infoclio.ch-Tagung 2026: New Humanities. The Humanities in the 21st Century

Humans are no longer at the center of the narrative. The humanities are broadening their focus to include non-human entities and our shared planet, which human activity has thrown out of balance. The infoclio.ch 2026 Conference explores the contribution of the humanities to understanding these changes and envisioning desirable futures—both for these disciplines and for society.

In her keynote address, philosopher Rosi Braidotti discusses the legacy of the humanities and the transdisciplinary convergences necessary for their renewal in the 21st century.

The first session presents various scientific approaches to using archives in order to better understand the present and help shape the future. Female researchers discuss the history of natural sciences and artificial intelligence algorithms, as well as ways to evolve conservation practices to be more inclusive.

The second session explores relational approaches to knowledge production at the intersection of several disciplines, demonstrating how these may contribute to a redefinition of the human subject. In brief presentations, researchers from the digital humanities, environmental humanities and medical humanities outline their methods and the implications of their analyses for current societal debates.

How can we shape the future of the humanities in a competitive and globalized research environment? During the third session, an expert on the history of ideas analyzes arguments that have been put forth in favor of the humanities since the early 19th century. A roundtable compares different strategies for asserting the central role of these disciplines in future societal projects.

The concluding roundtable outlines potential collaborations between creative arts and digital technologies to uncover new perspectives in research. How can we reclaim established knowledge—recognizing the forms of violence it contains and perpetuates to this day—to produce new knowledge that is useful for the present?

Presentations in German and French are simultaneously translated into the other language. All presentations feature automatic English subtitling.