EADI/IOB 2026 Conference — Shaping Sustainable Futures: Global Challenges, (G)local Solutions?

29 June – 2 July 2026 | Institute of Development Policy, University of Antwerp, Belgium

The 2026 EADI/IOB conference will explore the dynamics of sustainability across ecological, socio-economic, cultural, and political dimensions, with a focus on how global challenges intersect with local realities. Under the theme Shaping Sustainable Futures: Global Challenges, (G)local Solutions?, the event will examine tensions and synergies between global frameworks—such as climate agreements, the Sustainable Development Goals, and international trade policies—and local, context-driven approaches to sustainability.

The program will address key questions about equitable resource distribution, governance, and competing visions for sustainable production, highlighting the interplay between large-scale policy initiatives and community-driven solutions. By putting the ‘G’ in local within parentheses, the conference emphasizes the interdependence of global and local decision-making, and how actions at one level influence—and are influenced by—developments at the other.

Researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and students are invited to contribute, with particular encouragement for interdisciplinary and cross-sector collaboration. Comparative research linking diverse localities in the Global North and South, and reflections on the evolving role of Development Studies in addressing these interconnected challenges, will be central to the discussions.