August 8–16, 2026
Astana, Kazakhstan
Deadline: May 31, 2026
YOUNG SCHOLAR CONFERENCE & RESEARCH SCHOOL
The Kazakhstan Sociology Lab in partnership with the School of Sciences and Humanities at Nazarbayev University invites applications for the Young Scholar Conference & Research School AI & Methods in Computational Communication (AIM-CC 2026).
Computational social science is undergoing a profound transformation driven by artificial intelligence. Methods that once relied on limited automation and classical analytical approaches are now being reshaped by large language models, embedding-based techniques, generative agents, and AI-assisted experimental designs. These developments open new analytical possibilities while simultaneously raising important methodological and epistemological questions.
AIM-CC 2026 is designed to address these transformations directly. The Conference & School provides structured methodological training in major areas of Computational Social Science and Computational Communication Research, while systematically integrating AI-related developments into each course.
The program is designed for PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, advanced Master’s students, and early-career scholars working in Computational Communication Research, Computational Social Science, digital sociology, political communication, network science, AI & Society, and related fields. Alongside intensive methodological training, participants will have a chance to present their research in a poster session and receive feedback from instructors and mentors, with the opportunity to further refine and present updated versions of their work.
Instructors
- Taha Yasseri – Director, TCD–TU Dublin Joint Centre for Sociology of Humans and Machines (SOHAM), Full Professor and Chair of Technology and Society, Trinity College Dublin & Technological University Dublin
- Ivan Smirnov – research consultant for AI in Research and Researcher Training, University of Technology Sydney; External Faculty Member, Complexity Science Hub Vienna
- Olessia Koltsova – Director, Laboratory for Social and Cognitive Informatics, Professor, Department of Sociology, HSE University
- Basak Taraktas - Assistant Professor of Political Science at Bogazici University
- Miriam Schirmer – Postdoctoral researcher, LINK Lab, Northwestern University
Courses and workshops:
- Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Artificial Intelligence in Social Sciences
- Social Network Analysis (SNA) and Artificial Intelligence in Social Sciences
- Experimental Methods and Artificial Intelligence in Social Sciences
- Workshop: The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Misinformation - Current Trends, Detection, and Mitigation
Contact
More details on the eligibility criteria, application process and travel information are available on the AIM-CC 2026 website. For inquiries, please contact: aim_cc26@kazsoclab.kz
