At the ISA 2023 in Montreal - in exchange with scholars from all over the world

From 15 to 18 March 2023, the annual conference of the International Studies Association (ISA), one of the largest interdisciplinary conferences on international, transnational and global affairs, took place in Montreal, Canada. Prof. Dr. Anna Holzscheiter and Maria Weickardt Soares were there and presented their current research. Dr. Laura Pantzerhielm also wanted to present her research, but was unable to make the trip due to the strike at the Berlin airport.

Already on the flight to Montreal were numerous other scientists, some of whom were still finalising their papers and presentations for the conference - a foretaste of the approximately 6000 scientists from all over the world and numerous panels. The agenda covered a wide range of topics from political sociology to research on climate and conflict to migration and much more. Therefore, it was often difficult to decide among the exciting panels and roundtables, which were often held in parallel at three venues across the city. 

Prof. Holzscheiter and Maria Weickardt Soares both conduct research on global health policy, among other topics, and were able to exchange ideas with around 200 global health researchers.

Prof. Holzscheiter presented her joint research with Dr. Pantzerhielm on "Political (Self-)Representation of Marginalised Groups in Global Institutions: Youth Representation in Global Health Policy-Making During the COVID-19 Pandemic". She exposed how multiple barriers and intersecting inequalities condition young peoples’ encounters with exclusive spaces of global health policy-making and points to the reflective and ambiguous ways in which young people embrace, enact and question ‘youth’ as political category. She criticised an overemphasis on the ‘marketplace’ of representative claims and an idealized view of representation as neatly separable form other social practices, rather than engaging young people holistically and meaningfully in policy-making processes.

In addition, Prof. Holzscheiter and Maria Weickardt Soares presented their current research on "Discourse Networks in Health Data and Biobanking Governance: Explaining Policies on the Global Circulation of Human Specimens and Data". The panel focused on methods, measurement and data in research on international organisations.  Using biobanking as a case study, Weickardt Soares and Prof. Holzscheiter addressed the lack of international regulation and standard-setting in the field of global health.

For Weickardt Soares it was the first time at the ISA. In her view, the conference offers excellent networking opportunities for young scientists. The panels were structured very differently; in some maintained the typical distance between audience and speakers, while in others the discussion was very open. Overall, she draws a positive conclusion and travels home with new input for her own dissertation.

Further information on the research projects can be found here