Unmissable Events.
Unforgettable Conversations.
Engage in Scholarly Discourse
Research Events
Few academic settings offer the rigor and diverse perspectives of IHS research events. From seminars and symposia to events at major conferences, we gather hundreds of leading scholars and thinkers from around the world to share research, meet new collaborators, and develop the ideas and solutions that advance human freedom and flourishing.
Upcoming Events
Laura Field on “Furious Minds”: An IHS Book Talk
Washington, DC · Event date: December 11, 2025 · Event time:5:00 PM
Overview
What does the New Right’s vision of “restoring a pure America” mean for pluralism, free inquiry, and democratic institutions? Can liberal democracy respond effectively to a movement that explicitly seeks to use state power for illiberal ends?
Register to join the Institute for Humane Studies and political philosopher Laura Field for a panel conversation on the intellectual forces reshaping the American Right. Drawing on Field’s new book, Furious Minds, this event explores how a new generation of conservative intellectuals—rooted in academia and fueled by grievance—are redefining the meaning of power, patriotism, and democracy.
Over drinks and hors d’oeuvres, you’ll get to hear from Laura Field, Thomas Merrill, and Kevin Vallier before the conversation opens for audience Q&A and general networking.
The event will be held on Thursday, December 11, at the National Union Building located at 918 F St Northwest, Washington, DC. Doors open at 5:00 PM.
Every Age an Information Age: A Conversation with Paul Dover
Chicago, IL · Event date: January 10, 2026 · Event time:6:30 PM CT
Overview
IHS will be hosting a salon dinner at the annual meeting of the American Historical Association in Chicago on the evening of January 10, 2026. Our featured guest will be Paul Dover, who will discuss his forthcoming book on how people throughout history have tackled the challenge of turning information into knowledge and knowledge into wisdom. All those attending the AHA conference or who otherwise plan to be in town on January 10 are welcome to apply.
Speaker
- Paul Dover, Kennesaw State University
Market Subsidiarity: Forming a New Agenda
Arlington, VA · Event date: January 22–23, 2026
Overview
How can the voluntary actions of individuals provide alternatives to centralized governance?
The Institute for Humane Studies (IHS) in collaboration with Professor Sam Staley invites faculty and advanced graduate students to join a multidisciplinary group of scholars in Arlington, Virginia, on January 22–23 to consider how the voluntary actions of individuals can provide better governance when centralized governance fails.
Government from the center appears to be failing liberal democracies, sewing partisan divisions, and fueling populist movements that are ill-equipped to govern. Yet the voluntary actions of secular and faith-based individuals have historically provided innovative solutions to a wide range of social problems, including poverty reduction, ex-offender re-entry, education services, mental health treatment, homelessness reduction, and crime prevention.
This symposium invites a multidisciplinary group of scholars to develop a preliminary agenda for new research examining how voluntary action can create upward mobility, unleash innovation, make room for pluralism, and build the social capital needed to sustain communities.
The schedule begins at 4:00 PM on Thursday, January 22, and concludes by 7:30 PM on Friday, January 23. A combination of structured and unstructured time allows for in-depth discussions and networking. For your full participation, IHS offers a travel stipend and hotel accommodations for two nights in Arlington, Virginia, at Hilton Arlington Rosslyn the Key.
Keynote
- Otto Lehto, New York University
Discussion Leaders
- Sharon Alvarez, University of Pittsburgh
- Michael Fortner, Claremont McKenna College
- Vera Kichanova, King’s College London
- Michael Manville, UCLA
- Mikayla Novak, Mercatus Center
- Keith A. Taylor, UC Davis
Schedule
*All times are listed in Eastern Time
Thursday, January 22
3:30 PM | Registration with Coffee
4:00 PM | Welcome and Opening Remarks
4:30 PM | Keynote
5:30 PM | Reception
Friday, January 23
8:00 AM | Optional Breakfast
9:00 AM | Session 1: Entrepreneurship and Poverty Solutions
10:30 AM | Coffee Break
11:00 AM | Session 2: Innovation, Technology, and Regulation
12:30 PM | Lunch
1:30 PM | Afternoon Break
2:30 PM | Session 3: Culture, Communities, and Pluralism
4:00 PM | Coffee Break
4:30 PM | Session 4: Opportunities for New Research
6:00 PM | Dinner
Academic Conferences
IHS attends academic conferences 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)
