7^th International Conference Socialism on the Bench
GLOBAL SOCIALISM AND NON-ALIGNMENT
Pula, September 18–20, 2025

Recent years have been marked by war conflicts in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, challenges of the pandemics, shifting roles among global powers and continents, as well as growing migration, social tensions and environmental issues. By focusing on global socialism, the conference seeks to explore the reach of socialist ideas, their impact over the past century and a half, and their relevance to the present day, with particular emphasis on the period from the early 1950s to the late 1980s. This era saw socialism intersect with Cold War dynamics, decolonization and the rise of the Non-Aligned Movement. During this period, socialist ideas and revolutionary movements influenced societies across Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. Progress, cooperation, internationalism and peace often coexisted with conflict and competition in political, economic, cultural and other spheres. While maintaining a focus on the discourse and practice of socialism and non-alignment, their histories and legacies, the conference aims to address policies, ideologies, manifestations and actions on the international, national and local levels, both within and beyond the blocs, in Europe and the Global South, from the global stage to individual interactions within societies.

CALL FOR PAPERS (PDF, December 20, 2024)
Application form (Google Forms, deadline April 1, 2025)

PROGRAMME (PDF)
BOOK OF ABSTRACTS (PDF)

Keynote speakers
Assoc. Prof. Chiara Bonfiglioli, PhD (Ca' Foscari University of Venice)
Prof. Tvrtko Jakovina, PhD (Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb)
Paul Stubbs, PhD, Emeritus (The Institute of Economics, Zagreb)

Conference venue
Faculty of Humanities (Filozofski fakultet), Aldo Negri Street/Negrijeva 6 (Google Maps), Pula
Venue map (PNG)
 
On Saturday, September 20, the conference will be held on the island of Veli Brijun. Participants will receive special instructions.

Programme Committee
Ulf Brunnbauer (Regensburg), Anita Buhin (Lisbon), Igor Duda (Pula), Lada Duraković (Pula), Boris Koroman (Pula), Andrea Matošević (Pula), Tanja Petrović (Ljubljana)

Organizing Committee
Anita Buhin (Lisbon), Igor Duda (Pula), Lada Duraković (Pula), Tina Filipović (Pula), Boris Koroman (Pula), Andrea Matošević (Pula), Sara Žerić Đulović (Regensburg)

Organizer
Centre for Cultural and Historical Research of Socialism (CKPIS), Juraj Dobrila University of Pula

Contact
ckpis.conf@gmail.com

News
20.12.24. Call for papers published on the website.
1.4.25. Applications closed.
30.4.25. Notification of acceptance or rejection of application sent by email.
30.6.25. The conference programme was published on the website and sent to participants along with a survey about participation on the third day of the conference on the Brijuni Islands.
14.9.25. Final programme published on the website.
15.9.25. Book of Abstracts available online.

Photo album (Facebook)

Visual
Nikola Križanac

We thank for the support
Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung Southeast Europe

Media coverage
Radio Rojc

Mixcloud - interviews with  Bonfiglioli,  Jakovina and  Stubbs

We thank for cooperation
National Park Brijuni

Croatian version

For the previous conferences, please check the page menu.
6^th Socialism on the Bench (2023)