Call for Papers: The Role of the University in War. Call for Papers deadline – 1 June 2026.
The editors, Dr Catherine Wynne and Dr Jenny Macleod (University of Hull) invite proposals for scholarly chapters to form part of an anticipated open-access publication with Liverpool University Press on the theme of ‘The Role of the University in War’.
The edited collection will develop a core of papers that were presented at a conference on this theme in November 2025. The conference was hosted by the University of Hull and Mariupol State University, as part of a British Council funded project exploring the role of the civic university.
Theme and Scope
This volume will explore the multifaceted role of universities during times of war in Europe, from 1914 to the present day. It will examine universities as institutions, the experiences of academics and students, and the application of scholarly expertise during wartime and post-war recovery.
Among the questions we are particularly interested in are: How do universities maintain continuity during war? How is academic expertise mobilized for wartime needs? What are the long-term effects of war on higher education systems?
In addition to our papers on the war in Ukraine and the First and Second World Wars from British and Ukrainian perspectives, we are keen to internationalise our approach. We would also welcome papers relating to the experience of universities, academics, or students during, for example, the Irish War of Independence, the Spanish Civil War, the Greek Civil War, the Troubles in Northern Ireland, or the war in the Former Yugoslavia.
Key Sections and Topics
1. The University as an Institution at War
How universities as organizations cope with war
Preparations and adaptations made by universities during wartime
Administrative and structural responses to conflict
The role of auxiliary and voluntary staff
2. Academics and Expertise
Academics using their scholarly expertise to write about war
Academics contributing to the war effort through applied knowledge
Intellectual mobilization during wartime
3. Academics and Students in Wartime
Academics going to war and their roles during conflict
Student experiences during wartime
The impact of war on teaching, research, and campus life
4. Post-War Recovery
University recovery and reconstruction after war
Comparative perspectives on recovery in different countries
Please send an abstract of 300 words for your proposed paper by 1 June 2026 to [email protected], cc’ing [email protected]. We envisage a deadline for the final version of accepted papers in January 2027.