The Future of Democracy

This conference invites us to look hard at what puts democracy at risk and at what helps it stay strong.

Democracy is under increased pressure as populism, polarisation, foreign authoritarian interference, and declining institutional trust erode its normative and institutional foundations. The algorithmic amplification of disinformation and the strategic use of digital influencers are already eroding the necessary conditions for democratic deliberation and civic participation. Understanding these developments is vital to confronting the current crisis of legitimacy for elected governments and safeguarding democratic continuity.

This conference invites critical engagement with the vulnerabilities undermining democracy and with interventions that strengthen its resilience. We welcome interdisciplinary contributions from political science, psychology, sociology, media and communication studies, law, computer science, and related disciplines addressing these issues. By examining the social, affective, and technological dynamics of democracy amid the rise of social media, populism, artificial intelligence, and transnational digital authoritarianism, the conference aims to advance conceptual, empirical, and practical insights into democratic renewal.

Themes

We invite submissions on themes including, but not limited to:

• Polarisation and Fragmentation – ideological extremism, affective polarisation, and
• lived experiences of division.
• Transnational Repression and Diaspora Politics – cross-border authoritarian tactics
• and diaspora mobilisation.
• Foreign Interference and Democratic Sovereignty – electoral manipulation, influence
• campaigns, and institutional safeguards.
• Influencers, Platforms, and Opinion Networks – digital actors shaping trust, attitudes,
• and civic behaviour.
• AI, Automation, and Information Integrity – content manipulation, algorithmic
• amplification and governance challenges.
• Socio-Psychological Processes – modelling the effect of the above themes on belief
• formation, identity processes, information flow and societal division.
• Resilience and Democratic Practice – strategies to preserve or restore collective
• identities and civic belonging, and democratic innovation.

Submission:

Hosted by “A.I. Cuza” University of Iași, with support from the Australian Research Council, Deakin University (Australia), and the University of Dundee (UK), the conference will be held in Iași, Romania, a city with a long history

of cultural dissent and democratic resistance. As the former capital of Moldavia and a major intellectual centre in Romania, Iași provides a historically and culturally relevant venue for this conference. Romania itself provides an excellent example of democratic resilience by resisting foreign interference campaigns during the recent presidential elections in May 2025.

Please submit an abstract (max 250 words) and a brief biography of the main speaker (max 150 words) via This Link https://forms.gle/h78oee1zsAVb18bv9 by 15 January 2026.

Pre-Conference Workshop | Wednesday, 24 June 2026 in Iași

Two optional, in-person workshops (3 hours each). Priority will be given to accepted presenters and doctoral researchers. Places are limited and separate (free) registration is required. Priority will be given to accepted presenters and doctoral researchers.

1. Data Science Applications in the Social Sciences (3 hours): Hands-on workflows for scalable text and network analysis relevant to disinformation, polarisation, and influencer ecosystems. Includes data collection, cleaning, reproducible analysis in R/Python, and transparent reporting.

2. Doing Research with Cultural Humility (3 hours): Interactive training on reflexivity, positionality, ethics, and community-engaged practice. Focus on designing studies that recognise power dynamics and minimise harm in cross-cultural and conflict-adjacent settings.

Registration: Write your Expression of Interest via This Link: https://forms.gle/23nMaKHXz9PVPoXf8

Note: Travel and accommodation support is not available.

Zoom registration link

https://deakin.zoom.us/meeting/register/cxWsusE9SdiK3I7-GdA-1Q

Organisers

Ihsan Yilmaz (Deakin University)

Ana-Maria Bliuc (The University of Dundee)

Daniela Hendres-Muntele (“A.I. Cuza” University of Iași)

John Betts (Monash University)

Matthew Belanger (Stirling University)

Funder

These programmes are supported by the Australian Government – Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Project (DP230100257) 2023-2026.