2026 Midwest Slavic Conference
March 27-29, 2026 - Columbus, OH
The Midwest Slavic Association and The Ohio State University’s (OSU) Center for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies (CSEEES) are pleased to announce the 2026 Midwest Slavic Conference to be held in-person in Columbus, OH, on March 27-29, 2026. The conference committee invites proposals for papers on all topics related to the Slavic, East European and Eurasian world, particularly those related to the theme of crisis and trauma. This year’s theme will delve into the lasting impact of trauma and the multifaceted and complex responses across Eastern Europe and Eurasia; examining how war, displacement, authoritarianism and cultural erasure have shaped collective memory, rebuilding and resilience. By highlighting voices from the post-Soviet space, the Balkans, the Caucasus and Central Asia, the conference invites scholars, artists and practitioners to explore how crisis and trauma are processed and transformed through community and social practices, literature and the arts, oral and material history, policy and more. Through interdisciplinary dialogue, this theme aims to foster critical reflection and creative inquiry into the politics, poetics, and lived experience of personal and communal damage that may forge a path toward recovery and fortitude or, alternatively, may resist such tidy narrative resolutions.
The conference will commence at 5:30PM on Friday with a keynote address by Dr. Jehanne Gheith (Duke U.). Building on the keynote address, a plenary panel will follow on Saturday morning. Panels by conference participants will then be held on Saturday from 10:30AM-4:45PM and Sunday from 8:30AM-11:45AM.
Abstract and Panel Submissions
Please submit a one-paragraph abstract and C.V. in a combined, single PDF file using our submission portal by 11:59 PM EST on Friday, January 23rd. Undergraduate and graduate students are strongly encouraged to participate. Interdisciplinary work and pre-formed panels are encouraged. Proposals for individual papers are also welcome.
Registration is required to attend all conference events and activities.
Deadlines
- Abstract and C.V. Deadline: January 23, 2026
- Notification of Acceptance: February 16, 2026
- Scheduling Conflicts Due: February 19, 2026
- Panels Announced: February 20, 2026
- Final Papers to Chair: March 20, 2026
- Presenter Registration Deadline: March 24, 2026
Registration and Fees
Registration is REQUIRED to attend all conference events and activities. Registration will include entry to all conference panels as well as all special events listed in the Special Events section below.
Attendance at the keynote is NOT included with registration and must be purchased separately.
Presenters
- Students: $50*
- Faculty/Independent Scholars: $75
General Attendees
- Student Attendees: $25*
- Non-Student Attendees: $35
Keynote Reception Fee
- $30 per person
*Donated Registrations for Young Scholars of Slavic Studies
Want to support up and coming scholars in our field? This year we have created an option for faculty and independent scholars to donate conference registration(s) for undergraduate and graduate students who are participating as presenters or general attendees. This will allow students to enjoy the conference to the fullest extent.
Students who are interested in receiving a waiver code for donated registrations should email CSEEES at cseees@osu.edu after panels are announced on February 20. Donated registrations will be available on a first come, first served basis.