In our most recent "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks:
I’m a grad student interested in applying to international conferences, but I'm unsure which ones is the best fit. Unfortunately, I don't have much guidance from those around me, as they don’t have much experience with international conferences. So, could anyone recommend conferences known for their prestige, quality, or any other standout features that make them a valuable experience?
Hmm...this is a really broad question (the OP doesn't mention their AOS), so it may be difficult to answer. Although there seem to be some dicey conferences (where it's unclear what type of peer-review/quality control exists in putting together the program), for the most part I just submit to CFPs for international conferences that look good to me. Still, are there any particularly notable international conferences the OP should be aware of?
What do readers think?
I assume by international, the poster means outside the USA. In philosophy of science, there is the European Society for Philosophy of Science (EPSA) biennial conference - it brings in a good portion of the European community, and the quality of papers is generally quite high. The annual British Society for the Philosophy of Science is an excellent conference. It attracts people from around the world, but especially the UK. The papers are of very good quality. It can be very competitive to get on the programme when the conference is at some places, like Oxford, for example. And when the Society for the Philosophy of Science in Practice (SPSP) is in Europe that can be fun and constructive. There are papers on the programme that are quite traditional, but it is better to submit something that is tied to the practice of science. There you will meet the leaders in SPSP. There is a starter for you.
Posted by: Philosopher of science | 11/07/2024 at 08:48 AM
This is a good upcoming international conference:
https://isosonline.org/Social-Ontology-2025
Posted by: Olle Blomberg | 11/07/2024 at 09:52 AM
The Joint Session of the Aristotelian Society and the Mind Association. The Society for Applied Philosophy annual conference. These are both quite competitive.
But area-specific conferences/workshops are often philosophically richer. When I was a grad student I pursued these with a simple algorithm. If the topic was in an AOS of mine, and they offered travel support, and it was in a location I wanted to visit, I applied. After a while you start building a network (for example, you start seeing familiar faces at conferences) and this can help you focus/target further and better.
I don't think you have to worry about going to a 'bad' conference as far as your CV goes. It's not like you'll get dinged the way you'd get dinged for publishing in a bad journal. Of course you may worry about time and money, that makes sense.
Posted by: sahpa | 11/07/2024 at 11:43 AM
For Medieval Philosophy, the Société Internationale pour l'Étude de la Philosophie Médiévale conferences would be good: https://hiw.kuleuven.be/siepm/conferences.
Posted by: David | 11/07/2024 at 12:46 PM
Here's a possible search strategy: Look up conferences in your area on PhilEvents (https://philevents.org). If a conference is recurring, it will probably have a website with lists of past paper titles and presenter names. If you recognize the titles/names as having come up in your research and being of high quality, then it's probably a good conference for you. Also, the website and/or call for papers should provide information on whether they provide assistance with grad student travel costs.
Or, if you're in formal epistemology, you can just skip that whole process and apply to the Formal Epistemology Workshop (https://philevents.org/event/show/128746). It's a great conference, and will be in Reykjavik this summer!
Posted by: Mike Titelbaum | 11/09/2024 at 08:52 AM