Second Doctoral Conference of the APCP - Save the Date (Coimbra 29, 30 May 2026)

The Portuguese Political Science Association (APCP) will hold the second edition of its Doctoral Conference on 29–30 May 2026 at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Coimbra, with institutional support from the Centre for Social Studies, University of Coimbra (CES-UC).

The Conference aims to provide a dynamic platform for the sharing of research and scholarly discussion among doctoral candidates. Submissions are welcomed across all subfields and branches of Political Science, including (but not limited to) International Relations, Comparative Politics, Political Theory, and Public Administration and Public Policy.

Our main objective is to encourage doctoral candidates to present their research and engage in meaningful discussion and peer collaboration. Through the presentation of ongoing individual research projects or thesis chapters (at different stages of development), participants are invited to share theoretical perspectives, research findings, and methodological approaches—broadening their own outlooks, fostering collaborative networks, and contributing to the collective advancement of knowledge in our field.

The first APCP Doctoral Conference took place on 31 May and 1 June 2024 at the University of Aveiro. The event comprised 12 sessions and involved around 45 doctoral candidates from different universities and doctoral programmes. Participants presented their work and took part in the discussion of their peers’ papers. A plenary session was also held on “Labour market challenges: preparation and opportunities”, featuring early-career PhD graduates from our field who shared their experiences of entering the job market.

Participation is free of charge for APCP members. As in Aveiro, APCP will also cover public transport costs within mainland Portugal for all participating members, upon presentation of the relevant receipt.

Those who are not yet APCP members and wish to join in order to benefit from these conditions must become members by 27 March 2023. The APCP annual membership fee is €30. However, at the General Assembly of 26 November, APCP approved an amendment to its Statutes providing a 50% discount on the annual fee for students enrolled in a doctoral programme in our field. To become an APCP member, doctoral candidates must complete the form available via this link and, if they wish to benefit from the 50% discount, send proof of enrolment in a doctoral programme to socios@apcp.pt
. For non-members, participation costs €40, and APCP does not subsidise travel costs.

Key dates

Abstract submission: 19 January – 2 March 2026

Notification of results: by 23 March 2026

Full paper submission: by 4 May 2026

Further information on the call for papers and submission guidelines will be published via APCP channels on 19 January 2026.