AUR and UniPa to host interdisciplinary anthropology conference in Rome

The American University of Rome and Università degli Studi di Palermo will host Undisciplined Anthropologies II: Beyond Borders on Sept. 25-26, 2026, in Rome. The public conference will bring together scholars, artists and researchers to examine how anthropology connects with technology, ecology, politics and other fields.

Why it matters: - The conference is designed to push anthropology beyond traditional academic silos. - The public format and free registration broaden access for students, scholars and community members in Rome. - The event highlights how anthropology can intersect with the arts, technology, ecology and politics to shape new ways of understanding contemporary society.

What happened: - The American University of Rome and the Department of Cultures and Societies at Università degli Studi di Palermo will present Undisciplined Anthropologies II: Beyond Borders on 25-26 September 2026. - The two-day conference will take place at AUR’s Monteverde campus in Rome. - The conference is open to the public with free registration. - The program will bring together scholars, artists, writers and researchers from universities and institutions across Europe and beyond.

The details: - The conference builds on the first edition of Undisciplined Anthropologies. - The theme, Beyond Borders, focuses on what becomes possible when disciplinary boundaries are questioned. - Sessions will cover multispecies memory, migration, artistic practice and cultural identity. - Other presentations will address post-humanism, algorithmic judgment and the relationship between anthropology and emerging technologies. - The conference will include four sessions across two days. - The program is meant to bring different methodologies, disciplines and cultural perspectives into conversation. - AUR President Scott Sprenger, UniPa scholar Stefano Montes and anthropologist Massimo Canevacci are among the organizers. - Sprenger, Montes and Canevacci will open and close the two-day program. - The announcement says the event reflects an ongoing academic partnership between AUR and UniPa.

Between the lines: - The conference’s framing suggests a wider effort to position anthropology as a field that can engage urgent questions about technology, identity and social change. - The mix of scholars and artists points to a conference model that values cross-disciplinary experimentation over single-field expertise. - The partnership between AUR and UniPa signals an institutional push to connect international academic networks.

What's next: - The full conference schedule is available here. - The conference will run on Sept. 25-26, 2026, at The American University of Rome, Via Pietro Roselli 16, Rome. - Organizers are expected to use the event to deepen the collaboration between AUR and UniPa and extend the conference series beyond this edition.

The bottom line: - Undisciplined Anthropologies II is set to turn Rome into a meeting point for anthropology, the arts and emerging fields of inquiry.