Hosted by the International Humanitarian Studies Association (IHSA), the Conference on Humanitarian Studies is being held at Sciences Po, Paris and online from 3 to 5 November 2021, with the theme ‘New realities of politics and humanitarianism: between solidarity and abandonment’.

The schedule features a number of NCHS members. Here are some of the interesting panels and roundtables the NCHS will be involved in.

Wednesday 3 November

Panel: Technology, innovation and experimentation in the refugee sector

• Kristin Bergtora Sandvik (Peace Research Institute Oslo and University of Oslo) – Digital refugee lawyering: risk, legal knowledge, and accountability, with Maria Gabrielsen Jumbert (PRIO and NCHS Co-Director) as discussant.

Panel: ProTECt – Community interventions and technological avenues against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (SEAH)

• Kristin Bergtora Sandvik – The digital turn and CRSV: On interventions, data extraction and empowerment

Panel: Changing practices of humanitarian advocacy

• Salla Turunen (Chr. Michelsen Institute) – The principled pragmatists: Humanitarian diplomatic practices at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), with Antonio De Lauri (Chr. Michelsen Institute, NCHS Director) as discussant.

Thursday 4 November

Roundtable: The ethics of humanitarian technology – Looking back and taking stock

• Kristoffer Lidén (Peace Research Institute Oslo) will chair this roundtable, which will feature a discussion with Kristin Bergtora Sandvik, Larissa Fast and Ning Wang.

Panel: Rethinking violence in humanitarian research

• Antonio De Lauri as discussant.

Panel: Taking ideology out of humanitarianism? The everyday, corporate interests and the politics of global solidarity

• Kristin Bergtora Sandvik – The co-production of children’s health data through buzzwords: The problematic relationship between Safeguarding and consumer genomics

Friday 5 November

Panel: The politics of negotiating with authoritarian regimes

• Kristoffer Lidén and Kristina Roepstorff – Red Lines and Grey Zones: Exploring the ethics of humanitarian negotiations

Roundtable: Humanitarian innovation: Have we come full circle?

• Maria Gabrielsen Jumbert will chair this roundtable, which will also feature Robin Mays, Paul Currion, Kristin Bergtora Sandvik and Stuart Campo.

Panel: Humanitarian borders” between care and control

• Maria Gabrielsen Jumbert – If it all breaks down”: the Norwegian refugee crisis as pop up humanitarian space.