Download the call for papers

Democracies and open societies have recently suffered a number of setbacks. As the adverse impacts of financial crises, inequalities in wealth and income, globalized trade and capital mobility have become more pronounced the world is increasingly threatened by authoritarian populism. In this context of turmoil, many of the accepted doctrines and policies that had previously been taken for granted have been challenged, and concerns have been raised regarding the possible futures of economically and politically “open societies“.

Organised in close collaboration with Utrecht University‘s “Institutions for Open Societies” research programme, the Fourth WINIR Conference is set against this backdrop. The conference especially welcomes contributions from any academic discipline that address the challenges and dynamics of the economic, political, legal and social institutions of our time. Submissions on any other aspect of institutional research are also welcome.

The conference will open on the afternoon of Thursday 14 September and end on the evening of Saturday 16 September 2017. There will be an optional tour of historic Utrecht on the morning of Sunday 17 September.
Keynotes lectures, representing three academic discriplines, will be given by:

Johanna Mair (Hertie School of Governance, management)
James Robinson (University of Chicago, politics)
Juliet Schor (Boston College, sociology)

The conference will also feature a round table on “ICT, Open Societies and New Institutions” with José van Dijck (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, media studies), Haroon Sheikh (Dasym Investment Strategies, philosophy) and Fredrik Söderqvist (Unionen, economics), and will be preceded by a PhD workshop.

Abstract submissions (300 words max.) from any discipline and theoretical approach are welcome. All submission must be about institutions, organisations and/or institutional thought.

Submissions will be evaluated by the WINIR Scientific Quality Committee: Bas van Bavel (Utrecht University, history), Simon Deakin (University of Cambridge, law), Geoff Hodgson (University of Hertfordshire, economics), Uskali Mäki (University of Helsinki, philosophy), Katharina Pistor (Columbia University, law), Sven Steinmo (European University Institute, politics), Wolfgang Streeck (Max Planck Institute Cologne, sociology), Linda Weiss (University of Sydney, politics).

Please note the following important dates:

13 March 2017
Abstract submission deadline

30 March 2017
Notification of acceptance

31 March 2017
Registration opens

15 May 2017
Early registration deadline

31 July 2017
Registration deadline for accepted authors

1 August 2017
Non-registered authors removed from programme

15 August 2017
Registration deadline for non-presenters

16 August 2017
Late surcharge for non-presenters applies

1 September 2017
Full paper submission deadline

Organising subcommittee:
Bas van Bavel (b.j.p.vanbavel@uu.nl), Koen Frenken (k.frenken@uu.nl), Francesca Gagliardi (f.gagliardi@herts.ac.uk),
David Gindis (d.gindis@herts.ac.uk), Geoff Hodgson (g.m.hodgson@herts.ac.uk), Rutger Claassen (r.j.g.claassen@uu.nl), Erik Stam ( e.stam@uu.nl).

The WINIR Conference on Institutions and Open societies is organised in collaboration with