Bulding feminist communities

A two-day event is organized in Grenoble Alpes University - supported by the CERAG, Sciences Po Grenoble, UGA-INP and the journal Feminism and Organization -  for business and management doctoral students and Early Career Researchers (ECRs) whose research relates to gender and intersectional feminist management and organisation studies to participate in academic community-building through creative, collective, feminist workshops, presentations, and sophrology sessions to explore and experiment with the political power of the body and its senses that can facilitate the research process in an increasingly demanding and competitive academic world.  

Summary : 

The workshop will explore the resources feminist researchers can draw upon when pursuing inherently political research both literally and metaphorically. Movement, breath, and voice will be introduced as powerful tools for meeting and challenging the demands of academic rigor. The workshop will encourage PhD students and early-career researchers to participate in a transformative, embodied process that emphasizes collective empowerment and community-building. Each session will integrate body and mind, encouraging collaborative engagement with critical topics through shared discussion and debate. During this two-day event, we will explore corporeal aspects of politics in organisations and management studies. 

The workshop will be facilitated by a doctoral student who attended the previous edition (Estelle Bois Farinaud) and experienced scholars from international and local backgrounds. Confirmed speakers are Alison Pullen (Macquarie  University,  Australia), Alexia Panayiotou (University of Cyprus), Sara Zaeemdar (University of Newcastle, UK), Emmanouela Mandalaki (NEOMA Business School, France), Hélène Picard and Claire Le Breton (Grenoble Ecole de Management, France).

Estimated program (detailed version here)

Day 1 - 9th December 2026 (starting at 9:00 am): Walking, moving, breathing  

• Registration and morning tea, welcome and introductions 
• 3-hour workshop – Corporeality, Place, and Ecofeminism 
• Collective walk (or cable-car access for those who prefer/require it) up to La Bastille, a mountain overlooking Grenoble. Hiking or walking shoes and warm clothing are required.
• Lunch 
• 1.5-hour sophrology session – The Art of Breathing in Demanding Academia (facilitated by a trained sophrologist)
• Break 
• 1-hour debriefing session – Feminist Methodologies and the Challenge to Disembodied Academia  
• Return to city center by cable car 
• The dinner in a local restaurant will support the overall workshop and provide an important networking opportunity for the PhD students and ECRs. 

Day 2 - 10 December 2026 (starting at 9:00 am) - Listening, reading, speaking  

• Tea/coffee  
• 1.5-hour workshop – Activism and feminist research: Why is doing research inherently political? How to position oneself in academia? 
• Break 
• 1.5-hour workshop – Who to Read? How to Read? 
• Lunch 
• 1.5-hour workshop - Speaking out loud: researchers’ voices (creative session around voices)
• Break 
• 1-hour workshop – Keeping a feminist community alive 
• Close (finishing around 5.30 pm) 

Please note that participants should make their own arrangements for accommodation and transport to/from Grenoble. The Workshop is open only to Business and Management PhD students and ECRs (including junior academics). Independent researchers (not employed by an institutionl) are also welcome to attend if their research is of relevance to the themes explored at the workshop.

The registration fee is €50 per participant for the two-day workshop. Workshop dinner on day 1 and lunches and refreshments on both days will be included. Five bursaries are offered to help supporting transport and accommodation costs of the participants. Bursary recipients will not be required to pay the registration fee. The bursaries are aimed to facilitate inclusivity and to partly support the travel costs of those who cannot secure the necessary funds from their own institutions. Applicants should outline their reasons for requesting a bursary on the registration form.

For expressions of interest, please complete this brief form and return to us no later than 1st November 2026. If you are interested to apply for the bursaries, please clearly indicate this on the form and provide a brief explanation.

Any queries to be referred to estelle.bois-fainauduniv-grenoble-alpes.fr (estelle[dot]bois-fainaud[at]univ-grenoble-alpes[dot]fr)

An event supported by CERAG laboratory, Sciences Po Grenoble, UGA-INP and the journal Feminism and Organization in collaboration with Neoma Business School (France), Newcastle University Business School (UK), Macquarie Business School (Australia) and the Department of Business and Public Administration, University of Cyprus (Cyprus).