RIT Undergraduate Global Humanities Conference

Call for Proposals
Deadline to submit: February 28, 2026

Human civilization has always been shaped by movement: from early migration out of Africa to the Neolithic agricultural revolution, exploration, conquest, trade, and beyond. Movement has not only facilitated the exchange of ideas and cultural contact but also fragmented and hybridized identities, creating diasporas and shifting notions of belonging. As technology accelerates global movement, it simultaneously presents challenges tied to safety, identity, and cultural connection.

The theme for this year’s conference, Connection, Safety, and Movement, explores these dynamic intersections. How do we form meaningful connections across borders? How do ideas transform as they move? How do we reconcile safety and precarity in an increasingly fragmented world? How does movement affect identity, survival, and strife? This conference invites critical investigations into migration, displacement, urban sprawl, and the ethics of movement—asking vital questions about who we are in an age defined by unceasing motion.

In keeping with the tradition of RIT’s Undergraduate Global Humanities Conference, this event brings together students from RIT’s and Lancaster University’s Global Campuses, and beyond to engage with these themes. We welcome proposals addressing, but not limited to, the following topics:

• Connection Across Borders
• Migration and Refugees
• Movement of Ideas Across Borders
• Digital Movement and Safety
• Urban Planning and Safety
• Belongingness and Movement
• Forced Movement
• Hybridity and Multiple Identities
• Freedom of Movement
• Nomadic Cultures
• Ethics of Displacement

Guidelines

1. Word Limit: Your proposal should be no more than 250 words.
2. Details: Include your name, email address, school/affiliation, and the topic/title of your presentation.
3. Focus: Show how your topic aligns with the conference theme and explain how your presentation will contribute value to the audience's understanding of the theme. 

We encourage students to work with their faculty mentors during the proposal drafting process.

Important Dates

• Proposal Submission Deadline: Saturday, February 28, 2026
• Notification of Acceptance: Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Submission

Submit your proposal

Contacts

All inquiries about the conference should be addressed to:

Jude Chudi Okpala
jcocada@rit.edu

Julie Cecchini
jtccada@rit.edu