Building Bridges / Construire des ponts
22-24 October 2026
Lake Placid, NY
Download the Call for Papers here
Conference Languages: English with select French panels
Conference Email: maneccscanadianstudies@gmail.com
Instagram: @maneccs
Select hybrid panels available. This is not a hybrid conference.
Theme
Canada and the United States share one of the world’s closest, most complex relationships – marked by cooperation and competition, friendship and rivalry, common projects and contested borders.
The 2026 MANECCS Conference invites scholars, students, and practitioners to reflect on these lines of contact, the cycles of collaboration and conflict, and the cultural, political, and economic bridges that connect the two countries.
The conference will feature the first French-language panel(s) in MANECCS history, expanding opportunities for bilingual and Francophone dialogue.
A limited number of hybrid presentation slots will be available. This is not a hybrid conference, and these panels are to ensure equity for early career scholars and students who would like to present their work, but are unable to attend in-person due to financial constraints.
Topics of Interest
We welcome proposals from across disciplines that engage with the past, present, and future of Canada–U.S. relations. Topics may include but are not limited to:
- Political, economic, and cultural exchanges
- Cycles of cooperation and competition: historical patterns and contemporary challenges
- Cross-border and regional networks
- Indigenous perspectives on the Canada–U.S. relationship
- America 250: Canadian connections to the 250th anniversary of the United States
- The Olympic movement and international sport as cultural bridge
- Comparing local and regional connections with the Ottawa-Washington relationship
- Transnational perspectives on border communities and mobility
- Creative and public-facing approaches (literature, film, media, art)
- Canadian Studies today and tomorrow
- Pedagogical innovations in teaching Canadian–U.S. studies
Submission Guidelines
Formats accepted: Individual papers, panels, roundtables, workshops, student posters, and creative/public-facing proposals
Deadline for submissions: March 31, 2026
Submission platform: https://tinyurl.com/maneccs
Notification of acceptance: May 2026
Proposals should include:
- Title of paper/panel/workshop
- Abstract (250 words)
- Short bio (150 words) for each participant
- Contact information
Practical Information
Location & Lodging
The conference will take place in Lake Placid, NY, hosted at the Olympic Conference Center. A special lodging rate is available at the Bluebird Hotel Lake Placid, just steps from Main Street. More information
Registration Fees & Support
- Student and early-career presenters may apply for travel support
- Sulzner Award winners receive complimentary MANECCS membership and waived conference fee
- Registration details forthcoming
Important Dates
- Submission Deadline: March 31, 2026
- Notification of Acceptance: Spring 2026
- Conference Dates: October 22–24, 2026
Contact
For questions about the program, logistics, or submissions, please contact:
| Claire-Marie Brisson, Ph.D. (Harvard University) President, MANECCS cmbrisson@fas.harvard.edu | Brendan Shanahan, Ph.D. (Yale University) Vice President, MANECCS brendan.shanahan@yale.edu |