Call for Speakers

Relational Intelligence: Empathy and Trust in Intercultural Practice

SIETAR UK invites proposals for academic or practice-based presentations, interactive workshops and thought pieces for our one-day conference, taking place in London on Saturday, 31 October 2026.

We welcome contributions from academics, trainers, consultants, educators, researchers, practitioners, students, coaches, leaders and community-based professionals working across intercultural, diversity, equity, inclusion and global learning contexts.

Conference Themes

1. The human and relational side of intercultural work

We invite contributions that explore the relational dimensions of intercultural practice. Possible areas include:

• Building trust across cultural, professional, disciplinary or social boundaries
• Listening, dialogue and presence in intercultural encounters
• Managing uncertainty, ambiguity and discomfort
• Relational intelligence in teams, organisations and communities
• Conflict, repair and relationship-building across boundaries
• Ethics, power and vulnerability in intercultural work

2. Empathy and compassion in intercultural leadership

We welcome contributions that examine how empathy and compassion shape inclusive, intercultural and globally responsible leadership. Possible topics include:

• Compassionate leadership in multicultural organisations
• Empathy as a leadership capability
• Psychological safety and belonging in diverse teams
• Leading through cultural complexity, conflict or change
• The limits and challenges of empathy in intercultural contexts
• Care, well-being, and relational responsibility in leadership

Submission Formats

As this will be a focused, one-day conference, we invite proposals for the following formats:

• Research or practice-based presentation (20 minutes plus 10 minutes Q&A)
• Interactive workshop or reflective session (75 minutes)
• Short provocation or thought piece (5 minutes)

We may also consider a small number of poster-style presentations or visual displays during breaks.

What to Include

• Title of proposed session
• Name, affiliation and contact details of presenter(s)
• Proposed format
• Abstract of 250–300 words
• Short biography of no more than 100 words per presenter
• Connection to one or more conference themes (we know they overlap!)

We encourage submissions that are thoughtful, practical, creative and relevant to the changing realities of intercultural work.

Key Dates

Submission Process

Please send proposals to: info@sietar.co.uk

Email subject line:
SIETAR UK Autumn Conference Proposal