We are pleased to share with you new information about special sessions!
Below you will find details on the accepted proposals for special sessions organized into Paper presentation sessions (may be open for paper submission and additional speakers) and Debate and Workshop sessions (primarily aimed at engaging conference participants in discussion on various contemporary economic and societal issues).
Please note that information on special sessions speakers will be updated after the abstract/full paper submission deadline. In cooperation with the special session organizers, papers that align with the special session topics may be assigned to a specific special session upon approval of the corresponding authors who submitted their papers in the regular conference tracks.
Paper Presentation Sessions
Abstract: The transition to a sustainable socio-ecological model faces unprecedented challenges. Research on planetary boundaries shows that critical biophysical tipping points have been crossed, pushing humanity out of the “safe operating zone”. At the same time, social challenges such as inequality, debt and insecurity have strained societies, created new poverty traps and fuelled extreme socio-political movements, especially in developing regions. These dual crises are exacerbated by global economic shocks, post-COVID-19 debt dynamics, geopolitical fragmentation and conflicts such as in Ukraine and Gaza. The interplay of social and environmental tipping points creates a destabilising feedback loop that threatens global sustainability efforts. However, our understanding of the drivers and mechanisms linking these crises remains limited, particularly in the case of socio-economic disruptions.
This panel will explore critical questions:
– How do social and environmental tipping points interact and reinforce each other?
– How can transitions to sustainability be achieved in the midst of crises?
– What strategies ensure that recovery efforts promote environmental sustainability?
– How can global financial, social and governance systems be reformed to bring them in line with sustainability goals?
Topics such as the impact of economic disasters on sustainability, the link between financial crises and environmental degradation, and the relationship between crises, poverty and sustainability will be examined from different perspectives. Contributions from both the social and natural sciences, encompassing different methodologies, are welcome.
Keywords: crises; disasters; sustainable development; environment
Abstract: The study of production networks has become a central focus in economic research, offering valuable insights into how the interconnections between firms and industries shape economic performance, resilience, and structural dynamics. This special session will explore recent advancements in the analysis of production networks, with a particular emphasis on their design, evolution, and policy implications. The motivation for this session arises from the growing complexity of global supply chains, the direct and indirect economic effects of shocks, and the vital role networks play in driving productivity and innovation.
The session aims to foster interdisciplinary dialogue, highlight cutting-edge methodological developments, and examine practical applications in areas such as economic recovery, sustainability, and industrial policy. By convening experts, the session seeks to enhance our understanding of production networks and their influence on economic outcomes, ultimately contributing to the development of more effective, evidence-based strategies for addressing the challenges and opportunities in an increasingly interconnected global economy.
Keywords: production network; supply chain; topology; transmission; propagation; micro-to-macro
Abstract: As the tourism industry grapples with reconciling growth and environmental responsibility, this session moves beyond superficial solutions to explore innovative, evidence-based approaches to achieving genuine sustainability in tourism. The tourism industry’s impacts—ranging from carbon emissions and resource depletion to cultural erosion—underscore the urgent need for transformative action. This special session invites cutting-edge research and actionable insights that challenge greenwashing practices, foster environmental accountability, and inspire long-term regenerative approaches. The session will emphasize practical pathways for achieving sustainable outcomes while advancing academic discourse.
We welcome theoretical, empirical, and applied research papers that address the following themes:
• Environmental Accountability: Moving beyond marketing rhetoric to adopt measurable and transparent sustainability practices.
• Consumer Behaviour: Bridging the gap between environmental attitudes and travel behaviour using experimental methods and behavioural insights.
• Corporate Responsibility: Redefining sustainability as a core operational principle for tourism businesses.
• Regenerative Tourism: Exploring case studies and strategies for ecosystems and community restoration.
• Policy and Innovation: Showcasing the role of adaptive policies and technological tools in driving sustainable tourism practices.
