MSA Forward 2027 Call for Papers
Event Dates: 13-14 June, 2027 in Copenhagen and Lund
Organized by: Noa Sarah Evers (AU), Thea Bladt (AU), Siri Johanne Janfelt-Mose (SDU), Katja Ekman (Lund), Ekim Diren-Safak (Lund), Jess Samy (Lund), Kræn Kielsgaard Løw (KU), Rachel Hannah Bonin (KU), Sara Dybris McQuaid (AU).
General Description:
MSA Forward aims to provide a platform for constructive dialogue, community building, and interdisciplinary exchange for early career researchers. As part of the 11th Annual MSA Conference 2027, MSA Forward offers a 1,5 day workshop for advanced doctoral students working in the field of memory studies. The workshop will take place on June 13-14, 2027 at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark (1-4 pm, June 13) and Lund University, Sweden (9-4 pm, June 14).
Taking up this year's conference theme of Memory, Responsibility, Hope, the first half-day will consist of a participatory workshop delivered by the Danish Welfare Museum, dealing with ethical responsibilities in action research. In the evening, we will take the train together to Lund (1 hour). The second day will provide a working platform for PhD researchers to present their work in progress, interact with established scholars in their fields of study, and receive feedback on their papers. MSA Forward is characterized by providing a supportive space for constructive discussion, collective elaboration, and interdisciplinary exchange. All participants are expected to take part in both days.
We encourage proposals that address any of the overarching questions or thematic areas below, as well as other topics related to the general theme of the MSA 2027 Annual Conference: Memory, Responsibility, Hope. Proposals may also choose to include ethical and methodological reflections, relevant for the participatory research workshop on the first day.
Overarching Questions:
How are responsibility and hope negotiated, promoted, and contested through memory work, and how are responsibilities for pasts and futures distributed in the process?
(How) can memory work contribute to political change, social and ecological sustainability, and hopeful imaginaries? And what are the limitations, constraints, and unintended consequences of pursuing these goals?
How do different disciplines conceptualise hope and responsibility, and how can these understandings help shape and challenge memory studies?
Thematic Streams:
Materialities, Mediations and Infrastructures of Memory
Heritage Practices and Protection
Oral history, Testimonies and Witnessing
Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding
Ecology, Environment and Sustainability
Affect and Emotions
Memory Activism
Memory Studies Research Ethics
This edition of MSA Forward consists of 2 parts!
1. Participatory Research Workshop 1-4 pm, Jun 13, 2027
Participatory Research and Memory Work at the Danish Welfare Museum
Sarah Smed from the Danish Welfare Museum and Stine Grønbæk Jensen from the University of Copenhagen will discuss how they explore memories of care, neglect, and abuse on both individual and collective levels with and alongside people who have lived experiences of institutionalisation in the Danish welfare state. A series of reflective exercises for participants will be included throughout the session.
2. Presentations, feedback, dialogue, discussion Workshop Jun 14
All participants will make panel presentations of their work in progress, receive feedback from senior scholars with relevant expertise, and engage in dialogue with the other participants.
Call for Submissions:
Applicants must submit an abstract of up to 300 words, in English, that clearly presents the research problem, the theoretical and methodological approach, and the central analytical contribution of the work within the field of memory studies.
Applications should contain the following information:
Full name and institutional affiliation
Contact information
Abstract (max 300 words)
Academic biography (max 150 words, third person)
Each participant may submit only one proposal, which should be sent through this form https://tally.so/r/8NqoDO
Authors whose proposals are accepted will be required to submit a full paper prior to the workshop, according to the deadlines indicated in the schedule, in order to facilitate pre-circulation among commentators and participants. Papers should be 8–10 pages in length, written in Times New Roman 12 with 1.5 line spacing, and will be presented orally in a 15-minute format.
Submission deadline: Dec 14, 2026
Notification of acceptance: Jan 11th, 2027
Submission of full papers: May 31st, 2027
MSA Forward 2027 Workshop: Jun 13-14, 2027 (Copenhagen and Lund).
IMPORTANT!
Membership: All individuals accepted to present at MSA Forward 2026 must be active members of the Memory Studies Association. Updated information on membership fees and categories is available on the MSA website.
Presentation Exclusivity: Applicants should note that they may only present their work at either the MSA Conference or MSA Forward. If a proposal is accepted in both instances, the applicant must choose which one they will present at.
Workshop Fee: Participants must pay a fee of €50 to participate in the MSA Forward. This ticket will subsequently give access to all events that are part of the main MSA 2026 (panels, workshops, plenary sessions, etc.).
Financial Support: It is possible to apply to the MSA for a conference grant (for travel, accommodation, conference fees). However, since the number of grants available is very limited, participants in the MSA Forward are strongly encouraged to seek funding through their home institutions.
For inquiries: msaforward@memorystudiesassociation.org