From March 2 to 5, scholars from around the world gathered in Chicago, IL, for the International Studies Association (ISA) Annual Convention. Among the attendees were numerous members of the Global Governance Centre, who shared their research and insights and actively contributed to panels and discussions on important topics.

We would like to especially congratulate Professor Stephanie Hofmann for being honored with the prestigious J. Ann Tickner Award. This award recognizes scholars whose research challenges conventional perspectives and shapes the field of international relations, while also demonstrating a strong commitment to mentoring, teaching, and academic service.

GGC members were actively involved in a range of panels and discussions, showcasing their expertise and contributions:

• Thomas Biersteker presented on " Sanctions as Normative and Strategic Signals: Lessons from the UN and the EU". He chaired the “Roundtable Honoring Stefano Guzzini as Global International Relations Section (GIRS) Distinguished Scholar” and participated in the roundtable on "The Future of International Sanctions".
   
• James Hollway participated in a project-related workshop in Chicago. He also participated in a roundtable at ISA on "Future Directions in Research on International Environmental Agreements".
   
• Anna Leander participated in the panel "Ontological and Epistemological Security (I): Between Authoritative Knowledge and Disinformation". She also took part in the roundtable "Author Meets Critics: Alena Drieschova, Representants and International Order Change: The Staging of Political Authority (Cambridge University Press, 2025)", as well as in the roundtable “Infrastructure and Geopolitics: A Roundtable Discussion”. Additionally, she was involved in the “ISA-STAIR Distinguished Scholar Panel Honoring Sheila Jasanoff” and contributed to the panel on “Private Power in World Politics”. 
   
• Leandro Montes Ruiz presented “Evidence for the Privatization of 'Good': Benevolent Entrepreneurialism and Porous Advocacies” in the panel “Private Power in World Politics”.
   
• Juanita Uribe participated in the committee panel "Passport Inequality and its Effects on Academic Knowledge Production: A Perspective from Global South Scholars". She presented on "From Firms to Public Institutions: Managing the World Through Multistakeholderism" during the panel “What's Wrong with Global Governance? Opening New Directions” and discussed "The Rise of the 'Agnostic Expert' in Global Governance" in the panel “How Do "Global Governors" and "The Governed" Know?”.

Affiliated faculty and researchers:

• Chanwoong Baek discussed the panel “How Do "Global Governors" and "The Governed" Know?” and presented on “Mapping the producers of "global" education policy knowledge”.  
   
• Delidji Eric Degila participated in the committee panel titled "African Perspectives and Contributions to IR" and presented “Coup Belt or Indigenous Security Cooperation? Tropical Anarchy, Military Intervention and the Alliance of Sahel States” during the panel discussion on “Conflict, the Armed Forces, and Colonial Legacies in Africa”. 
   
• Moira Faul chaired the panel “How Do "Global Governors" and "The Governed" Know?” and presented on “Making and Remaking Sustainable Development Governance: The Role of Knowledge and Methods Regimes in This Space Between Fields.”. She also presented “Knowledge, Practices, and Institutional Logics in Multistakeholder Governance: How Do Differences Within Sectors Matter?” in the same panel.
   
• Sara Hellmüller chaired the roundtable discussion titled "Crisis or Opportunity? The Future of Peace Missions in an Evolving Global Order". She also presented on the topic "The UN's Role in Peace Promotion: Phoenix or Walking Dead?" during the panel session on “UN Peacekeeping Operations in the Contemporary International Era”. As well as on "Transactional Peacemaking: Warmakers as Peacemakers in the Political Marketplace of Peace Processes" during the panel “The Changing Landscape of Mediation: New Directions in Peace Mediation Research”.
   
• Elisabeth Prügl presented " Between War and Austerity: Survival, Social Reproduction, and Gendered Experiences of the War Economy in Ukraine " during the panel discussion “War Economy: Feminist IPE Perspectives”. She also participated in the roundtable session "Intersections of Transnational Feminism, Crisis, and Scholar-Activism: Pathways to Transformation Across Boundaries."
   
• Nina Reiners chaired the roundtable discussion titled "Civil Society and Intergovernmental Negotiations at the United Nations: Exclusion Despite Inclusion". She also presented on "Pro Bono Advocacy, Private Law Firms, and the Right to a Healthy Environment in Ethiopia" during the panel “Lawyers, Professional Service Firms, and Private Intelligence in International Political Economy”. Additionally, she presented “The Rise of Private Law Firms as Transnational Advocates: Patterns of Global Pro Bono” in the panel “Private Power in World Politics” and discussed the panel “Access of non-state Actors to International Negotiations”. 
   
• Ueli Staeger presented on "External Actors, Subsidiarity, and African Security: Introducing 'Arbiters of Subsidiarity'" during the panel titled “Reconnecting International Studies through the Lens of Postcolonial Regions”. He also participated in the panel “Intersections of Foreign Policy, Social Norms, Information Dynamics, and Socio-Economic Trends in Europe”. Additionally, he discussed "To be a 'Small State' in multilateral peacekeeping: determinants and challenges of Swiss peace policy” during the panel “The Work of Peace Missions: Politics, Power and Progress”. Furthermore, he chaired the panel “Africa Goes Global: Examination of Africa's Role in Different World Regions and Its Relations with Regional Organizations”. 
   
• Jael Tan presented on "Regime Shifting for Collective Benefits? The Emergence of Water in the Climate Agenda" during the panel "Diplomacy and Power Dynamics in the Context of Climate Change".
   
• Ezgi Yildiz chaired the committee panel titled "Passport Inequality and its Effects on Academic Knowledge Production: A Perspective from Global South Scholars". She also participated in the committee panel “More Voices, More Opportunities: Practical Advice for Structuring Inclusion in International Studies” and presented together with Umut Yüksel on "Procedural Obligations and Torture Prevention: The Case of the European Human Rights Regime" during the panel “The Definition, Character, and Prevention of Torture”.
   
• Umut Yüksel chaired and discussed the panel titled “#OceaniclR: Maritime Security Issues” and presented on "Procedural Obligations and Torture Prevention: The Case of the European Human Rights Regime" during the panel “The Definition, Character, and Prevention of Torture”. Additionally, he presented “When Does ISDS Go Too Far? The Political Sensitivity of Arbitral Claims and Reduction of Investor Protection in BITs” during the panel “International Investment and Its Discontent”.