Theme
The celebration of the 800th anniversary of the Easter of Francis of Assisi in 2026 invites us to contemplate his life in relation to our own life, charism, action, and leadership. This online conference brings together scholars from various backgrounds and disciplines to exchange ideas on inspirational leadership then and now. On the one hand, it aims to enrich leadership discourse with Franciscan ideals and ideas. On the other hand, it seeks a renewed reflection on the practical dimensions and implications of Franciscan leadership styles in today’s society.

Franciscan leadership is essentially servant-centered as evidenced by the Franciscan sources. Franciscan leadership means serving, putting oneself in the service of the good of the individual and the community. How can modern theories such as accountable, agile, integral, intuitive, mindful, situational, strategic, transactional and values-based leadership benefit from this, typically Franciscan, service-centred approach, and vice versa? We therefore seek contributions 1) that make core aspects of Franciscan leadership such as inspiration, vision, receptivity, relationality, fraternity and transformation fruitful for modern-day leaders, for those commanding, guiding, convincing, and inspiring others in organizations; and 2) apply modern-day leadership theories to Franciscan leadership practices. This conference is also the official launch of the new International Association of Franciscan Studies.

Practical Matters
The organizers welcome paper proposals submitted in English. Abstracts should be kept as close to 100 words as possible. Each paper should last 20 minutes, followed by 10 minutes of discussion. Papers will be published in Franciscan Studies or franciscanconnections.com

Paper proposals must be submitted by 20 December 2025 to
Fr. D.B. Couturier OFMCap dcouturi@sbu.edu
Dr. Dr. K. Pansters: K.Pansters@tilburguniversity.edu