Keywords: environmental responsibility; sustainable tourism; tourism policy; consumer behaviour; social responsibility; regenerative tourism
Abstract: Claudia Goldin’s Nobel Prize in Economics earned in 2023 has shed light on the increasing relevance of gender issues in the discipline. Gender issues in economics encompass women/men relations, individuals’ identities and sexualities and their significance with respect to the production and the distribution of resources. This implies dealing with power relations and conflicts as well as proposing solutions to tackle inequalities (through public policies in particular). In light of this, this special session aims to focus on the economics of gender through different perspectives such as the history of economic thought, central banking, health economics, labour economics, etc. This session is open to a large array of methodologies and methods.
Keywords: gender economics; feminist economics; history of economic thought; central banking; health economics; labour economics; public policies
Abstract: Governments allocate an astonishing $11 trillion annually through public procurement, making it one of the most significant economic activities globally. Public procurement operates through platforms shaped by laws and rules that have profound economic implications. This special session explores the critical question: how do changes to these rules influence public procurement outcomes and their broader economic impacts?
While much of the existing research relies on case studies, this session emphasizes empirical approaches using microdata in observational, quasi-experimental, and experimental research settings. By leveraging robust empirical evidence, even marginal improvements—such as a 1% enhancement in efficiency—could translate into billions of dollars in savings, better resource allocation, and higher-quality outcomes on a global scale.
This session seeks to advance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying public procurement and provide actionable insights for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners.
Keywords: public procurement; microdata; credibility revolution; firms; public institutions
Debate Sessions & Workshops
Abstract: This presentation introduces the preliminary results of the project PRESILIENT (GA: 101073394, website: www.presilient-dn.eu) led by Dublin City University and with the University of Split as one of the main beneficiaries. PRESILIENT is a large network comprising 14 partners (of which 7 non-academic) and 15 associated partners located in Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America (one per target country). It is committed to delivering the world-class cross-regional training on informality in the Global South to: measure it, address it, and find viable and sustainable alternatives.
A recent ILO survey estimated that around 2 billion people (62% of the total global workforce and mostly concentrated in Africa, Asia and Latin America) are active in the informal sector across the world (ILO 2020). The impact of such phenomenon is high both at the macro and micro levels. Indeed, in addition to vulnerability and precariousness at individual and community levels, informality reduces state capacity and the ability of institutions to design and implement policies that properly address social, economic and environmental issues. COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated this trend, putting at risk between 500 million to 1.5 billion more people. To estimate the size of the phenomenon and tackle it, PRESILIENT has engaged in a horizon scanning (HS) exercise on informality in each of the 15 target countries (the next step being a Delphi survey). The results of the HS will be presented at the conference.
Keywords: informality; Asia; Africa; Latin America; precarious labour; development studies
Abstract: This presentation explores the role of people analytics and workforce planning in shaping the future of work and how organizations can address emerging trends in the labour market. The research is part of the European Horizon 2020 project AI4Labour: Reshaping Labour Force Participation with Artificial Intelligence (GA: 101007961; website: ai4labour.com), which includes 8 partners (4 non-academic). The AI4Labour project aims to predict the emergence of new occupations and identify the skills required to succeed in these roles.
With rapid technological advancements and changing labour market demands, the ability to predict workforce trends and align them with organizational goals has become essential. The presentation will explore how data-driven strategies can support workforce adaptability, improve employee satisfaction and bridge the gap between current skills and future needs. Particular attention will be given to identifying talent gaps, improving recruitment processes and preparing organizations and employees for the challenges of the future workplace.
The results will provide practical guidance on how organizations can improve their resilience, optimize talent management and foster innovation to meet the changing demands of the labour market. Preliminary results and insights from this project will be shared at the roundtable discussion.
