The European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI) recently published a call for panels for their EADI-IOB Conference, Shaping Sustainable Futures: Global Challenges, (G)local solutions?
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The European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI) recently published a call for panels for their EADI-IOB Conference, Shaping Sustainable Futures: Global Challenges, (G)local solutions?, which will be held at the Institute of Development Policy and the University of Antwerp from 29 June to 2 July 2026.
About the conference:
The upcoming conference delves into the dynamics of sustainability, in all its dimensions, in the face of pressing global challenges. The title itself reflects the profound dilemma faced by societies and communities worldwide in addressing issues at varying levels – from those demanding global collaboration to those necessitating local, context-specific action.
Operating under the umbrella of “Global Challenges,” EADI invites scholarly inquiries into the obstacles confronting the global community. The term “(G)Local Solutions” refers to initiatives at diverse levels, emphasizing that local initiatives may extend beyond micro-localities, encompassing national and regional contexts. The inclusion of the ‘G’ within parentheses accentuates the interplay between the global and the local, highlighting the interconnectedness of different scales and levels of decision-making in addressing sustainability challenges.
About the panels:
EADI seeks to provide spaces for discussion, engagement, sharing, and co-creation among conveners, contributors and participants. For that reason, the conference gives room for a variety of different formats:
Seed Panels
- Are included in the open call for abstracts (opens in October 2025)
- Provide a platform to present work in progress, early-stage research and/or innovative ideas
- Do not necessarily require the submission of a full paper
Harvest Panels
- Are included in the open call for abstracts (opens in October 2025)
- Provide a space to present completed or near-completion research and research findings
- Upload of (draft) papers from participants before the conference is compulsory, and conveners are expected to provide feedback on the paper during the conference
- Conveners can explore possibilities for publication of contributions
Roundtable
- Roundtable sessions are not included in the call for abstracts
- Convenors are responsible for inviting panelists and to secure funds for their participation
- Conveners can invite up to 4 panelists to speak
- Roundtable sessions can have an academic, a practice-oriented or a programmatic focus
- All roundtables will be scheduled in a particular time slot on Tuesday 1st of July 2026 in the afternoon, and it is not possible to schedule a roundtable on a different time slot. Conveners and potential speakers need to ensure 1st July is feasible for them before sending their proposal
All Seed panels and Harvest panels can be organised in a hybrid way, with participants joining either in-person or online.