Conferences and symposia in Berkeley — 10 upcoming

Reproductive Justice Interdisciplinary Workshop

Civics & PowerScience & Tech Conference / SymposiumUniversity / College Free

Thu, Oct 29 ·9:00 am ·UC Berkeley ·Berkeley

The 4th annual Collaborative Learning Experience on Reproductive Justice brings together medical students, law students, social work students, undergraduates, and others for a day of transdisciplinary learning. Co-sponsored by the UC Berkeley–UCSF Joint Medical Program, UC Berkeley Gender & Women's Studies, the School of Social Welfare, and the Center on Reproductive Rights & Justice, the workshop integrates perspectives from medicine, law, social work, and gender studies to explore reproductive justice as a framework connecting health, rights, and systemic inequality.

via UC Berkeley ↗ Event link ↗
America at 250: Reimagining Who We Are

Civics & PowerCulture & Humanities Conference / SymposiumUniversity / College Free ✦ burnoff pick

Fri, Oct 30 ·9:30 am ·Booth Auditorium, Berkeley Law ·Berkeley

A summit on belonging, identity, and America's future co-hosted by UC Berkeley's Goldman School of Public Policy, School of Law, Graduate School of Journalism, and the Othering and Belonging Institute. The event brings together scholars, policymakers, journalists, and community leaders to explore how Americans can reimagine national identity and strengthen social cohesion at a pivotal moment. Free to attend.

via UC Berkeley ↗ Event link ↗
Death Day: Facing Mortality, Mourning, and the Strife of Endings

Culture & Humanities Conference / Symposium

Sat, Oct 31 ·1:00 pm ·The Berkeley Alembic ·Berkeley

Death Day is a half-day symposium exploring mortality, grief, and meaning-making through talks, storytelling, and conversation. Ecologist Kirra Swenerton discusses ecological grief as reverence for biodiversity loss; Maria Mangini traces the cultural history of mourning dress and bereavement customs from the Middle Ages to present; Tom Banger explores terminal diagnosis and proximity to death. Hosted by The Berkeley Alembic.

via Berkeley Alembic ↗ Event link ↗
Philomathia Day: Bioelectricity at the Interface: Molecules, Membranes, and Models

Science & Tech Conference / SymposiumUniversity / College Free

Thu, Nov 5 ·8:30 am ·Alumni House ·Berkeley

An exploration of bioelectricity across molecular, membrane, and cellular scales, featuring scientific presentations from leading researchers. The 2026 Philomathia Day honors Associate Professor Karthik Shekhar, John F. Heil Jr. Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and member of the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute at UC Berkeley. Speakers include Stephen Brohawn, Na Ji, Olga Dudko, Kranthi Mandadapu, Bill Jia, Eric Mulhall, and Christoph Haselwandter. The day includes breakfast, lunch, and an evening reception.

via UC Berkeley ↗ Event link ↗
LMU-UCB Workshop: Watchful Reception – Literary Cultures of Vigilance from the 19th to the 21st centuries

Culture & HumanitiesCivics & Power Conference / SymposiumUniversity / College Free

Fri, Nov 6 ·9:00 am ·Dwinelle 282 ·Berkeley

A two-day international workshop examining how readers have scrutinized literature for hidden meanings, political signals, and threats since the nineteenth century. The program brings together scholars from LMU Munich and UC Berkeley to explore vigilant reading practices across eras: from reading between the lines under censorship to contemporary conspiracy interpretation, book banning, and debates over identity, representation, and inclusion in literary culture.

via UC Berkeley ↗ Event link ↗
A Symposium in Honor of Mary Ann Doane

Culture & Humanities Conference / SymposiumUniversity / College Free

Fri, Nov 13 ·10:00 am ·Brower Center, 2150 Allston Way ·Berkeley

A symposium honoring film theorist Mary Ann Doane, featuring scholars across three thematic sessions: Technology/Epistemology (Wendy Hui Kyong Chun on LLMs and archives, Nico Baumbach on cinema, Kristen Whissel on 3D film and doubling, Yuriko Furuhata on climate and deep time); Mediating Time (Althea Wasow on cinema and racialization, Pooja Rangan and Joshua Guilford on politics and avant-garde form, Rosalind Galt on anticolonial feminism); and Desire and the Politics of Form (Maggie Hennefeld, Karl Schoonover, Erika Balsom on voyeurism and feminist film theory, Marc Steinberg on Japanese cinema). Facilitated by Kristen Whissel and Damon Young of UC Berkeley.

via UC Berkeley ↗ Event link ↗
The Alembic Celebrates: A Day of Practice and Community

Community & Practice Conference / SymposiumWorkshop / Practice

Sat, Nov 21 ·2:00 pm ·The Berkeley Alembic ·Berkeley

A day-long celebration of The Berkeley Alembic's new managing director Anisa Charucksiri and the organization's next chapter, featuring eight teachers offering art, meditation, voice, dance, somatic connection, and kirtan throughout the afternoon and evening. Co-founders Michael Taft and Erik Davis will share long-term visions, with a community gathering and guided meditation in the late afternoon, followed by dancing, kirtan, and live music into the night. Food trucks and tea service available. Open to the Alembic community and curious guests.

via Berkeley Alembic ↗ Event link ↗
Poetry for the People: A Blueprint for the Future

Culture & HumanitiesCivics & Power Conference / SymposiumUniversity / College Free

Fri, Dec 4 ·9:00 am ·David Brower Center, 2150 Allston Way ·Berkeley

A day-long convening on the history, legacy, and future of Poetry for the People, the groundbreaking program founded by June Jordan at UC Berkeley in 1991 to teach students to speak truth through poetry across diverse traditions. The program includes workshops on P4P's history and contemporary teaching, new models for the modern university, and an evening public conversation celebrating the publication of June Jordan's *Poetry for the People (Expanded Edition): A Revolutionary Blueprint* from Haymarket Books. Organized by UC Berkeley's Departments of African American & African Diaspora Studies and Gender and Women's Studies with Adrienne Torf, alongside faculty, alumni, instructors, and community partners.

via UC Berkeley ↗ Event link ↗
CDSS Data Discovery Fall Symposium

Science & Tech Conference / SymposiumUniversity / College Free

Wed, Dec 9 ·1:30 pm ·The Gateway ·Berkeley

A symposium celebrating student research in data science and analytics. Participants present poster projects developed with mentors across UC Berkeley and industry, applying data skills to real-world challenges in design, analysis, and tool-building. The event includes presentations, networking, and awards recognizing contributions to the data research community.

via UC Berkeley ↗ Event link ↗
51st Berkeley-Stanford Conference - ‘Desire & Dissent’

Culture & HumanitiesCivics & Power Conference / SymposiumUniversity / College Free

Fri, Mar 5 ·10:00 am ·Toll Room, Alumni House ·Berkeley

The 51st annual Berkeley-Stanford Conference on Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies convenes scholars and experts to examine desire and dissent across the region. Co-hosted by UC Berkeley's Institute of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ISEEES) and Stanford's Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies (CREEES), this flagship interdisciplinary conference brings together researchers, historians, and policy analysts to discuss contemporary and historical dimensions of resistance, cultural expression, and social movements in Russia and Eastern Europe.

via UC Berkeley ↗ Event link ↗