CALL FOR PROPOSALS TO HOST THE 9th IATIS CONFERENCE (2027)

The International Association for Translation and Intercultural Studies (IATIS) has held 7 conferences so far: Seoul in 2001, Cape Town in 2006, Melbourne in 2009, Belfast in 2012, Belo Horizonte in 2015, Hong Kong in 2018, Barcelona 2021, and Oman in 2025. The organisation of the 8^th IATIS Conference, to be held in Oman in December 2025, is now well underway, and already we are turning our attention to the 9^th IATIS Conference, which is to be held in 2027.

 

IATIS would thus like to invite those interested to prepare proposals to host the 2027 Conference following the guidelines below. 

Proposals to host the 2027 conference should be emailed to Dr Kyung Hye KIM, Chair of the IATIS Conference Committee, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to arrive no later than March 31^st, 2025. Please put “IATIS 2027 Proposal” in the subject line.

The IATIS Executive hopes to announce the venue for the 2027 IATIS Conference in Oman in December 2025.

Details of previous conferences are available here: https://www.iatis.org/index.php/8th-conference-oman-2025

 

DEFINITIONS:

1.         The Organizing Committee consists of:

• the Chair(s) of the Organizing Committee, and
• at least four other local IATIS members who are willing to be actively involved in the conference preparation and organization. A mixture of established and newer researchers is encouraged and experience of organizing a comparable (in size) conference at the same venue may be an advantage.

             Its responsibilities include:

• assisting the Chair(s) of the Organizing Committee in preparing the initial conference proposal (Bid)
• revising, if need be, the Call for Papers submitted in the bid
• contacting the keynote speakers approved by the IATIS Conference Committee
• local practical arrangements, in line with the conference proposal
• dealing with all enquiries relating to the conference
• contacting potential sponsors and publishers to offer display space, advertising space, etc.
• recruitment of on-site labour
• preparing all information/text relating to the conference to be posted at appropriate junctures on the IATIS web site, including calls for papers but also information on accommodation, contacts, abstracts, full programme, etc.
• submission of full accounts to the IATIS Secretary within six months of the conference taking place.

2.         The Scientific Committee consists of:

• at least one local organizer who act(s) as Chair(s) of the Organizing Committee, and
• 5-6 other international members of IATIS 

            Its responsibilities include:

• putting together the Advisory Board
• circulate the call for panel, workshop, and roundtable proposals through their networks 
• reviewing and approving panel, workshop, and roundtable proposals
• reviewing and approving the selection of abstracts by panel convenors

3.         The Advisory Board consists of:

• fifty internationally established researchers

             Its responsibilities include:

• evaluating abstracts for the general conference

4.       The IATIS Conference Committee is an IATIS committee chaired by Kyung Hye Kim, and composed of 5 international members. It is in charge of reviewing and selecting conference proposals and, of liaising with the Organizing Committee, and the IATIS council throughout the organizational process. 

 

GUIDELINES FOR CONFERENCE PROPOSALS (BID)

Conference proposals, to be submitted by a local group of IATIS members constituted as the Organizing Committee, should contain the following information in the sections specified:

1. The name(s), affiliation(s), email address(es), postal address(es), telephone and fax number(s), of the local organizer(s) who will act as Chair(s) of the Organizing Committee. A brief CV of the Chair(s) should be added as an appendix (Appendix 1).

2. The names, affiliations, contact data, of all proposed members of the Local Organizing Committee. (Note: ‘local’ can be understood broadly) A one-paragraph bio-bibliographical note about each of them should be added in an appendix (Appendix 2).

3. A draft call for papers (Appendix 3), with a choice of a theme relevant to the field of translation and intercultural studies. Themes should be sufficiently inclusive to allow a broad range of submissions (without being so vague as to be meaningless). Previous IATIS Conferences have had the following themes: Identity; Intervention in Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Encounters; Mediation and Conflict: Translation and Culture in a Global Context; The Politics of Recognition; Innovation Paths in Translation and Intercultural Studies; Translation and Cultural Mobility, Translation and Ecology, Sustainable Translation in the Age of Knowledge Extraction, Generation, and (Re)Creation.

4. Proposed dates in 2027 preferably in summer (early-mid July) or in winter (early-mid December), but subject to discussion.

5. A full description of the chosen venue and conference facilities 

5.1 Capacity:

Venues should be able to hold at least 250 participants, and ideally up to 350.

5.2 Accessibility:

Venues should be reasonably accessible, e.g. within a two-hour journey of an international airport.

