CALL FOR PAPERS

Global Innovation and Scientific Collaboration Symposium:
Multi-Stakeholder Partnership for Sustainable Development in the Age of Digitalization

April 15–17, 2026

Ege University, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, İzmir, Türkiye

In today’s era, in which digitalization and information and communication technologies (ICT) have come to the forefront, innovation has become one of the fundamental determining elements of international cooperation across all scientific fields. For every sector and scientific discipline, the ability to keep pace with change constitutes the most important condition for sustaining existence. Increasing global uncertainties, accelerating technological transformations, the reshaping of energy and climate agendas, and the diversification of the instruments used to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) further reinforce this situation. For this reason, innovation emerges not only as a means of technological progress but also as a multidimensional policy domain that shapes social transformation, global governance mechanisms, and regional cooperation frameworks. The transition to a knowledge economy, the widespread diffusion of digital infrastructures, energy transformation, and global frameworks such as the European Green Deal necessitate new partnerships within university–public–private sector–civil society networks, as well as integrated research agendas encompassing data sharing, technology transfer, financing, and social impact assessment.

Based on these requirements, the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences of Ege University is hosting the “Global Innovation and Scientific Cooperation Symposium” in order to discuss interdisciplinary knowledge production, multilateral academic cooperation models, and innovation-based development approaches. The symposium aims to contribute to the development of high-impact research that will accelerate the achievement of sustainable development goals and to deepen interdisciplinary interaction. Establishing a bridge between researchers in Türkiye and internationally recognized scholars constitutes one of the fundamental objectives of this gathering.

The symposium program, in which distinguished scholars from leading universities in Türkiye and around the world will participate as invited speakers, will consist of thematic scientific sessions, panel discussions, and interactive workshops. Papers prepared primarily in the fields of economics, business administration, public administration, and international relations, as well as those framed along the axes of science diplomacy, green economy, digital governance, and global competitiveness, are particularly encouraged. Papers that examine multi-stakeholder, cross-border, and social impact-oriented innovation initiatives will demonstrate a strong alignment with the scope of the symposium.

In order to transform interdisciplinary dialogue into concrete outputs, a strategic workshop will be held on the final day of the symposium, on 17 April 2026. This agoratic session, which will be conducted through the active participation of the participants, plans to integrate the thematic axes addressed throughout the symposium within a common framework. Within the scope of the session, the views and discussions that emerge will enable the identification of future areas of cooperation and the systematic and structured design of these areas in line with a roadmapping approach. The concretization of priority research clusters, joint funding application opportunities, data and infrastructure sharing mechanisms, and regional partnership models constitutes the expected outputs of the workshop.

The working languages of the symposium will be Turkish and English. The submitted papers will be evaluated through a double-blind peer review process by the Scientific Committee, which is structured in accordance with international standards. Selected full papers that successfully complete the peer review process will be considered for publication in a special issue of Ege Academic Review, an international peer-reviewed journal. In addition, a comprehensive final report compiling the main findings, recommendations, and future cooperation opportunities arising from the symposium discussions will be prepared and made accessible to researchers and the public through Ege University’s open-access research platform, nova.ege.edu.tr.

We invite all researchers and academics who wish to promote scientific cooperation on a global scale to participate in this multidisciplinary knowledge-sharing environment.

Important Dates:

• Deadline for Abstract Submission: 27 March 2026

• Notification of Acceptance: 3 April 2026

• Deadline for Full Paper Submission: 15 May 2026

• Deadline for Registration: 5 April 2026

Key Themes of the Symposium

1. Innovation Policies and International Collaborations

• Innovation Policies and International Collaborations for Sustainable Development
• Financing Sustainable Innovation Ecosystems: Development Banks and Public–Private Partnerships
• Open Innovation Platforms and Transnational R&D Collaborations
• International Innovation Networks: University–Industry–Government Collaboration Models
• Crowdfunding-Based Innovation Partnerships: New Models in Cross-Border Venture Financing

2. Science and Technology Diplomacy

• Science, Technology and Innovation Diplomacy
• The Impact of Scientific Collaborations on Global Power Competition
• Technology Transfer Agreements and Diplomatic Negotiation Processes
• Science Diplomacy as a Tool of Soft Power: Country Case Studies
• Start-up Diplomacy: Cross-Border Interactions in Entrepreneurship Ecosystems

3. Green Economy, Energy and Climate Change

• Adaptation Strategies of Developing Countries within the Framework of the European Green Deal
• Carbon Footprint and Energy Economics
• Global Policy Challenges of Emissions Trading Systems
• Financing Renewable Energy: Risks and Opportunities in Emerging Markets
• Corporate Carbon Accounting and Carbon Tax Practices
• Strategic Choices of Emerging Economies in the Green Economy Transition
• The Role of Innovation Policies in the Global Energy Transition and Carbon Footprint Reduction
• Green Hydrogen and International Competition in Next-Generation Energy Technologies
• Public Policies and Regulatory Capacities in Decarbonization Processes
• Innovative Models in Smart Grid Systems and Energy Efficiency Applications

4. Digital Economy, Governance and Social Impacts

• Digital Economy, Innovation, and Global Governance
• The Impact of Artificial Intelligence and Digitalization on Labor Markets
• Data Sovereignty and the Regulation of Digital Trade
• Digital Financial Inclusion and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

5. Global Competition, Trade and Economic Policies

• Innovation-Based International Competition and Trade Policies
• Determinants of Global Competitiveness in Technology-Intensive Sectors
• Innovation Incentives and Feedback Effects in Foreign Trade Policies
• The Geoeconomic Role of Innovation in an Era of Trade Wars
• Global Economic Uncertainties and Crisis Resilience in Emerging Economies
• Resilience to Supply Chain Shocks: Debates on Strategic Autonomy
• Financial Vulnerabilities, Exchange Rate Risks, and Macroeconomic Stability Policies

6. Multilateralism and Regional Cooperation

• The Role of Regional Cooperation in Knowledge-Based Development Models
• Global Governance and Regional Diplomacy: Multilateral Development Approaches
• Multilateralism from the Perspectives of G20, BRICS, and the Organization of Turkic States
• Innovation Agendas of Regional Economic Organizations (e.g., ASEAN, MERCOSUR)
• Cross-Border Policy Alignment through Development Agencies