The theme Space for Islands arises from the urgent need to address humanity’s challenges in the Anthropocene era through an entanglement approach (Pugh and Chandler, 2021). This conference invites participants to reflect on islands as spaces of knowledge, imagination, power, and projection. The study of relations between islands and the global commons is particularly welcomed, raising the profile of these geographies in our understanding of global phenomena. Islands are not merely peripheral or isolated territories; they are nodal points of global circulation, and strategic platforms for scientific, technological, cultural, and geopolitical experimentation. From maritime and aerial connectivity to space activities, from environmental vulnerability to planetary observation, islands increasingly occupy a central position in contemporary global challenges. Space for Islands also highlights the multiple meanings of space – geographic, political, epistemic, and symbolic – and the need to address the global issues from the Island Studies perspective.
The seventh edition of the LPAZ Forum will take place on Santa Maria Island, Azores, Portugal, in September 2026. Organized by the LPAZ Association in collaboration with CEI-Iscte and other academic and institutional partners, the conference continues its mission to foster interdisciplinary dialogue on Atlantic, island, and global studies.
Follow the programme here and some of the sessions online on LPAZ Youtube Channel.
