RGS-IBG Annual Conference

Development Geographies Research Group (DevRG)

Call for Sponsored Sessions, RGS-IBG Annual International Conference 2024, London

The Development Geographies Research Group of the RGS-IBG invites session proposals for (co-)sponsorship by our Research Group for the 2024 RGS-IBG Annual International Conference. The conference will be held in London at the Society and Imperial College London, and online, from Tuesday 27 to Friday 30 August 2024. 

Guidance for organising sessions is available here.

Session sponsorship means that a session is tagged in the conference programme with the Research Group’s name and gives session organisers the opportunity to promote the session through our Research Group networks.

Unfortunately, session sponsorship does not include financial sponsorship. DevRG is however able to offer a limited number of guest passes (covering the registration fee for a day’s in-person attendance at the conference, but not travel or accommodation). The application process for guest passes will be announced via our mailing list later in spring 2023.

The Chair of the 2024 conference is Professor Stephen Legg (University of Nottingham, UK). The conference theme is Mapping. The theme will explore mapping in all its forms, in a world that is saturated with maps, from historical cartography to the newest technologies and practices of map-making.

We are keen to sponsor sessions that directly relate to the conference theme but also those sessions that engage with broader issues of contemporary concern to development geographers. The sessions can be pitched as paper panels, roundtables, workshops and sessions that include Development practitioners. We strongly encourage innovative and inclusive formats. We also strongly encourage sessions which are led by or include scholars or practitioners based in the Global South. We particularly welcome applications for the following themes:

  • Geographies of counter-mapping
  • The power to map in a development context
  • The epistemic, discursive, and/or spatial role of mapping in development projects
  • Colonial histories of mapping in development geographies

Opportunities for hybrid sessions are available, but very limited. They will be allocated on an open, competitive basis, with priority for innovative sessions that make the most of hybrid opportunities and functionality. You will need to think in advance whether to pivot to in-person only or online only if you are not successful. Guidance on formats can be found here.

The deadline is Wednesday, 14 February 2023 at 5pm.Please contact DevGRG Co-Chair Dr Katharina Richter if you would like your session to be considered for sponsorship (k.richter@bristol.ac.uk). We will endeavour to notify you as soon as possible. There are no forms, if you are interested, please email us with the following information:

1. Title of session

2. Name of co-sponsoring groups (if applicable)

3. Name, affiliation, and contact details for session convenors

4. Session abstract (max 300 words, excl. references)

5. Indication (if known) of preferred session format (in-person, hybrid, or online) and session type (papers, panel, workshop, etc.). See here for some suggestions. Sessions will be limited to TWO timeslots in the programme. A timeslot is 1 hour 40 minutes

6. Indication of any non-standard arrangements and/or hybrid session requirements (and a justification how the hybrid session would be competitive).

Details of the individual papers in the session are not required at this point.

Please also indicate if you are applying or intend to apply for sponsorship with any other research group.

For more information on the RGS Development Geographies Research Group see https://developmentgeographiesrg.org/.

For more information on RGS Annual International Conference see: https://www.rgs.org/research/annual-international-conference/

Full call for sessions can be found here: https://www.rgs.org/research/annual-international-conference/call-for-sessions-papers-and-posters