5.3 Venue Configuration:

It is strongly advised that the local organising committee consider university facilities as their first priority for the event venue. This will not only reduce the overall room hire cost, but more importantly, will enable participants and delegates to have the authentic experience of the local culture. 

The following types of spaces are required:

- a convenient space for the registration area (preferably close to the entrance of the main conference building)

- a spacious area for book exhibit and possibly software demonstrations (as centrally located as possible; preferably within a few minutes from the lecture rooms, with the possibility of organizing coffee breaks in the same area)

- a convenient space for art exhibitions and artistic performances

- one large lecture room for up to 350 people

- at least five regular lecture rooms for parallel sessions for 50 to 100 people (preferably in one building, as close together as possible)

- a room for the conference secretariat

- A room where conference participants can access the internet is also desirable.

5.4 Audio-visual, IT and other Infrastructure:

Ideally, conference rooms should have a PC and projector and an overhead projector, as well as good acoustics or public address system. Where appropriate, air-conditioning may be an advantage.

5.5 Anticipated Conference Management System

Proposers should give a very clear indication of their willingness to use a conference management online platform. Suggestions are welcome.

5.6 Anticipated Variety of Sessions

Proposers should indicate whether they intend to hold poster sessions, flash panels, pecha kucha sessions, etc, as well as more traditional keynotes and parallel paper presentations. A formal debate between leading scholars in the area could also be considered.

5.7 Communication policy:

Candidates should specify what communication policy they plan to operate

In terms of language:

-          List of official languages of the conference consistent with the location of the conference and the international IATIS conference format

-          How this policy will be implemented in terms of publishing material on the conference (website, calls for papers, info-letters, programme, etc.) before, during and after the conference

-          How this policy will be implemented on site during the conference (paid vs. volunteer, simultaneous, consecutive interpreting, language brokering, technical equipment facilities, etc.)

In terms of social media:

-          Channels of communication to be privileged

-          Will there be recording and dissemination of the conference talks, and in this case, how will speakers’ consent be retrieved

-          Etc.

5.8 Accommodation:

Conference venues should be within reasonable distance of hotels, hostels, student residences, etc, with adequate numbers of rooms available to accommodate participants over the intended conference dates.

In the conference proposal, intending conference organizers should indicate clearly the kinds of accommodation that will be available to conference participants, along with approximate prices (allowing for possible price increases in the following years).  

While conference organizers are not expected to book accommodation for participants, they are expected to make available a list of local hotels, guesthouses, etc, to intending participants. If an agent is handling accommodation bookings on behalf of the local organizers, an indication of any handling fee should be given in the proposal.

5.9 Catering:

Venues should be able to make adequate provision for coffee breaks and, where appropriate, lunches and/or conference dinners/receptions. Vegetarian options, and more sustainable ways, such as water fountain (instead of plastic water bottles) and reusable cutlery, can also be considered. 

5.10 Timing:

Local conference organizers should ensure that there are no events scheduled to take place at the proposed venue at the same time as the IATIS conference, and which would mean that resources required for the IATIS conference might not be available.

Proof of the availability of the chosen venue for the specified dates should be added to the proposal. This means that an option will have to be taken on the venue, valid until the end of the scheduled conference, by which time the IATIS Executive should have made its choice.

5.11 Full details on contractual issues pertaining to the chosen venue in relation to:

5.11.1 Financial issues (if you indicate amounts in your local currency, please also give a conversion to either US$ or euro, valid at the time of your submission):

- the precise rental rates for each of the spaces and rooms to be used

- the rental rates for all types of available conference equipment

- the cost of putting up adequate signs

- any additional costs or charges (e.g. for cleaning staff, technical staff, security, and the like)

- charges for coffee breaks

- rates for lunches (if any, and if local circumstances make it advisable to have them on the premises)

- local printing costs 

- local expense for conference packs/bags

- local cost per person per day for student labour

If the rates given are the current ones and if increases may be expected before the time of the proposed conference, a clear indication has to be given of the maximal annual increase.

 

All of the above costs contribute to the calculation of the final per-head conference registration fee. Note that conference registration fees (normal, student, member, non-member, etc, rates) have to be approved in advance by the IATIS Executive. It is envisaged that a small number of presenters from Band 3 & 4 countries will be subsidized by IATIS to allow them to attend the next IATIS conference, and their costs will also be factored into final registration fees.

Conference hosts will also be obliged to submit a full conference budget to IATIS Executive within six months of the conference, and to agree with the IATIS Executive how any surplus/deficit in the conference budget will be handled.

