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The 2nd Shapeshifters Symposium; Plasticity – Here, There, and Everywhere.

Expanding the Horizons of Plasticity Collaborations

The 2nd Shapeshifters Symposium: Plasticity – Here, There, and Everywhere aims to bring together people interested in plasticity from a broad range of perspectives, from the exact and natural sciences on the one hand to the social sciences, humanities, and art on the other. In this respect, this symposium is a unique opportunity to move out of our disciplinary comfort zone and meet and discuss with scholars we usually do not interact with.

Keynote Speakers

Humanities

Suparna Choudhury, The 2nd Shapeshifters Symposium
Suparna Choudhury – Faculty of Arts and Science, Department of Applied Human Sciences, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada
Zakiyyah Iman Jackson – Department of Literature, Duke University, North Carolina, USA

Science

Heleen Slagter – Department of Applied and Experimental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
TBD

Program

Day 1

  • 9:00–9:30 Registration
  • 9:30–9:45 Opening
  • 9:45–10:45 First Keynote Talk
  • 10:45–11:00 Coffee Break
  • 11:00–12:30 Session 1
  • 12:30–13:30 Lunch Break and Personal Discussions
  • 13:30–14:30 Second Keynote Talk
  • 14:30–14:45 Coffee Break
  • 14:45–15:45 Session 2
  • 15:45–16:00 Coffee Break
  • 16:00–16:45 Session 3
  • 16:30-17:00 Closing Day 1

Day 2

  • 9:30–9:45 Opening Day 2
  • 9:45–10:45 Third Keynote Talk
  • 10:45–11:00 Coffee Break
  • 11:00–12:30 Session 4
  • 12:30–13:30 Lunch Break and Personal Discussions
  • 13:30–14:30 Fourth Keynote Talk
  • 14:30–14:45 Coffee Break
  • 14:45–15:45 Session 5
  • 15:45–16:00 Coffee Break
  • 16:00–16:45 Session 6
  • 16:45-17:00 Closing Day 2
  • 17:00–18:00 Free Time
  • 18:00–20:00 Social Activity (Dinner)

Panels for Day 1 and Day 2 are transdisciplinary in nature.
Panels will be organized according to the submitted talks and the range of topics. Each panel will conclude with a short discussion by all attendees.

Day 3

  • 10:00–13:00 Joint discussion: What do we want to leave behind for the concept of plasticity? In the peer discussion session, we will brainstorm in discussion groups to think together about what we want plasticity to become in the future.

Submission

For Submission of an abstract for a talk, please fill out the form – https://tally.so/r/ODMy7R


We welcome applications for talks from you, symposium contributors, on topics related to plasticity as you conceive it, spanning, but not limited to, Complexity, Identity, Boundaries, Circular Causality, Time, Mind, Meaning Making, Directionality,
Gendered and Racialized Plasticity, Power and Plasticity, Plasticity and Nature, and Political Plasticity.

Registration

For Registration, please fill out the form – https://tally.so/r/QKlyxk

Note: We do not charge any registration fees!! We organize this symposium for the sake of knowledge. However, space is limited. So please register as soon as possible.

If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with our project manager, Sorcha plasticitygroup@proton.me

Date, Venue, and Location

Thursday 19th to Saturday 21st (half day), November 2026

Location: Utrecht, The Netherlands

Venue = t.b.d.


For details about the 1st Shapeshifters Symposium: Plasticity – Here, There, and Everywhere, which took place in Amsterdam, see:

The First Shapeshifter Symposium

Or, our YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@Plasticity_UnusualCollabor-k8r/videos