2027 World Congress of Sociology – National Associations & Collective Members

Dear colleagues from National Associations, Continental Associations and other collective members of the ISA,

The XXI World Congress of Sociology will take place from July 4^th to 10^th, 2027, in Gwangju, South Korea. We expect more than 5.000 sociologists to join us from all continents. The Congress theme has been published on the ISA website: “Global Sociology in Turbulent Times”.

National Associations, Continental Associations and other ISA collective members are crucial actors in the ISA and for the success of this world congress. We count on you to help us disseminate the congress theme, guidelines and information that are available on the ISA website.

Together with the Vice-President for National Associations, Bandana Purkayastha, we want to provide more opportunities for NA and other collective members, including Continental Associations, to participate in this congress and propose special sessions have been extended, compared to previous congresses. You will find below four ways for your national association or other collective members to take an active part in this congress and propose sessions connected to your association’s main concerns and to the congress’s general theme.

1. Collective Members’ Sessions

The guidelines and call for special sessions proposed by the ISA collective members (which includes National Associations, Continental Associations and other collective members in good standing) are available on the Congress website. These sessions are intended as a forum at which these ISA Collective Members in good standing can present research results addressing particularly important problems and challenges facing their regions/fields, aligned with the Congress Theme “Global Sociology in Turbulent Times” or influential, specific traditions in sociology, relevant to the congress theme. The deadline for submission is the 28^th of September. More information

2. Integrative sessions

Together with the ISA Research Committees (RC/WG/TG), National Associations are encouraged to propose an Integrative Session.  Integrative Sessions are semi-plenary sessions jointly organised by at least 3 RC/WG/TG, National Associations or other collective members.  The deadline for proposals is September 28^th, 2026. The results of the selection process by the scientific committee will be announced on October 15th. The call and the submission form are available at the ISA website

3. ISA Award for Research and Practice

Together with RC/WG/TG, national associations and collective members are also invited to nominate candidates for the ISA Award for Excellence in Research and Practice, which will be delivered during the opening ceremony of the World Congress. Putting together a strong application takes a little time and requires coordination with various RCs, WGs, TGs or national associations. The deadline for proposals is November 30^th. The nomination form, as well as information about the Award and the procedure, are available on the ISA website

4. As individual members of the ISA, you are also invited to submit abstract proposals and possibly session proposals to one of the Research Committee, Working Group or Thematic Group. The guidelines for submitting proposals are available here.
   The main deadlines are the following:

2 May – 25 June 2026: Call for Sessions 
                3 August – 14 October 2026: Call for Abstracts 
                4 December 2026: Selection notification 
               23 March 2027: Registration deadline

Please remember that the ISA does not extend any deadline.

As for previous congresses, the ISA will provide one registration grant for a delegate from each national association in good standing. Please make sure that at an individual level and at your national association level, you remain ISA members in good standing to benefit from this grant.

!! Please join the online meeting of the Council of National Associations that has been set up by our Vice-President for National Associations Bandana Purkayastha on June the 12^th. It will also be an opportunity to provide more information about the congress. Delegates have already received the agenda, documents, and access. If you have any questions, please contact the ISA Secretariat.

• More information about the ISA’s recent and forthcoming activities is available on the ISA website, the Presidential Corner and in the latest president’s letter to the members.
• Please help us expand the ISA community on social media by supporting the dissemination of some ISA news on your national association’s social media or website. The ISA is active on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram & BlueSky, and helps us expand the ISA community on social media.
  Contact our ISA communication officer, Anna-Maria Kutateladze Wagner, isa-socialmedia@isa-sociology.org