2027 International Conference in Istanbul, Türkiye
Memory at the Crossroads
People, Places, Stories
Active: Now Accepting Conference Proposals
May 7-8, 2027 (Friday - Saturday)
Photo credit: Wix.com gallery | top of domes in Istanbul
Overview
Co-hosted and co-presented with key partners, our 2-day peer review international gathering in Istanbul will explore how personal and collective memories are made, shared, and activated through museums, history, storytelling, foodways, and cultural exchange. The program turns Istanbul—together with partner research centers, cultural institutions, and scholarly networks—into a living laboratory for studying cultural memory in everyday life and over time.
Istanbul as a special location is itself a research proposition—a long-standing crossroads whose museums, culinary heritage, and architecture provide a living laboratory for case studies and field-based sessions. A core aim is to use the city as a living laboratory for case studies and field-based sessions by highlighting Istanbul and Türkiye’s historical depth —blending Anatolian, Mediterranean, and Mesopotamian traditions— while also showing how this heritage continues to shape contemporary culture, research, and community engagement.
Co-hosts
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Idaho Museum of International Diaspora (Boise, Idaho | USA)
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Rahmi Koç Museum (Museum of Industry) (Istanbul | Türkiye)
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ANAMED, Research Center for Anatolian Civilizations, Koc University (Istanbul | Türkiye)
Call for Proposals
Submission Deadline: November 1, 2026
Overview: “Memory at the Crossroads” invites proposals from scholars, practitioners, and students exploring how personal and collective memories are made, shared, contested, and activated through museums, history, storytelling, foodways, and cultural exchange. This international conference welcomes contributions across the GLAM, STEAM, and heritage fields, as well as from educators, artists, community historians, health care professionals, traditional knowledge bearers, policymakers, media makers, and students. There is no chronological limitation: proposals engaging with the ancient, medieval, early modern, modern, and contemporary periods are equally welcome.
Preferred Topics: We particularly welcome proposals addressing the following themes, though submissions connecting to the conference’s broader exploration of memory, identity, and cultural exchange are encouraged even where they fall outside this list:
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Food history / food culture
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Gender studies
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Art history / visual culture
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Museum studies / material culture
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Photography and videography (film)
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Diaspora, refugee, and migration studies
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Literary studies
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Media and communication studies
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Health and well-being
Submission Requirements: Applicants should submit the following:
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Abstract — 250 words
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Short biography — 150 words (maximum)
How to Apply: Please submit your abstract (250 words) and short biography (150 words) as a single document to IMID.conference@gmail.com. The subject line should read: "Memory at the Crossroads — [Your Name]" (e.g., Memory at the Crossroads — Michael Smith). Applicants will receive a confirmation of receipt within 15 business days. Selection decisions will be communicated by January 1. 2027.
Registration & Fees: All selected presenters, including student presenters, will automatically be registered and are exempt from the conference registration fee.
Audience
1. Educators / academic professionals and researchers
2. Historians and museum professionals
3. Cultural practitioners across cultural and diaspora institutions
4. Organizations across industry sectors working with refugees and immigrants
Schedule
Registration forthcoming.
Stay tuned for more information about our 2-day international conference schedule (May 7-8, 2027).
Day 1 (May 7, Friday):
Details forthcoming.
Day 2 (May 8, Saturday):
Details forthcoming.
VIP Partnership Dinner
May 2027 | Details forthcoming
By invitation only.
Photo credit: Wix.com gallery | panoramic views from Pierre Loti | Istanbul, Turkey
Stay tuned for more details.
Delight and excite your evening at our special VIP Partnership Dinner. At the end of the evening's program, hosted by Idaho Museum of International Diaspora's Global Leadership Council, our goal is to explain the world around us and invite partners to join our movement.
Speakers
Stay tuned to learn more about our speakers.
Venues
All of the conference sessions will be held in various venues in Istanbul. Online participants will receive a Zoom link within 48 hours from the start of the conference. More details forthcoming.