Call for Papers - Legacies of Portuguese Colonialism in Africa: Institutions, Infrastructures, and Development
December 18-19, 2025
Lisbon, Portugal - Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal

Call for Papers - Legacies of Portuguese Colonialism in Africa: Institutions, Infrastructures, and Development
Submission deadline: September 30, 2025
Date: December 18-19, 2025
Location: Lisbon, Portugal - Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal

We invite paper proposals for the Final Conference of the project JUSELTRA – The Effects of Portuguese Colonialism in Africa (PTDC/CPO-CPO/2823/2021), to be held at the National Library of Portugal, in Lisbon, on December 18–19, 2025.

This event marks the conclusion of a research project funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), dedicated to studying the long-term effects of Portuguese colonialism in the former African colonies, with a focus on administrative, legal, and policing infrastructures, as well as on the impact of repressive development policies between 1945 and 1974.

Symbolically coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the independence of Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe, Angola, and Mozambique, the conference aims to critically discuss colonial legacies and their present-day repercussions. At a time when former European colonial powers face increasing demands for historical justice and reparations, and when debates over the colonial past are becoming increasingly polarized, this conference seeks to reflect on the usefulness and limitations of scientific knowledge in this field. Comparative and transdisciplinary perspectives (political science, economics, history, law) are particularly welcome.

Guiding Questions

• How can we measure the effects of institutions, infrastructures, and policies inherited from colonial powers on the economic, human, and political development of African nations after independence?
• What is the impact of this type of knowledge about colonial legacies on the quality of contemporary democracies, particularly Portuguese democracy?
• How can this knowledge contribute (or not) to debates on historical justice, reparations, and memory?

Topics of Interest

The conference welcomes proposals addressing, among others, the following themes:

• Colonial infrastructures and state power (judiciary, police, administration);
• Repressive development policies at the end of the empire;
• Post-independence state capacities and institutional continuity;
• The impact of colonial legacies on human development (education, health, security) and political development (authoritarian and democratizing legacies);
• Comparative approaches between Portuguese ex-colonies and other colonial contexts;
• Colonialism and law: legal frameworks and institutional legacies;
• Social and economic history of Portuguese colonialism;
• Colonialism, memory, and democracy in former European metropoles.

The conference will take place in person, in Lisbon. Presentations will be accepted in Portuguese and English.

Proposals should include:

• Paper title
• Author(s)’ name, institutional affiliation, and contact details
• Abstract (up to 300 words)
• Short biographical note (max. 150 words)

Submission of Proposals

Please send proposals by September 30, 2025 to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Notification of acceptance will be sent by October 10, 2025.

For more information about the project, see: https://juseltra.com/#project 

*Financiado por fundos nacionais através da FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., no âmbito do projeto UID IPRI.