New Data, New Insights, New Questions
University of Milan, 24-25 September 2026
International Academic Workshop — Two-Day Program
The workshop aims at examining the impact of the growing use of computational methods — including machine learning, natural language processing, event data extraction, and network analysis — in the study of conflict and peace. It aims to reflect on how these tools are reshaping research through the collection and analysis of data at an unprecedented speed, scale and granularity, while also addressing the broader methodological, theoretical, and epistemological implications of the “computational turn.”
Over the course of two days, the workshop will seek to address three main questions:
- The quality and limitations of computational data
Do computational methods genuinely improve the quality of evidence on conflict dynamics, post-conflict reconstruction, and peacebuilding, or do they risk reproducing and amplifying existing biases? - Theoretical and inferential implications
Do richer datasets and more sophisticated inferential tools help scholars address some of the field’s central questions — such as why wars begin, endure, or end — or do they contribute to an increasing fragmentation of research into narrow empirical exercises? - Balancing methodological innovation and theoretical development
Is growing methodological sophistication leading to research that is data-rich but theory-poor, privileging predictive performance and technical refinement over descriptive and explanatory depth?