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
16:15–18:00: Opening & networking cocktail with keynotes on innovations in regional transdisciplinary research environments
Keynote presentations:
-
Responsible Research and Innovation-Labs: towards new forms of reflexivity in engineering and innovation practices
Dr. Phil. René von Schomberg (RWTH Aachen University) -
The 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.
Dr. Julia Backhaus (RWTH Aachen University) -
Territorial transformative research approaches: lessons from ecological socioeconomics
Olivier Petit (Assistant Professor in economics, CLERSE, Artois University) -
Social actor partnership for commons-based research: the “Milestones” Project for a Public Policy on the Commons
Magali Savès (Assistant Professor in economics, CLERSE, Lille University; Chaire Socio-Économie des Communs (SEC); Chaire 3DC, ULille/UCLouvain) -
Understanding urban sustainability from Mode 2 Science and transdisciplinary education: how Master Thesis Ateliers of the Ghent Stadsacademie tackle wicked issues
Prof. dr. Thomas Block (Ghent University)
Tuesday 24 November
The second day is devoted to four parallel sessions, during which more than thirty contributions will be presented. They reflect the diversity of the disciplines and methods mobilised around sustainability, and cover themes such as agricultural and food system transitions, water governance, energy transition, climate litigation, sustainable fashion and consumption, urban resilience, planetary health, citizen science, and social and environmental justice.
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
