IGU Thematic Conferences

IGU Thematic Conferences are held from time to time and are designed to encourage several IGU Commissions to collaborate around a joint theme. Thematic conferences are genuinely international (and therefore respect the two official IGU languages), have a clear theme or topic that is of broad interest and that it specifically involve at least four IGU commissions. Each thematic conference is approved by the IGU Executive Committee and applications should be made 12-18 months in advance of the event. An IGU thematic conference can be proposed to the EC by one or more commissions and/or by a national committee; indeed, the involvement of the relevant national committee(s) in these thematic conferences is considered essential. Every effort should be made to encourage broad international participation. There is not normally more than one thematic conference during an IGU Congress or Regional Conference year, and not more than two in a year in which there is no other major IGU event.

IGU Thematic Conferences have been held recently as follows:

Upcoming Thematic Conferences:

2025: IGU Thematic Conference, Cairo, Egypt April 12-19, 2025, hosted by the Egyptian Geographical Society. https://iguegypt2025.org/

2025: IGU Thematic Conference on “Diverse Geographies of Peace, Environmental Impacts, Territorial Conflicts, and War in the Contemporary World”, Santa Marta, Colombia, October 27 to November 1, 2025. https://www.ugi2025colombia.com/

Past Thematic Conferences:

2024: IGU Thematic Conference is being organised by Latin American Institute of Social Sciences (FLACSO) on “Connecting Geographies from the Global South” May 15-17, 2024, Quito, Ecuador. https://www.flacso.edu.ec/ugiglobalsouth2024/

2023: IGU Thematic Conference on “Urban transformations: Towards resilient cities” August 20-23 2023, UNAM Mexico City, Mexico https://igumexico2023.org/

2023: IGU Thematic Conference on “The Ocean and Seas in Geographical Thought” June 6-7 2023, University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy https://igu-chg-2023.unimib.it/

2023: IGU Thematic Conference on “Islands in Relations: Conflicts, Sustainability, and Peace” April 4-6, 2023, Osaka, Japan https://polgeog.jp/igu-tc2023/, Thematic Conference Report, IGU Travel Grant Report

2022: “Sustainability, Future Earth and Humanities: Opportunities and Challenges” November 24-25, 2022, Mahendergarh, India https://igu2022.cuh.ac.in/ ,Click to download IGU CUH Thematic Conference Report, IGU-YECG Report on IGU Thematic Conference 2022

2019: Koper, Slovenia: Transformation of Traditional Cultural Landscapes

2018: Moscow: Practical Geography and XXI Century Challenges

2017: Bucharest, Romania: Land Use/Cover Changes, Biodiversity, Health and Environment, Local and Regional Development

2017: La Paz, Bolivia: Geographies of Peace

2017: Hyderabad: Urbanization: Health and Wellbeing

If you are interested in organizing an IGU Thematic Conference please contact the Secretary-General for further information.