International Society of Political Psychology

Joanne Miller, ISPP President

Newcastle welcomed the International Society for Political Psychology from 16-19 July 2026 for their 49^th Annual Meeting. Dr Rosario Aguilar, Senior Lecturer in Comparative Politics at Newcastle University played a key role in the bidding process for the event with support from the university and NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau.

We spoke with Joanne Miller, Professor of Political Science & International Relations at the University of Delaware and the current ISPP President, at the event to find out more about their Annual Meeting in Newcastle.

Can you tell us a little bit about ISPP and what the conference is about?

We are an international academic society that focuses on the intersection of political science and psychology in order to understand political processes.

Our membership is largely focused in North America and western Europe but also includes folks from most regions of the world. Of the 550 delegates at this year’s conference we have members from New Zealand, Turkey, Mexico, Chile and Canada.

It’s a four-day conference and this year’s theme is Finding Common Ground in Uncertain Times. Delegates are able to interact with the keynote speakers, attend panel discussions, take part in poster sessions and network with other members as we delve into nationhood, social identity and democratic practice.

Why was Newcastle chosen as this year’s host city?

In previous years we have hosted the event in Prague, Santiago, Lisbon, Athens, Montreal and many more. Whenever we pick a location, one of the most important things we consider is how easy it is to get to. Although Newcastle is a smaller city in that sense, Rosario was a strong advocate for the city and its connectivity and offer for the conference.

We also rotate between hosting our conference in hotels and universities and so we seek bids which have a strong offering of both. In Newcastle’s case, the university’s facilities were perfect for us. As an organisation we tend to take up a lot of rooms concurrently, we’re space-hogs in that way. The Frederick Douglass Centre, with its open areas, space for posters, for receptions and range of room sizes is ideal.

What are some of the highlights for this year’s event?

We have three keynote speakers. The first is mine as the presidential keynote, and it’s about individual wellbeing and attitudes toward democracy and thinking about the political psychology research agenda moving forward.

We also have another two distinguished scholars providing keynote addresses, including: Dr Siwar Hasan Asli who is now Assistant Professor at the University of California. She is set to speak on ‘Political Psychology Through Palestinian Perspectives: Critical Questions, Contributions and Challenges’. Dr James Druckman from Rochester University, in the United States, will be delivering a speech called Group Beliefs, Grievance and American Politics, focusing on how divided Americans are and how group status and grievance explain this division.

Are you delivering any social impact initiatives at the event this year?

We have the ISPP Academy which runs for three days ahead of the main conference. We bring together about 60 students and post-doctoral attendees to learn more about political psychology. Our members lead networking and mentoring sessions as instructors and those who attend the Academy then receive a fully funded pass for the main conference where they can further their learning.

How have Newcastle University and the Convention Bureau supported you?

Kelly and the team at Newcastle University have been absolutely fantastic. They’ve been responsive and flexible when things have needed to change. Same thing with the Convention Bureau who have been very responsive, providing us with lots of information, different options and helping us to negotiate discounts on rooms.