PACS is present at the World Conference of Humanitarian Studies in Istanbul, Turkey
Our PD Dr. rer. pol. habil. Kristina Roepstorff, has taken an active role in the organisation of two panels at the recent Conference on Humanitarian Studies, titled “Humanitarianism in Crisis: New Realities in Practices and Knowledges”
The first panel, “Book Launch: An Introduction to Humanitarian Action”, explores a new textbook focused on the workings of the humanitarian sector and current debates around it.
The second panel, “The politics of humanitarian negotiations”, investigates how negotiations in humanitarian contexts are embedded in political, economic and military dynamics.
The Conference on Humanitarian Studies addresses how current global crises—such as wars in Gaza and Ukraine, neglected conflicts in Sudan, Myanmar, and the DRC, and widespread disasters—challenge the foundations of humanitarianism. As political interests, inequality, and isolationist attitudes undermine humanitarian principles, the moral legitimacy of aid is increasingly at risk. The conference explores how humanitarian actors navigate these shifts amid geopolitical tensions, economic disparities, and technological change, including the rise of AI and decolonial perspectives. It calls for rethinking humanitarian action and knowledge production to foster more just, effective, and inclusive responses to an increasingly complex world.
You can find more information here:
• Panel 1: https://conference.ihsa.info/proposed-panels/view/5810/
• Panel 2: https://conference.ihsa.info/proposed-panels/view/5714/
• Conference overview: https://conference.ihsa.info/about/