Institut für ­interdisziplinäre Konflikt- und ­Gewaltforschung

The Institute for Interdisciplinary Research on Conflict and Violence (IKG) hosts the International Conference on Conflict and Violence Research 2025 at Bielefeld University from September 17th to September 19th 2025 to shed light on conflict and violence research from an interdisciplinary and global perspective, especially against the background of climate change, and invites scholars from all relevant fields to present, discuss, and exchange ideas.

Climate change not only leads to ecological changes but also contributes to social conflicts. These can be expressed in political polarization and normative or non-normative activism, the spread of fake news, conspiracy myths, hate speech, and the rise of right-wing populists and extremists denying climate change. At the same time, climate change is directly or indirectly linked to wars and violence around the world, thus affects global health and well-being, and triggers migration movements which are, in turn, connected with phenomena of conflict and violence.

Participation and presentation at the conference are open to researchers from any disciplinary background relevant to conflict and violence research (e.g., psychology, sociology, political sciences, public health and health sciences, education sciences, history, anthropology, economics, environmental sciences, & legal studies). Scholars at all career stages, from early-career researchers to established academics, are encouraged to contribute. The conference seeks to create a multidisciplinary platform for sharing innovative research, theoretical advancements, and practical solutions on a wide range of topics, including but not limited to:

• Societal and intergroup conflict surrounding climate change, including resource disputes, policy tensions, and environmental justice movements.
• Political ideology, activism, and violence related to climate change, focusing on radicalization, polarization, and protest dynamics.
• Global health and well-being as a consequence of climate change, addressing physical and mental health impacts, health system challenges, and cross-border health initiatives.
• Climate change-induced migration and related phenomena, such as forced displacement, integration challenges, and the social, political, and economic impacts on both migrants and host communities.
• The role of media and communication in shaping public perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors toward climate change and its associated conflicts.
• Interventions, policies, and strategies to mitigate conflict and violence in the context of climate change adaptation and resilience-building efforts.
• Historical perspectives on environmental crises and their influence on conflict and societal change, drawing lessons from the past for the challenges of the present and future.

The conference aims to foster a collaborative environment where researchers can exchange ideas, develop interdisciplinary collaborations, and contribute to a deeper understanding of the complex interconnections between climate change, conflict, and violence.

 

 

Please submit your unstructured abstracts for individual oral or poster presentations (max. 1250 characters, approx. 200 words) by February 28th using this link.

Feel free to contact the organizing team if you have any questions regarding the conference:

conferenceIKG25@uni-bielefeld.de

Susan Elliott is a geographer and University Research Chair in Health Geography at the University of Waterloo in Canada. She has an active research career, with 250+ publications related to global environment and (public) health with an emphasis on WASH, gender, aging, violence and vulnerable populations.  She is the past Director of the Institute of Environment and Health (McMaster University), Senior Research Fellow in the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, Dean of Social Sciences (McMaster University) and Dean of Health Sciences (University of Waterloo).  She is the founder and Co-Editor in Chief of the journal Wellbeing, Space & Society, as well as the Editor in Chief of Social Science and Medicine.  She was recently inducted as a Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences. She has a commitment to impactful research in the area of global environment and public health, and her research is characterized by strong science-policy bridging. See her lab website for more information.