The 14th Interpretive Policy Analysis Conference, jointly organized by the Critical and Interpretive Policy Network and the Critical Policy Studies Network of the International Public Policy Association, will take place in 2026 in an innovative new format. For the first time, the conference will unfold across three interconnected editions in South America, Oceania, and Europe. This structure is designed to expand participation, deepen regional engagement, and strengthen our global scholarly community, while also embracing a more environmentally responsible model.
The Interpretive Policy Analysis (IPA) Conferences began in 2006 in Birmingham, followed by the 2007 edition in Amsterdam, and marked the emergence of an international community committed to interpretive, qualitative, and critical approaches to public policy. In the following years, the conference traveled throughout Europe and also reached North America and Australia, gaining breadth, depth, and visibility as a space dedicated to understanding policy as a field shaped by narratives, meanings, values, practices, and lived experiences. The most recent in-person IPA conference was held in Leicester in 2017, with a virtual conference held in 2021.
In 2026, the IPA Conference returns for its 14th edition. Importantly, rather than contining the previous format of a single located conference, in 2026 three interconnected regional conferences in South America, Oceania, and Europe are planned.