International Conference on Sustainable Development

The Global Association of Master’s in Development Practice Programs (MDP), in collaboration with the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), will hold the Ninth Annual International Conference on Sustainable Development (ICSD) on 20-21 September, 2021 virtually.

If you would like to present at the conference, you must submit an abstract as directed below. The conference is also open to observers (i.e. non-presenters). Simply register on the conference website to join us. Registration will open in April 2021.

The conference theme is Research for Impact: An Inclusive and Sustainable Planet. The aim of the conference is to bring together persons involved in research, policy, practice, and business. Participants will share practical solutions for achieving the SDGs at local and national levels. Abstracts should be directly relevant to one of the following topics:
1. Achieving Gender Equality across all 17 SDGs by Closing Gender Gaps in Knowledge and Standards
2. Advanced Transportation and Communication Technologies for Achieving the SDGs
3. Approaches to Transform Universities into Active Agents for an Inclusive and Sustainable Planet
4. Developing the Clean Energy Transition: Innovation, Case-Studies, and Applications Towards an Inclusive and Sustainable Planet
5. Entrepreneurship Models to Advance Sustainable Solutions
6. Green Deal Approaches and the Transformation of External Relations
7. How Digital Innovation Leads to Inclusivity and Sustainable Development Resilience
8. Indigenous Approaches to Sustainable Development Research
9. Interdisciplinary Research for Sustainable Blue Growth
10. Language of Sustainable Development: Making Sense of the 2030 Agenda Within and Across Contexts
11. Localizing Agenda 2030 at the Regional Level
12. Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation in Land Use and Development Planning
13. Repairing SDG 4 and the Right to Education Resetting Tourism after COVID-19 with the SDGs
14. SDG Learnings from COVID-19 for Science-Informed Decision-Making
15. SDG6 Implementation in LMICs and how National Water Policies can Accelerate Progress
16. Sustainability and Circular Economy Assessment
17. Sustainable Development Goals in Construction
18. Sustainable Finance for the Implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement
19. Systems Approaches for Sustainability
20. Water-Energy-Food Nexus Research Impact and Stakeholder Engagement

A more detailed description of each theme can be found here.

Interested presenters should submit an abstract of at least 300 words but not exceeding 500 words, in English*, by 1 May, 2021, via the conference website. Each abstract may only be submitted once and under one theme. Failure to answer questions on the submission form or the submission of the same abstract under multiple topics is likely to result in the abstract being declined. The scientific committee will review abstracts and send all decision letters by 1 June, 2021. Abstracts can be accepted as either poster or oral (i.e. PowerPoint) presentations. Presenters invited to give oral presentations must submit a full paper by 1 August, 2021**, in order to maintain their position in the program. Presenters failing to submit full papers will be moved to poster presentations. Presenters who do not register before the 1 September, 2021 deadline may also forfeit their spot in the agenda.

Abstract Timeline
1 March 2021 Call for Abstracts Open
1 May 2021 Deadline for Submission of Abstracts
1 June 2021 Abstract Decision Letters Emailed
1 August 2021 Full Papers Due (For Abstracts Oral Presentations Only)
1 September 2021 Registration Deadline for Presenters