Vesela Veleva, Sc.D.
Senior Lecturer, Department of Management
Director, MBA Program
Co-Director, Center for Sustainable Enterprise and Regional Competitiveness
College of Management
UMass Boston
Email: [log in to unmask]
http://www.umb.edu/academics/cm/faculty_staff/faculty/vesela_veleva
The 4th International SCORAI conference is hosted by the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs at Northeastern University in Boston from June 10th to 12th 2020. This conference provides an opportunity to highlight cutting-edge research and innovative initiatives from different parts of the world, to expand linkages between knowledge and action, and to broaden connections among a diversity of researchers and practitioners. Conference organizers are collaborating on an innovative pilot initiative with the Department of Sustainable Development at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden which will host a Nordic Hub of the SCORAI 2020 Conference, with opportunities for remote participation for a limited number of participants. SCORAI is also organizing a two-day summer school for Early Career researchers and practitioners immediately prior to the 2020 conference at Northeastern University (June 8-9, 2020). The summer school will bring together established scholars and emerging voices to convene spaces for co-learning, dialogue and mentorship. Application and agenda details forthcoming.
Conference Theme: Sustainable Consumption & Social Justice in an Urbanizing World
Despite the climate crisis and other growing risks of environmental degradation, efforts to shift toward more sustainable systems of consumption and production and more sustainable ways of living continue to be woefully inadequate. As unsustainable trends and
practices perpetuate, many are recognizing that the sustainability transformation is being hampered in part because of limited attention to social justice, growing socio-economic and racial inequities, and widening disparities among and within communities
around the world. Other root causes are the dominant focus on economic growth, the prevalent culture of consumerism, and the lack of responsiveness by political systems that are heavily influenced by corporate interests. Recognizing these gaps, the SCORAI
2020 conference provides a creative venue for connecting sustainable consumption and social justice in an urbanizing world, and for reflecting on the challenges of deep systemic change necessary to accelerate transformation toward a more just and sustainable
world.
The conference organizers invite researchers and practitioners from around the world who are engaged in work on social justice, sustainable consumption, and the integration of these issues, to participate, attend, and submit proposals for sessions and individual
presentations. The conference’s foci on urban issues and social justice provide an opportunity to integrate into sustainable consumption conversations such issues as: over- and under- consumption taking place side by side; the unequal impacts of transitioning
toward more sustainable consumption
on different socio-economic groups; barriers to more sustainable ways of living and livelihoods grounded in race, gender, power and privilege; the social justice impacts of urban gentrification and consumption patterns.
Session proposals reflective of the overarching theme of the conference are invited, with a goal of attracting a diversity of scholars and practitioners. Themed sessions and contributions in the following areas are particularly welcome but not limited to those:
Call for Sessions and Abstracts
Researchers and practitioners from around the world are invited to submit session proposals and/or individual abstracts for presentation or posters. The submission process involves two phases: the submission portal will first be accepting session proposals
from September 3 until October 18, 2019. Researchers and practitioners are welcome to propose to the organizing committee specific important themes for sessions. Session proposals will then be reviewed by the conference organizing committee and specific themed
sessions will be posted on the conference website in late October. Individual abstracts will then be accepted thought the submission portal from November 1st until December 13, 2019. During abstract submission, individuals will have an opportunity to request
to be included for consideration in any of the themed sessions. Abstracts that are not aligned with any of the themed sessions are also welcome. All abstracts will be reviewed by members of an International Review Committee listed on the conference website.
Session Proposals (open September 3 – October 18, 2019)
Two kinds of session proposals are invited: full paper sessions and dialogue/roundtable sessions.
• Full paper sessions: Presentation and discussion of original research papers
• Dialogue/Roundtable sessions: Discussion and debate around a particular thematic focus integrating research and practice. These sessions will take a variety of innovative
formats as determined by the session conveners. This includes creative innovative interactive sessions, world café style dialogues, a series of short lightning / pecha kucha talks, role-playing activities, work studios etc.
Session proposals should articulate a vision for a coherent themed session lasting either 60 minutes or 90 minutes. A full line-up of individual speakers is not required for session proposals. Session proposals will be reviewed and specific themed sessions will be identified before the portal opens for individual abstracts submissions.
SUMBIT YOUR SESSION PROPOSAL HERE
Abstract Submission and Review (open November 1, 2019 – December 13, 2019)
Researchers and practitioners are invited to submit individual abstracts that will be reviewed by the SCORAI international review committee. Abstracts will be reviewed on the basis of the following criteria: novelty, quality, and engagement with the conference
theme. Accepted individual abstracts will be assigned to either a full paper session, a dialogue roundtable session, a flash-talk session, or a poster session. Individual abstracts should be 300-500 words long, indicating which of the conference themes it
best fits (up three themes can be selected) provide a title and list the names, institutional affiliations, city and country addresses and emails of co-authors of abstract.
Organizing Committee
Jennie Stephens, Northeastern University, Co-Chair & local organizer
Frances Fahy, National University of Ireland, Galway Co-Chair
Halina Brown, SCORAI Board
Philip Vergragt, SCORAI Board
Vesela Veleva, UMass Boston
Liz Allen, Northeastern University
Please direct inquiries to the following:
SCORAI 2020 conference organizers: [log in to unmask]
SCORAI 2020 Summer School: Manisha Anantharaman [log in to unmask] & Daniel Fischer [log in to unmask]
SCORAI 2020 Nordic Hub: Karin Bradley [log in to unmask] & Asa Svenfledt [log in to unmask]