Latvia  

We are pleased to announce the Call for Papers for the symposium on "Universities, Cities, and Sustainable Development: Collaborative Pathways for a Sustainable Future." This event will take place at the University of Latvia in Riga from April 10 to 11, 2025. The symposium aims to explore the dynamic relationship between universities and cities in promoting sustainable development, focusing on urban planning, education, environmental policy, and socio-economic growth.

Universities and cities are pivotal in addressing sustainability challenges. Their collaborations can lead to innovative solutions for urban development, environmental conservation, and social equity. This symposium seeks to highlight successful partnerships and discuss strategies to strengthen the role of academia in urban sustainability initiatives.

Some of the key themes are:

1.    Curriculum Development, Strategies for incorporating sustainability and cities into courses, including case studies, experiential learning, and interdisciplinary approaches.

2.    Research and Innovation, highlighting cutting-edge research on sustainable practices in cities and discussing how this research can be integrated into teaching.

3.    Industry Collaboration, exploring partnerships between cities and universities, to foster practical learning experiences and promote sustainability at the local level.

4.    Student Engagement, including methods for engaging students in sustainability initiatives in their cities, including student-led projects, sustainability clubs, and competitions.

5.    Global Perspectives, sharing insights and experiences from different regions and cultures to understand how universities and cities may work towards sustainable development.

6.    Future Trends, exploring emerging trends in the relations between universities and cities on sustainable development, and predicting how these trends will shape the future of higher education.

7.    Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in cities, exploring the role of education in fostering sustainability literacy, ethical reasoning, and responsible citizenship among students, educators, and city representatives.

The event will start at 9:00 on 10th April 2025 and finish at 16:30 on 11th April 2025.

It consists of:

•    Plenary sessions: With keynote speakers discussing overarching themes.

•    Breakout sessions: Focused group discussions on specialised topics.

•    Exhibition space: For cities and universities to showcase their works on sustainability

Researchers may submit any complete, original, and unpublished research papers, either conceptual or empirical. The Turnitin similarity index must be below 20%. We kindly request interested colleagues to submit an abstract of 200 to 300 words, along with the authors’ names and full contact details, as soon as possible and before 28^th February 2025

 Early submission of abstracts is strongly encouraged. The deadline for submissions of abstracts should not be regarded as the date the abstracts are due. Rather, it is the last possible day. Therefore, authors who submit their abstracts at a later stage should be mindful of the fact that presentation slots may be taken, and only poster presentations may be possible. Please submit your abstract as soon as you can, to avoid possible problems.

Abstracts should be submitted to: [email protected]

 Full papers are due by June 2025.