelists
- Christos Makridis, Arizona State University
- Conor Walsh, Columbia Business School
- Madeline Zavodny, University of North Florida

Perceptions and Impacts of Immigration
San Francisco, CA · Event date: April 2, 2024 · Event time:1:30–7:00 PM PT
Overview
The movement of people around the world influences and shapes soft institutions, such as social and cultural norms, in receiving countries. Public opinion towards immigration can be influenced by perceived changes caused by migrants coming to a new country, and it impacts the ability of migrants to integrate into a society.
This symposium will bring together an interdisciplinary group of scholars to explore how academic research can be leveraged to better understand how immigration impacts those institutions, how migrants are received in new places, and how public opinion is shaped around those changes or perceived changes in institutions. Topics will include immigration and crime, public opinions and attitudes towards immigrants, and migrant integration and social factors.
This event precedes the International Studies Association (ISA) annual meeting in San Francisco, California. IHS will provide a stipend to offset one night of hotel accommodations for non-local attendees.
Schedule
*All times are listed in Pacific Time
Tuesday, April 2
1:30–2:00 PM | Registration and Coffee
2:00–2:15 PM | Opening Remarks
2:15–3:00 PM | Keynote Address
3:00–3:30 PM | Coffee Break
3:30–4:45 PM | Panel Presentations
4:45–5:00 PM | Closing Remarks
5:00–7:00 PM | Cocktail Hour
IHS attends multiple academic conferences a year across a variety of disciplines. Catch up with IHS staff, learn about our support, and discuss ideas at an IHS-sponsored conference event.
American Economic Association (AEA)
Academy of Management (AOM)
American Philosophical Association-East (APA)
American Political Science Association (APSA)
American Sociological Association (ASA)
Association of Private Enterprise Education (APEE)
Association of American Law Schools (AALS)
International Studies Association (ISA)
Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA)
Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Society (PPE)
Public Choice Society (PCS)
Southern Economic Association (SEA)
Southern Political Science Association (SPSA)
Western Economic Association (WEA)
Western Political Science Association (WPSA)
Participate in conversations around cutting-edge scholarship and fresh perspectives on liberalism from some of the brightest minds in our academic network.