We invite you to submit abstracts for the Nordic Network of Intercultural Communication (NIC) 2026 Conference, which will take place at Vilnius University from 17 to 19 August. The conference is organised by the VU Faculty of Communication, in collaboration with the Faculty of Philology and the Faculty of Philosophy. The submission deadline is April 20, 2026.
Call for abstracts
The topic of this year’s conference is Intercultural Communication for Change. With this theme, we encourage discussion of intercultural communication as a way of engaging with change at multiple levels (individual, organisational, societal, and global), as well as of the implications of intercultural communication research for policy-making, institutional and educational practices, and everyday communication.
We invite contributions that explore intercultural communication as a process of (ex)change of meanings, understandings, values, and knowledge, and examine its role in contexts of transformation and uncertainty. We particularly welcome work addressing intercultural communication as a response to change, a driver of change, or a means of anticipating, managing, and potentially preventing disruptive forms of change, including crises.
We also encourage critical reflection on the relationship between intercultural communication research, practice, and policy, including possible mismatches between them and the ways research can (or should) contribute to changes in individual behaviours, professional practices, education, and public policy.
In addition to contributions addressing the conference theme, we also welcome proposals concerning other aspects of intercultural communication.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, transcultural, polycultural, cross-cultural, and intercultural encounters and relationships in the following areas:
- migration, mobility, inter-ethnic relations within societies, and transnational diaspora communication
- social work and public services
- local and international political contexts, public discourse, and governance
- organisations and workplaces
- business and tourism
- educational contexts, including student mobility
- language use, bi- and multilingualism, and language policy
- (social) media, digital environments and algorithms
We invite submissions from researchers at all career stages, as well as practitioners, across the social sciences and humanities.
Please note that the conference will be held in person, and online presentations will not be available.
Abstract Submission Guidelines
The deadline for submitting your abstract is April 20, 2026.
- The conference accepts oral presentations only.
- Abstract submissions may include multiple authors.
- Abstracts should be submitted in English.
- Abstracts should not exceed 300 words in length, excluding references.
- Please include 3–5 keywords.
- Please provide author affiliation and contact details in the submission form.
All abstracts will be reviewed by the scientific committee.
The conference will be the 32nd conference of the Nordic Network of Intercultural Communication. NIC conferences have been organised since 1994 and are held annually in different cities across the Nordic and Baltic countries. The purpose of NIC is to promote cooperation among researchers and practitioners interested in intercultural communication in the Nordic and Baltic countries. The conferences are open to scholars and practitioners from around the world.
More information about the conference is available on the conference website at www.nicvilnius2026.kf.vu.lt