On 23-24 November 2026, the sixth edition of the Conference on Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Research for Sustainable Development will be held in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
Now in its sixth edition, this annual conference brings together academics and their non-academic partners to share and discuss interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research for sustainable development. Previous editions have gathered nearly 150 scientific contributions from across the alliance.
The conference welcomes both presenters — researchers submitting an abstract through the call for abstracts — and attendees who wish to follow the sessions without presenting.
Monday 23 November
09:00–16:00: CU.ecr pre-conference workshop — This conference is being held in conjunction with a new edition of Circle U. Early-Career Researchers (CU.ecr). Academics and administrative staff who organise transdisciplinary research trainings are invited to come together to share best practices. More info to come soon!
16:15–18:00: Opening & networking cocktail with keynotes on innovations in regional transdisciplinary research environments
Keynote presentations (speakers to be announced):
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Transdisciplinary Living Lab Research at Aachen University
Responsible Research and Innovation-Labs: towards new forms of reflexivity in engineering and innovation practices
Speakers to be announcedThe Living Labs Incubator, a measure within the RWTH Excellence Strategy to connect, study and support existing and emerging Living Labs at and around RWTH Aachen University.
Speaker to be announced. -
Transdisciplinary research on social innovations at the research chair on socio-economics of the commons, Lille University
Territorial transformative research approaches: lessons from ecological socioeconomics
Speaker to be announcedSocial actor partnership for commons based research: “Coopérative des communs”
Speaker to be announced -
Transdisciplinary research partnerships at the Ghent City Academy (Stadsacademie)
Understanding urban sustainability from Mode 2 Science and transdisciplinary education: how Master Thesis Ateliers of the Ghent Stadsacademie tackle wicked issues
Speaker to be announced“Stadsacademie”: A plaform for interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research for urban transitions in Ghent
Speaker to be announced
Tuesday 24 November
09:30–11:00: Parallel sessions A
11:15–12:15: PANEL “Embedding of university research into regional transdisciplinary research environments for sustainable development”
- Participants from Circle U. ECR Training platform
- Spokespersom UCLouvain transition office of the pro-rector
- Invited key-notes
12:15 – 14:00: Lunch
14:00 – 15:30: Parallel sessions B
15:30-17:00: Parallel sessions C
The call is open to researchers from the nine Circle U. universities and their non-academic partners, with a particular welcome to early-career researchers (doctoral and postdoctoral researchers).
We invite contributions in English from:
- Researchers already engaged in inter/transdisciplinary research, presenting results or methodological/ethical reflections.
- Researchers preparing a future project, presenting the key concepts and methodology envisioned.
Submissions in partnership with non-academic actors or by interdisciplinary teams are strongly encouraged.
Guidelines and submission: full submission guidelines are available for download below.
The conference is a hybrid event — presentations can be given in person (Louvain-la-Neuve) or remotely.
Each presentation consists of a 10-minute oral presentation followed by approximately 10 minutes of discussion, within a parallel thematic session.
Certificates will be provided to all presenters. PhD candidates may be able to have their participation validated for ECTS credits by their doctoral commission, in accordance with applicable national rules.
Participation to the conference is free, but travel and accommodation costs are the responsibility of the contributors.
For those who do not wish to present their paper remotely, please contact your home universtities for funding opportunities :
- Aarhus University: aarhus@circle-u.eu
- University of Belgrade: Nikola Savic nikola.savic@rect.bg.ac.rs
- Humboldt Universität zu Berlin: berlin@circle-u.eu
- UCLouvain: infocircleu@uclouvain.be
- University of Oslo: oslo@circle-u.eu
- University of Pisa: circleU.erasmus@unipi.it and on our website.
- University of Vienna: circle-u@univie.ac.at
- King’s College London: circle-u@kcl.ac.uk
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Abstract submission deadline: 15 September 2026
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Selection notification: October 2026
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Conference date: 23-24 November 2026
