RUTA 2027 Conference Theme: “Freedom: What It Is(n’t)”

We’re excited to announce the thematic focus of the next RUTA Conference, taking place in early July 2027!

Our next theme is: “Freedom: What It Is(n’t)”

Even under the harshest conditions of oppression, the human desire for freedom persists. Yet freedom has long been understood as something more complicated than simply liberation from oppression. As the prolific writer and pioneering feminist thinker Lesya Ukrainka wrote: “Who frees themselves, will be free; who frees another, takes them into captivity.”

This powerful aphorism became a prominent slogan during the 2014 EuroMaidan Revolution, capturing the idea that freedom cannot simply be given to people; it must be claimed by them.

This understanding of freedom as something that must be claimed, defended, and continually renewed resonates far beyond Ukraine. Across the RUTA region(s) and across different historical moments, thinkers, activists, and political figures have returned to questions of freedom and the struggle against domination.

As you prepare for the next edition of RUTA, we encourage you to use the time before the Call for Papers opens to develop trans-regional panels, bringing together different disciplines and regions.  Keep an eye on our social media and website for the official Call for Papers launch!

We look forward to exploring what freedom is, and what it isn’t, with you!