The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the British Academy Knowledge Frontiers Symposium 2026

More about the programme

The British Academy and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation are pleased to announce a call for applicants for early career scholars in the humanities and social sciences to attend the Knowledge Frontiers Symposium. The research collaboration symposium will take place between 10-12 June, 2026 in Bonn, Germany.

Aims

The symposium aims to incentivise and establish international engagement and collaboration between early career researchers based in Germany and the United Kingdom. This symposium’s theme is 'truth, justice and peace', recognising that the humanities and social sciences are critical to illustrating the complexities of histories, societies, cultures and polities, this symposium will aim to draw on a broad range of disciplines and expertise to reimagine notions of truth, justice, and peace for the 21st century.

• How can a re-examination of the categories and concepts used to discuss issues of truth, justice and peace lead to a more nuanced approach to these issues?
• How might we understand, for example, the conception, articulation and representation of transitional justice mechanisms past and present in relation to narratives of dignity, shame and identity?
• How do differing understandings of truth, justice and peace – within and across groups, communities and nations – not only shape but also potentially hinder or contest the discourses and practices through which sustainable and inclusive peace is pursued?
• How do new forms of knowledge and communication, digital and otherwise, affect these peacebuilding and reconciliation processes?

Culture, heritage and memorialisation – understood not only as visual and material culture, but also as identity, language and faith transmitted over time – can be both inclusive and peaceful as well as exclusive and marginalising. Dignified approaches to peace and justice require a complex, context-specific understanding of the needs of individuals and communities.

• How might we understand, for example, the conception, articulation and representation of concepts such as reconciliation and justice in relation to the complexities surrounding notions of truth and peace?
• How can intersectional perspectives, including considerations of social inequalities, help us understand differing conceptions of truth, justice and peace, and the ways in which processes of inclusion and exclusion shape the design and implementation of transitional justice mechanisms?
• How can representations of truth, justice and peace in literature and visual art illuminate the exploration of these?
• How does a comparative and/or historical context further shed light on these complexities?
• How do individuals and communities narrate conceptions of truth and justice in a range of forms, and how are they put into practice in concrete peacebuilding, reconciliation or conflict transformation processes?

This symposium will aim to draw on the broad range of disciplines and expertise present to explore the way that scholars and communities conceptualise and implement truth, justice and peace, how transitional justice and peace processes inform and are informed by local knowledge, traditions, interests and values, and how senses and histories of identity may be implicated in the pursuit of truth, justice and peace.

Participants, consisting of approximately 15 early career researchers from each country (within ten years of PhD completion), will have opportunities for in-depth discussions, networking, and collaborative project development. Seed funding will be available for international collaborations formed during the symposium.

Eligibility requirements

Eligible applicants must be early career researchers affiliated with research institutions in the UK or Germany. Applications will be evaluated based on the applicant's research interest in the theme of truth, justice and peace, commitment to interdisciplinary engagement, and potential for career development through symposium participation.

Application Process

Interested applicants are required to complete an online application form via Flexi-Grant® by Wednesday 29 October 2025 at 17:00 (GMT). We will seek to notify successful applicants by the end of November.

The symposium covers travel, accommodation, and visa costs. Participants are expected to attend the entire symposium and travel on designated dates.

Scheme guidance

Please see the scheme notes for detailed guidance on how to apply. Please read these scheme notes carefully. Any incorrectly submitted applications will be ineligible for the award.

Contact details

Further information is available from Samera Rahman at [email protected]