‘Late Antique Encounters’ Conference, 3-5 February 2027
We are delighted to invite you to the first ‘Late Antique Encounters’ Conference by the Ghent Centre for Late Antiquity. LAEC is a unique academic forum dedicated exclusively to Late Antique studies. This homepage offers important information including the latest updates about the event. We are grateful for your interest and support. Do not hesitate to reach out!
Call for Proposals
Once relegated to the shadows between “classical” and “medieval,” Late Antiquity—roughly the third through eighth centuries CE—has emerged as one of the most vibrant fields in ancient studies. From art historians uncovering the visual revolution of early Christian mosaics to linguists mapping changes in idiom and the increasing variety of languages, from archaeologists mapping trade networks across three continents to literary scholars exploring the reinvention of classical genres and the rise of a new literary aesthetics, Late Antiquity attracts an ever-growing community of scholars whose diverse approaches continue to transform our understanding of this pivotal age.
The Ghent Centre of Late Antiquity, itself a microcosm of this scholarly diversity, proudly presents the inaugural Late Antique Encounters Conference—a forum designed to capture and celebrate the field’s remarkable breadth and methodological richness. We envision Late Antiquity as a crossroads where multiple disciplines converge. Whether you approach the period through papyrology or prosopography, numismatics or narratology, linguistics or art history, this conference wants to offer space for dialogue across traditional boundaries. We seek to create an environment where a historian studying Coptic tax receipts might discover connections with a literary scholar analyzing Syriac poetry, where an archaeologist excavating a Gallic villa can engage with a theologian parsing conciliar debates or a linguist studying lexical phenomena. Moreover, this conference embraces interdisciplinarity not only through collaboration among diverse fields within late antique studies, but also by fostering dialogue between late antiquity and other historical periods, including its reception and enduring influence.
Beyond such unexpected encounters, the conference aims at originality by facilitating conversations that support our research needs, where scholars can present problems rather than solutions. In addition to individual presentations, we dedicate ample space for broader methodological discussions, digital innovations, and assessments of where the field is heading.
A key goal of the organizers is to foster intergenerational exchange. As Late Antiquity’s future lies in nurturing emerging voices while building on foundational insights, we particularly encourage participation from graduate students and early-career researchers alongside established scholars.
Rather than imposing thematic constraints, the conference adopts multiple formats to suit various academic purposes. Its program, flexible by design, will accommodate:
- Round tables for collaborative reflection and with a focus on debate
- Work-in-progress sessions for testing new ideas and methodologies, or for collaborative discussion of primary sources
- Thematic panels for sustained exploration of specific topics
- State-of-the-Art sessions and retrospective discussions on influential scholarship
- Book launches and presentations of recently launched book series and research projects
- Poster and/or video presentations, allowing the brief presentation of recently started research
The organizing committee invites two types of proposals:
1) Complete session proposals (90 minutes): Session organizers determine the format (see list above, yet other formats are also welcome) and coordinate with their chosen participants. Proposals of this type ideally present a complete list of participants, though the organizing committee is open to receiving proposals from aspiring panel organizers with an innovative idea and looking to be paired with suitable participants. Proposals can also include double sessions (90 + 90 minutes).
2) Proposals for individual contributions: These will be grouped thematically by the committee and must indicate which of the above formats they are envisaged for. Individual contributions may be either 20 minutes (thematic panels and state-of-the-art sessions), 10 minutes (round tables, work-in-progress sessions, and book/project presentations), or 5 minutes (poster/video presentations).
Please submit proposals by 15 May 2026 to gcla@ugent.be. Proposals may be submitted in English, French, or German, must indicate the affiliation of the participant(s), and should not exceed 300 words (individual contributions) / 600 words (session proposals). All proposals will be submitted to peer review. Acceptance may be dependent on constraints of space and coherence or overlap with other proposals. Notifications about participation will be sent out by 15 July 2026.
Programme
Confirmed keynote speakers: Jaś Elsner (University of Oxford), Corisande Fenwick (University College London), Adam Ledgeway (University of Bergamo), and Karin Schlapbach (Université de Fribourg)
Advisory Board
Phil Booth (University of Oxford)
Dominik Delp (University of Tübingen)
Carlos Machado (University of St Andrews)
Paweł Nowakowski (University of Warsaw)
Anna M. Sitz (University of Tübingen)
Practical Information
Venue
The Late Antique Encounters Conference will be held in the charming city of Ghent from 3 to 5 February 2027. Ghent is a lively medieval town whose city centre offers a wealth of cultural and touristic highlights. As part of the conference programme, an opening reception will be hosted at the impressive Sint-Pieters abbey. More detailed information about the venue will be provided in due course.
Registration
All information about registration, fees, and cancellation policy, will soon be made available on our registration page.
Travel and accommodation
More information about traveling to Ghent and accommodation will soon be available here.
FAQ
Contact
Organisation committee: Kristoffel Demoen, Marco Formisano, Giovanbattista Galdi, Sadi Maréchal, Andrés Rea, Peter Van Nuffelen, and Julie Van Pelt
The committee is grateful for the support it receives from members of the wider GCLA community, without whom this conference would not be possible.
For any queries or suggestions, please contact gcla@ugent.be.