Evolution, changes and new perspectives

The Institutional Studies Research Group | INSTUREG (formerly the Research Group on the History of Legal and Political Thought) and the Department of History of Law and Institutions of the Faculty of Law at the National University of Distance Education (UNED) in Madrid, Spain, together with the Society for Institutional Studies (SEEII), convened the VI INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON CONTEMPORARY PROTOCOL (CIEPC). Under the theme “Evolution, Changes, and New Perspectives,” and under the auspices of the UNED Faculty of Law, the congress was held virtually on September 20, 21, 22, and 23, 2021. After its postponement last year due to the effects of the global pandemic, we achieved our sixth edition, far exceeding our expectations. Since that first congress in 2014, we have grown in international reach, participation, and quality. We have embraced innovation and are now ready to position ourselves alongside traditional academic conferences that rely exclusively on participant contributions, fostering ample room for debate. At the same time, we are prepared to hold the event entirely virtually, partly due to the constraints of the so-called “new normal,” and partly due to our desire to facilitate access for interested individuals worldwide. Therefore, now is the time to take stock of the protocol and assess the state of research as we approach our 25th anniversary. At this Congress, we will analyze how the protocol has evolved up to 2021, what changes have occurred, and what changes are necessary to meet the demands of the society in which we live.