V. Cultural Studies Student Conference – 2026: Game-Changing Encounters

Date: May 21-22, 2026

Time: 11:00  – 17:00 

Place: santralistanbul Campus, ÇSM 403 

On May 21-22, 2026, as students of the Cultural Studies Master's Program at Istanbul Bilgi University, we are organizing a conference titled “Disruptive Encounters.” In this fifth edition of our conference, we aim to examine the concept of justice alongside disruption and consider it as a space for resistance. We want to discuss the historical, cultural, and political meanings of justice and its transformations in art, literature, and sports in an interdisciplinary manner; we want to think together about how to reproduce the meaning of the concept of justice by using the possibilities of resistance and solidarity as a field of encounter. In this context, we envision productive discussions on the following topics:

• Reflecting on Justice from a Queer and Feminist Perspective
• Beyond Morality: The Ethics of Being Fair
• Justice in Urban and Spatial Studies
• Eco-Justice (Environmental Justice) in Times of Crisis
• Justice in Art and Literature
• Justice in Sports
• Love and Justice
• Justice in the Media
• Exploitation, Consent, and the Reproduction of Injustice
• Thinking About the Creative Possibilities of Resistance Through Humor

The conference is open to undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students working in interdisciplinary and intersectional fields.

Conference Date: May 21-22, 2026, Time: 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Abstract Submission Deadline: April 14, 2026 (250-500 words)

Place: Istanbul Bilgi University santralistanbul Campus, ÇSM 403 

Application: Please send your abstracts to kultkonferans@bilgi.edu.tr with the reference code “KİK-Abstract” in the subject line of your email.