 

5.11.2 Cancellation terms

A statement of cancellation terms should be included in the proposal

5.11.3 Liability

Note that such details also have to be specified in case university buildings are intended as a venue. In case a university is prepared to let IATIS use its buildings and/or equipment free of charge, signed proof to that effect needs to be added to the proposal.

5.12 An indication of the type of social programme that can be anticipated (e.g. post-conference tour, cultural events, availability of photographs). Note that organizers should only endorse tour operators, etc, whose activities they know to be good.

5.13 A tentative indication of the level of local support. E.g., Could there be any sources to help fund the expenses of invited plenary lecturers? Would any local authority be willing to sponsor a reception? Can any other forms of subsidy be applied for and for what amounts?

 

Appendix 1: CV of the Chair of the Organizing Committee

Appendix 2: Bio-bibliographical Note of each member of the Organizing Committee

Appendix 3: Call for Papers (see example at the bottom of this document)

 

INDICATIVE TARGET TIMETABLE FOR THE 9^th IATIS CONFERENCE (2027)

December 2027	9th IATIS Conference
October 1st 2027	Provisional conference programme on-line
July 1st 2027	Closing date for early registration
March 1st 2027	Registration opens
February 1st 2027	Notification of acceptance of abstracts (all formats)
October 1st 2026	Deadline for receipt of abstracts
June 15th 2026	Call for papers for abstracts: for the general conference or specific panels
June 1st 2026	Notification of acceptance of proposals
May 1st 2026	Deadline for receipt of proposals
February 1st 2026	Call for panel, roundtable, workshop proposals
January 15th 2026 (latest date)	Keynote speakers identified, conference scientific committee and advisory board in place
December 2025	Announcement of the 9th IATIS conference venue
October 1st 2025	Possible decision on venue for 9th IATIS Conference
July-September 2025	Possible consultation with proposers
June 1st 2025	Deadline for receipt of proposals to host 9th IATIS Conference, with full call for papers, including the list of potential keynote speakers

 

INFORMATION ON IATIS BURSARY POLICY

At every conference, IATIS and the Organizing Committee join their efforts to offer Three Full Bursary and a Registration Solidarity Fund.  

The scheme is only for delegates whose paper abstract (in or out of a panel) has been accepted. 

 

The IATIS bursary covers visa, flight, accommodation, IATIS membership, registration fees, meals during the conference.  

The Solidarity Fund covers the registration fees. 

• Only delegates from bands 3 and 4 countries
• Scientific excellence 

A call is sent out after the acceptance of all abstracts, a bursary committee is set up by the IATIS Conference Committee to process the requests and decide on the awardees. 

 

EXAMPLE OF CALL FOR PAPERS TO SERVE AS A TEMPLATE FOR APPENDIX 

 

IATIS - International Association for Translation and Intercultural Studies

8th International Conference

Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman

10 - 13 December 2025

Sustainable Translation in the Age of Knowledge Extraction, Generation, and (Re)Creation

الترجمة المستدامة في عصر استخلاص المعرفة وتوليدها وإعادة إنتاجها

 

Call for Panels, Papers, Roundtables, Workshops and Artistic Initiatives

Following successful conferences in Seoul (2004), Cape Town (2006), Melbourne (2009), Belfast (2012), Belo Horizonte (2015), Hong Kong (2018) and Barcelona, (2021), IATIS is pleased to announce its call for panel, paper, roundtable, workshop, and artistic initiative proposals for its eighth conference to be held at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, 10 – 13 Dec 2025.

Conference Theme

Against the backdrop of far-reaching and accelerated socio-technological changes in the 21st century, sustainability has emerged as one of the most critical issues to be addressed by scholars in a wide variety of disciplines, including those in translation studies, and faced by practitioners. At the same time, the meaning of sustainability in the context of translation and intercultural communication – and arguably in other disciplines (Engebretsen et al. 2016) – remains vague and inadequately conceptualized. A more critical and disciplined engagement with the idea of sustainable translation and knowledge practices, one that takes on board recent developments in fields as varied as computer science and artificial intelligence, and intersectionality studies, has become urgent.

Demand for more, better, and faster electronics to rapidly extract, store, and manipulate (vast amounts of) data in a variety of ways creates a corresponding demand for essential metals and has thus increased pressures on ecosystems. The Global North continues to off-load emissions to the Global South, perpetuating further forms of colonial-capitalist modes of extractivism.