Keywords: artificial intelligence; people analytics; workforce planning; skills development; talent optimization; workforce innovation
Abstract: Volunteer tourists are portrayed as active participants in the neoliberal agenda, reinforcing and perpetuating a global hegemony that appropriates cosmopolitan ideals of care and empathy towards ‘the other’ to further entrench individual subjectivities and desires. Despite this, the study of affect and emotion in volunteer tourism unveils a complex tapestry woven with both the reinforcement of containment and colonial logics and the potential for profound transformation (Everingham, 2016; Frazer & Waitt, 2016). Emotions such as empathy, compassion, pleasure, sorrow, anger, hope, and guilt serve as powerful catalysts for change, allowing participants to navigate the intricate dynamics of their experiences. These emotional responses can deepen the understanding of the challenges faced by the communities they serve, prompting a critical reflection on their roles and responsibilities within the broader context of global inequality and privilege.
Keywords: volunteer tourism; transformational tourism; global inequality
Abstract: The world is facing a ‘perfect storm’ – also known as a ‘poly-crisis’ – which challenges confronts engaged scholars in their teaching and research activities to make with fundamental organizational and intellectual choices on what ‘grand challenges’ to address and how to link scholarly coverage of strategies of multiple stakeholders to relevant societal outcomes. In the words of Dean Bruno Ćorić: “Universities have to serve society in a cross-cutting way by creating knowledge, promoting the values and skills that shape a more sustainable future, but also by contributing to social change through their research and innovation”.
How can this ambition be approached?
This interactive workshop is organized as a semi-structured interaction between prof. Rob van Tulder and the audience. The session will begin with a kick-off in which Van Tulder will summarize recent initiatives from leading journals aimed at “contributing to a better world,” addressing “grand challenges,” or creating “global societal impact.” Following this, the session will proceed in the format of a ‘world café’ covering three questions:
– What does Engaged Scholarship entail for you personally?
– How to make it work in existing academic institutions (teaching, research, administration)?
– How to get the results of Engaged Scholarship published in top-tier journals?
Keywords: crises; legitimacy; trans-disciplinarity; multi-stakeholder approaches engagement; action research
Abstract: Attention to “excellence in science” has been growing, which is positive. But the way “excellence” has been measured across science is currently being hotly debated.
Drawing on insights from the session organizer’s book, “The SCOPUS Diaries and the (il)logics of Academic Survival: A Short Guide to Design Your Own Strategy and Survive Bibliometrics, Conferences, and Unreal Expectations in Academia”, as well as years of contributions to academic blogs and scientific associations, this session will provide an overview of how academic priorities have changed in recent years, with a particular focus on:
– How science is evaluated.
– How funding is allocated for scientific research.
– How performance (at the individual, department, university and country level) is understood and why the current model is misleading.
– The quest for open science and the challenges it presents.
Keywords: open science; research career; science management; excellent science
Abstract: In this seminar, I propose a roadmap for transformational change in our higher education by framing the ambitions of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as foundation principles to guide meaningful action in our teaching, thus (also) contributing to their achievement by 2030. The teaching challenge is to combine content with didactics. To make this ambition material, I draw on two sources that both present an integrated and principles-based approach to present-day systemic challenges. Both sources use the SDGs as framework for actionable, powerful, and transformative change:
– A book and website (van Tulder and Mil 2023 “Principles of Sustainable Business”, Routledge) that offers an account of the systemic, strategic and operational challenges that need to be addressed to enhance the effectiveness of corporate involvement in society.
– A teaching formula (Van Tulder, 2018, “Skill Sheets,” Pearson), which provides a method for teaching and developing the so-called ‘21st-century skills’, which can be significantly enhanced by using the SDGs for a more purposeful learning.
The seminar will introduce a variety of proven techniques for scholars to combine teaching, research and engagement on complex societal issues like the SDGs, including: ‘wicked problems analysis’, ‘strategizing through posters’, and ‘challenge-based learning projects’.
Keywords: wicked problems; principles-based organizing and teaching; skill development; challenge-based learning; SDGs