The resilience of governance systems, particularly their ability to respond to and recover from crises - including economic downturns, political instability and upheaval, or environmental calamities - stands at the forefront of institutional research, because crises present unique challenges to the stability and adaptability of institutions. 

To understand the diverse ways in which individuals and political and social communities at various scales cope with such challenges, deeper interdisciplinary research into institutional resilience is needed. In particular, considering recent events around the world, we need to understand the processes and mechanisms through which institutions rebuild and adapt in the shadow of crises and deep divisions.

Organized in collaboration with the Center for Governance and Markets (CGM) at the University of Pittsburgh, the Ninth WINIR Conference will explore these and other related issues.

The City of Pittsburgh is our host, but its broader "Rust Belt" region serves as a critical case study of economic reinvention and social adaptation. Submissions from any discipline that offer empirical analyses, theoretical advancements, and/or case studies to draw parallels with Pittsburgh's journey or offer contrasting narratives of change from around the globe, thereby fostering a rich comparative analysis and possibly revealing broader insights, are particularly welcome.

The conference will open in the afternoon of Thursday 19 September and end with a dinner on Saturday 21 September, during which the 2024 Elinor Ostrom Prize and the JOIE Reviewer of the Year Award will be announced. There will be an optional tour on Sunday 22 September.

It will be preceded by WINIR Young Scholars Workshop on Wednesday 18 September. A separate call for this event will be circulated shortly. 

Keynote lectures will be given by: 

Jennifer Lackey (Northwestern University, USA)
Ashutosh Varshney (Brown University, USA)

We invite submissions of individual papers and 3- or 4-paper sessions proposals related to the conference theme or any aspect of institutional research, in line with WINIR's aims and research priorities. All submissions are evaluated by the WINIR Scientific Quality Committee.

Important dates: 

10 May 2024 – Abstract and session submission deadline
25 May 2024 – Notification of acceptance
26 June 2024 – Registration opens
10 July 2024 – Early registration deadline (standard fees apply from 11 July)
20 August 2024 – Registration deadline for accepted authors
21 August 2023 – Non-registered authors removed from programme
21 August 2024 – Late fees apply
10 September 2024 – Full paper deadline

Organizing committee:

Paul Dragos Aligica ([email protected]), Jennifer Brick Murtazashvili ([email protected]), Francesca Gagliardi ([email protected]), David Gindis ([email protected]), Lyndal Keeton ([email protected]), Ilia Murtazashvili ([email protected])

Visit the conference homepage for further information.