Announcing Our Call for Abstracts: Biannual Special Issue in Global Peace & Security

POLIscope Institute, in partnership with The Security Distillery, are officially accepting abstract submissions for our upcoming Biannual Special Issue, focusing on the theme: Power and Contestation in Global Peace and Security.

We are inviting students, recent graduates, and early-career researchers to contribute to this vital conversation. If you are passionate about international relations, international law, or security studies, we want to hear from you.

Background

The post-1945 rules-based international order is currently undergoing a profound structural transformation, characterised by shifting away from traditional liberal institutionalism toward a deeply contested paradigm characterised as ‘crisis-driven multipolarity’. The decentralisation of global power has not yielded a stable equilibrium, but has instead exacerbated institutional fragmentation and geopolitical polarisation. This trajectory has culminated in what is now defined as an era ‘under destruction’ where great power competition and transactional ‘wrecking-ball politics’ actively dismantle existing multilateral governance structures. These multilateral institutions, once the primary mechanisms for coordinating global peace and security, are increasingly facing deadlocks driven by great power competition, exposing their severe institutional response limitations. 

For some, these shifts create space to contest historically entrenched hierarchies and advance alternative claims to authority and agency within the international system. From an international law perspective, this is not only characterised by instances of non-compliance, but also by contestations over the interpretation and application of existing legal norms, and the legislative production of new ones. This era of transformation is thus characterised by the dismantling of established multilateral governance and the multiplication of competing authority structures and alternative frameworks across a changing multipolar order. In parallel, emerging powers and alternative multilateral groupings are advancing alternative legal interpretations and normative frameworks that seek to challenge the normative dominance of existing multilateral institutions.

Against this backdrop, contestation emerges as a defining feature of contemporary global peace and security, raising critical questions about the nature, exercise, and regulation of power within an increasingly plural and dynamic international system. The POLIscope Institute and Security Distillery invite contributions that critically engage with the theme of “Power and Contestation in Global Peace and Security.” It seeks to examine how evolving configurations of power shape, disrupt, and reconstitute norms, institutions, and practices of global security, and to explore the implications for the future of international law, governance, and multilateral cooperation.

Scope of the Special Issue

Submissions are invited from students, recent graduates, and early-career researchers in international law, international relations, security studies, and related disciplines. Submissions should engage with the overarching theme “Power and Contestation in Global Peace and Security”. Contributions may address theoretical, legal, or empirical dimensions of power and its role in shaping security outcomes. Relevant topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Great power competition and its implications for regional and global stability, including shifting alliances and spheres of influence

  • The role of non-state actors, such as armed groups, corporations, and international organisations, in shaping security and conflict dynamics

  • Inequality, resource distribution, and structural imbalances as drivers of conflict and instability

  • Security implications of transformations in the global order, including multipolarity and institutional fragmentation

  • Intersections between international law, governance frameworks, and security practices

  • The effectiveness and limitations of institutional responses to contested security environments

  • Strategic rivalry in emerging domains, including cyber, space, and maritime security

Interdisciplinary contributions are encouraged.

How to Apply & Key Deadlines

Submitting to the POLIscope and Security Distillery Special Issue is a two-phase process.

Phase 1: Abstract Submission

  • Deadline: 30 June 2026

  • Requirements: Prepare a 250–300 word abstract outlining your research question, main argument, a brief methodology, and its relevance to the theme.

  • Submission Method: All submissions are processed through our online portal. You can access it by clicking the button below.

GO TO SUBMISSION FORM

Phase 2: Full Article (If Selected)

Authors of selected abstracts will be notified by mid-July 2026 and invited to submit a full article.

  • Full Paper Deadline: 10 September 2026

  • Expected Length: 4,000–6,000 words.

  • Target Publication: November 2026

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  • While we prioritise students, recent graduates, and early-career researchers, submissions are not limited to these groups. We also welcome contributions from senior researchers and field or topic experts.

  • Yes, co-authored submissions are welcome.

  • Yes — interdisciplinary contributions are explicitly encouraged. The call welcomes theoretical, legal, and empirical approaches, so work drawing on political science, sociology, economics, or other disciplines is welcome provided it engages meaningfully with the overarching theme.

  • Your abstract should be 250–300 words and cover four things: (1) your research question, (2) your main argument, (3) a brief description of your methodology, and (4) its relevance to the theme of Power and Contestation in Global Peace and Security. Staying within the word count is important — abstracts that are significantly over or under may not be considered.

  • No. The listed topics (great power competition, non-state actors, cyber/space/maritime security, etc.) are indicative, not exhaustive. Your submission just needs to engage meaningfully with the overarching theme. If in doubt, contact the editorial team before the deadline.

  • No. If you reference a specific theoretical framework or key concept, you may name the author or theory without providing a full citation.

  • We prefer OSCOLA. Full editorial guidelines — including detailed citation guidance — will be provided to authors selected to proceed to the full article stage.

  • Submissions are processed through an online portal linked from the call page. The deadline for abstract submission is 30 June 2026. Make sure you submit well before the deadline in case of any technical issues with the portal.

  • The submission form does not allow edits after submission. If you need to make changes or wish to withdraw your abstract, please email us at poliscopeinstitute@gmail.com.

  • Yes, you will receive a confirmation email after submitting. If you do not receive one within 24 hours, please check your spam folder and then contact us at poliscopeinstitute@gmail.com to confirm receipt.

  • No. Please submit only one abstract per author(s)

  • All abstracts undergo blind double peer review before selection. Final decisions are made jointly with two guest editors. The same rigorous process applies to full papers: blind double peer review followed by final editorial review by the guest editors.

  • All authors of abstracts will be notified on the status of their application by mid-July 2026. If you have not heard back by the end of July, you may follow up politely with the editorial team.

    Authors of selected abstracts will be invited to work on their articles and submit their drafts by 10 September 2026. More information will be provided with the Editorial Guidelines.

  • Full articles should be 4,000–6,000 words and are due by 10 September 2026. The target publication date is November 2026. Additional formatting and style guidance will be provided in the selection notification.

  • No. We only accept original, previously unpublished work. If your paper has been published, posted as a preprint, or is currently under review elsewhere, it is not eligible for submission.

  • The joint editorial team can be reached at poliscopeinstitute@gmail.com. For scope-related questions it is best to reach out before submitting so you can act on any guidance before the 30 June deadline.

  • No, submission is entirely free of charge.