CALL FOR PAPERS: COST 2025 Summer School – Political Mobilisation & Anti-Gender Movements

The COST 2025 Summer School focuses on the dynamics of political mobilisation in the face of rising anti-gender movements and challenges to gender equality across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the Near and Middle East (NME).
Held over four days at Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia, the training offers an in-depth exploration of how far-right and neo-conservative actors shape public discourse, policy, and civil society, and how feminist, LGBTQ+, and pro-democracy movements respond.

This interdisciplinary program invites PhD students, early career researchers (within three years of completing their PhD), and selected MA students to present their work and engage in critical discussions. Drawing on political science, sociology, anthropology, history, and psychology, participants will examine collective action, democratic backsliding, transnational activism, and the spread of anti-gender narratives.

The event includes lectures and seminars delivered by leading scholars, both in-person and online. Confirmed keynote speakers include Magdalena Grabowska (Polish Academy of Sciences), Maryna Shevtsova (KU Leuven), and Roberto Kulpa (Edinburgh Napier University).

Participants will have the opportunity to present their research at any stage of development and receive constructive feedback in a collaborative academic environment. The training school encourages the development of future research ideas and fosters dialogue among scholars examining the intersections of democratisation, political contestation, and anti-gender politics.

To apply, applicants should send a cover letter by 25 April 2025 to veronika.valkovicova@uniba.sk.

The letter should include personal and contact information, a short bio (maximum 350 words), an abstract of the research to be presented (maximum 350 words), a brief explanation of the motivation for attending, and whether the applicant wishes to apply for a travel and accommodation allowance through COST Action CA23149.

Applicants should also note any special requirements related to accessibility or diet.

Participants must attend the full event in person to receive a certificate. Those seeking reimbursement must be registered members of the COST Action network “Democratization at stake? Comparing Anti-Gender Politics in CEE and NME countries”.

More information about the network is available in the following website