METACONFERENCE

The International Interdisciplinary Association of Literature, the Department of Linguistic and Literary Studies of the University of Padua and the Department of Spanish Philology, General Linguistics and Literary Theory of the University of Alicante will hold the first edition of Meta-Conference. The event will take place on November 12 and 13, 2026, in the University of Alicante. 

The twenty-first century has witnessed the rise of new modes of scientific communication that seek to convey knowledge by departing from the traditional structure of conference sessions, typically consisting of a series of presentations followed by a (usually limited) period for questions and discussion. Some of these innovative formats include digital posters, PechaKucha presentations, lightning talks, Three Minute Thesis, Science Slams, and Ignite talks. These forms of communication not only transform the structure of presentations, but also entail changes in the ceremonial aspects of traditional conferences and in the social relationships among participants. In line with the emergence of new ways of communicating science, the Metaconference is conceived as a space for critical experimentation and collective reflection on the formats, rituals, and habits that structure contemporary academic communication. The organizing institutions will create an environment that interrogates how knowledge is produced, transmitted, and legitimized within the sciences, attending both to its formal dimensions and to its social, affective, and political implications. From this perspective, the Metacongreso invites participants to question the centrality of the traditional oral presentation, the hierarchy between speaker and audience, and the automatic identification of research with presentation and publishable output, with the aim of opening the academic space to forms of communication grounded in process, experience, and social interaction.

The main objective of the Metacongreso is twofold. First, to provide a space for experimentation in formats and modes of transmission, in order to explore new pathways for communicating scientific knowledge. Second, to serve as a platform for the emergence and consolidation of a network of researchers from diverse fields, fostering interdisciplinary encounters while promoting reflection on the forms through which knowledge is conveyed and what these forms entail.

Participants interested in submitting a proposal may choose one of the following modalities: (A) experimental methodologies in the transmission of knowledge; (B) scientific content presented for open and participatory discussion.

MODALITY A: Experimental approaches to the transmission of knowledge 

In this modality, scientific content will be presented in an experimental manner, open to the presenter’s creativity. The only format not permitted is the traditional 15–20 minute classroom-style paper, whether read or delivered orally. The mode of communicating scientific content is therefore open to any alternative format.

The following are suggested as possible types of intervention:

• Interventions not tied to a publishable paper, conceived as exploration, essay, drift, or open-ended process.

• Hybrid presentations integrating music, image, performance, staged reading, ephemeral installation, or artistic practices.

• Fragmented communications developed across multiple sessions, at different moments of the conference, or distributed spatially.

• Proposals situated in non-conventional spaces (courtyards, corridors, staircases, libraries, urban spaces, outdoor settings).

• Interventions taking place at non-standard academic times (dawn, night, coffee breaks).

• Presentations linked to an action (walking, drawing, exploring an archive, moving through the campus, preparing a simple dish, etc.).

• Dialogical formats (interview, guided conversation, performative discussion).

• Proposals based on audience experience, involving active participation, shared decision-making, or co-creation.

• Formats that decenter speech, where oral discourse is not the primary axis, giving prominence to other non-verbal modes of communication.

• Interventions that challenge the figure of the presenter, dissolving authorship, hierarchy, or traditional academic roles.

The above list is purely indicative; other proposals and formats not anticipated here are equally welcome.

MODALITY B: Debates and dialogues based on pre-viewed content

This modality will host formats that bring into relation and discussion the content previously submitted by participants in video format. To take part in this modality, presenters are requested to record a presentation of the material they wish to share in advance. The organizing team will compile these submissions and make them available on a dedicated Metacongreso YouTube channel, allowing all participants to view them prior to the event. In this way, attendees will arrive at the conference already informed about each other’s research, prepared to ask questions, and able to devote more time to exchange and dialogue.

For registration details, please consult here.

Organizing Committee

Conference Coordination

Francesco Fasano, Valentina di Cataldo, Benito García Valero

Members of the Organizing Committee 

Noelia Sánchez López

Reme Perni

Jorge Orlando Gallor Guarin

Sara Prieto García-Cañedo

Ferran Riesgo Martínez

Adriana Bermejo Lozano

Raquel Martínez Ballestrín

Carmen Guarinos Rico

Lorenzo Piera Martín