Translators have increasingly been encouraged to use various computer-assisted translation tools, including machine translation, but the question of how sustainable these can be, has not been given serious consideration. Translators have been placed under increased pressure by constant surveillance of mechanical systems and dehumanised algorithmic decision-making (Moorkens 2023), while at the same time suffering financially from the growing volume of translations that is ‘recycled’.

Within this context, the conference aims to provide a much-needed forum for scholars from the region and across the world, to discuss the pivotal and changing roles of translation in the construction and circulation of knowledge across languages, cultures, and epistemologies in the age of big data, big capital, and conflicting approaches to safeguarding the future of our planet. We invite scholars from all disciplines and areas of inquiry who are interested in translation in all its forms – including but not limited to oral, written, audiovisual, multimodal, inter-linguistic, inter-semiotic and inter-cultural translation, in both conventional and non-conventional contexts – to participate and engage in critical, interdisciplinary discussions that address the multifaceted challenges of sustainability and their implications for translation theory, research, teaching and practice.

Conference themes

The conference will feature panels, individual papers, roundtables, workshops, and artistic initiatives. Themes include but are not limited to the following:

• Translation and alternative discourses to sustainability – e.g., degrowth, ecosocialism, ecomodernism.
• Translation and ecofeminism.
• Eco-translation and the Anthropocene.
• The translation/non-translation of literature on alternatives to sustainability from First Nations, Indigenous Knowledges and the Global South.
• New frameworks, methodologies, and epistemologies: rethinking research agendas and field practices that engage with sustainability and/or degrowth and related agendas.
• Anti- and post-humanist thought and other philosophical engagements with translation, sustainability, and alternative approaches.
• Human-made disasters, crises, wars, and genocides: translating against mainstream discourses on sustainability.
• Translation in environmental NGOs.
• Heritage, archiving, and memory: sustainable and equitable documentation of the past and present through translation.
• New forms of production in the language industry: repositioning of key players, reconfiguration of translation labour.
• Volunteer translation, AI-assisted translation, and the sustainability of the profession, of the translation classroom and of translation studies.
• The ethics and politics of translation and intercultural studies research, education, and practice: shifting centres and peripheries of knowledge.

Language Policy

All abstracts/proposals must be submitted in English for peer-review by the Advisory Board, but speakers will be given the choice to present in English or Arabic. Interpreting from English to Arabic and from Arabic to English will be provided according to available funds.

Key Deadlines

• 15 November 2024: Deadline for potential conveners to submit panel, workshop, roundtable, or artistic initiatives.
• 5 January 2025: Notification of acceptance to convenors.
• 10 January 2025: Announcement of the accepted panels, workshops, roundtables and artistic initiatives & call for proposals (papers, posters, performances) within or beyond these pre-established formats.
• 15 January 2025: Public release of the programme.
• 10 April 2025:  Deadline for potential presenters to submit proposals.
• 30 May 2025: Deadline for panel convenors to submit their complete panel.
• 30 June 2025: Notification of acceptance of proposals (all formats).
• 1 July 2025: Registration opens.
• 30 September 2025: Early bird registration closes.

Structure of the Conference

Panels

Panels will serve as the cornerstone for structuring the conference programme. Panels are thematic, integrated discussions for 6 to 12 sessions on a clearly identified theme or topic. They should provide attendees with an opportunity to hear presenters engage in dialogue amongst themselves as well as with attendees about cutting-edge research, practice, theory building, and/or policy development.

Papers

These are individual presentations which form the backbone of the conference parallel sessions. Researchers can also send abstracts to be presented as papers independent of any panel in the conference particularly when the applications for panel submissions are closed. Papers are given the same amount of time given to panel session papers and they may be added by the conference scientific committee to an established conference panel, if relevant, and in consultation with the convener.

Roundtables

Roundtables run for one hour and provide opportunities for up to three participants with specific expertise and varying positions/opinions to discuss with one another, and with the audience, topics concerning the theme of the conference (Sustainable Translation in the Age of Knowledge Extraction, Generation, and (Re)creation).

Workshops

Pre-conference workshops run for a day or half a day on Dec 9 (preceding the main conference). These workshops are designed to be training sessions on a topic of interest to conference attendees, such as teaching and professional development, with a special emphasis on learning or developing new skills.

Artistic initiatives

These initiatives will reflect the cultures of the world. Artistic initiatives come from conference delegates and can be about or across cultures.

Social Programme

The programme will showcase the local Omani culture, the host organiser. This will be locally organised and coordinated with the IATIS team.