Hosted by Nazarbayev University, Kazakhstan
Sunday, 31 May – Sunday, 7 June 2025
The Workshop will be directed by:
- Dr. Aigul Kulnazarova, Tama University
The ACUNS Workshop brings together early career researchers and practitioners from international organizations for knowledge exchange on evidence-based policy, networking, and mentoring.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Thursday, 5 February 2026, 11:59 PM EST
THEME: The Regional Turn in Global Governance? Regionalism, Multilateralism, and the Future of Shared Global Responsibility
In today’s complex international system, global institutions are confronting a growing array of challenges from armed conflict and humanitarian crises to climate change and forced migration that demand innovative and coordinated responses. Regional actors are assuming a more prominent role within global governance, moving beyond their traditional function as implementers of international norms to become active contributors to their formulation and development.
The 2026 ACUNS-UN annual workshop will explore the evolving interplay of regionalism and multilateralism, critically examining how these frameworks interact, complement, and compete in advancing effective future global governance structures. Participants will assess the expanding role of regional (such as APEC, ASEAN, AU, EAEU, EU, LAS, MERCOSUR, OAS, OSCE, SAARC) and transregional (including ARF, BRICS, G20, G77, OECD, SCO) organizations in shaping the multilateral system, analyzing them as both agents and architects of global governance, with particular attention to how their actions reinforce or complicate the mandates of the United Nations and its specialized bodies.
The workshop theme is especially relevant, offering a renewed focus on Chapter VIII of the UN Charter and its emphasis on regional arrangements for maintaining international peace and security. Chapter VIII, specifically Article 52, encourages the peaceful resolution of disputes through regional mechanisms, while Article 53 outlines the subsidiary role of such arrangements under the authority of the UN Security Council. However, as regional organizations continue to expand their mandates and institutional capacities, often in response to gaps in global governance, critical questions arise concerning sovereignty, subsidiarity, legitimacy, coordination, and effectiveness within a polarizing world order.
QUESTIONS:
This workshop, bringing together early- and mid-career UN professionals and scholars, will provide a forum to address these timely and pressing issues:
- In what ways is regionalism reshaping the norms and structures of global multilateralism?
- What are the risks and opportunities associated with decentralizing aspects of global governance?
- How have regional organizations supported, or challenged, UN-led initiatives across different sectors and regions?
- What are the institutional, legal, and political implications of deeper regional involvement under the existing multilateral framework?
Through these discussions, the workshop aims to contribute to broader debates on the future architecture of global governance and the need for innovative, inclusive, and multilayered approaches that respect regional diversity while upholding shared international principles.
PARTICIPANTS:
The workshop will bring together 10 early career academic researchers (PhD students and postdoctoral researchers) and 10 practitioners from international organizations or governments who contribute to the UN system mandate for knowledge exchange, networking, and mentoring. We aim to recruit a multidisciplinary group of participants to create a platform for a dialogue and exchange of perspectives among all participants.
Young scholars and practitioners (that’s you!) will present their research. The workshop will encourage participants to improve their own skills and capacities for engaging constructively in the complex but important areas of research and practice around the workshop theme. The workshop will also feature a keynote lecture, networking opportunities to strengthen connections among scholars and UN practitioners, and mentoring.
Accommodations will be provided by Nazarbayev University. Transportation from the airport to your accommodation will be covered by the hosts. Additionally, lunch will be provided each day, along with an opening and closing reception.
Up to 20 participants will be selected by a review committee for the workshop. Selected individuals will be notified in by the end of February. Workshop participants are expected to submit and present a paper of publishable quality in the workshop. Specifically, each participant will be required to submit a research or policy paper of 5,000-7,000 words (about 10-15 pages) that critically evaluate The Regional Turn in Global Governance? Regionalism, Multilateralism, and the Future of Shared Global Responsibility. The deadline to submit an initial draft will be 30 April 2025. Guidance for the papers will be provided but participants should have a clear idea of the issue they will address in their written work at the time of application (see “Application Procedure” below).
In preparation for the workshop, participants will also be expected to attend an online (Zoom) meeting in early May to introduce themselves to other participants and to present the main idea of their paper. Prior to arrival in Kazakhstan, participants are expected to take the time and read each other’s papers, and arrive ready to discuss each other’s work and any common themes that may be emerging from the projects.
Participants are expected to participate fully in all aspects of the program for the full week. The workshop is designed to promote collegial exchange and networking in an intense work program. For this reason, the workshop organizers ask that participants are not accompanied by spouses, children, or other dependents. Neither ACUNS, the host institution, nor any other associated organization will be able to offer any services or support for anyone accompanying a workshop participant.
The working language of the workshop is English.
The workshop is designed for early-career scholars and practitioners. Senior doctoral students, postdocs, junior faculty, other academic research affiliates, and equivalent representatives from the UN system, other international organizations, government agencies, and nongovernmental organizations working in areas and disciplines relevant to the theme of the workshop are eligible to apply.
UN Staff interested in applying must have a regular appointment and at least two years of continuous service in the UN system.
The application review committee will consider diversity, including professional expertise (topics, regions, methods, etc.) and personal background (world region/nationality, gender, etc.). For academics, the committee will also consider diversity of fields (international relations/political science, international law, international development/economics, etc.).
All applicants must complete the application form accessible via the blue button on this page. There will be unique questions posed to applicants depending on the nature of their employment: academic, UN staff, or other international organization (IGOs, NGOs, etc.) or government.
All applicants will need to provide the following:
- A description of their substantive area of expertise (250 words).
- A description of how participation will help their career goals (250 words).
- A description of the written work that they would like to present (500 words).
- Their CV or resume.
- The name and email of an individual who can be contacted as a reference regarding their application.
The application deadline is Thursday, 5 February 2026, 11:59 PM EST.
Applicants will be notified by the end of February if they have been selected to participate. Due to the high number of applications, the review committee will not be able to provide individual feedback on applications or explanations of its decisions.
Last Updated: Friday, 5 December 2025