Villa College Concludes Research Conference Held Under Shaping Sustainable Futures Theme
Villa College’s 10th International Conference on Social Research and Innovation (ICSRI 2026) concluded yesterday, bringing together researchers, academics, policymakers and industry representatives to explore sustainable development and social transformation.
Held at Villa College’s QI Campus from August 8 to 9, this year’s conference was themed ‘Tides of Transformation: Shaping Sustainable Futures’.
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Conference Chair and Villa College Deputy Vice Rector for Research and Innovation Dr Mohamed Adil said 116 abstracts were submitted for the conference, with 81 accepted for presentation. A total of 25 full research papers were also submitted, while 138 participants from academia, government and industry registered for the event.
Adil said the conference aims to strengthen connections between researchers, students and industry experts while providing a platform to discuss new ideas and approaches in the social sciences and development.
Villa College Rector Dr Ahmed Anwar said the conference has continued to grow in participation and significance among local and international higher education and research communities. He said the event should be used to ensure research produces practical benefits for society.
Minister of Economic Development, Transport and Trade Mohamed Saeed officially opened the conference, highlighting the need for countries to transition towards new development models that are economically, socially and environmentally sustainable.
The two-day conference featured three keynote speeches, four panel discussions and eight Impact Room sessions, which bring researchers, policymakers and experts together to discuss issues relevant to practical policymaking.
The panel discussions covered psychosocial risks, technical and vocational education and training, the digital divide, and waste governance in small island developing states.
The college said that the Impact Room sessions held during the conference focused on areas including digital transformation, tourism growth and carrying capacity, fisheries governance, emerging technologies, education for Industry 4.0, sustainability, and decentralisation and people-centred governance.
Three keynote speakers addressed the conference on national education reform, sustainable food futures in Bangladesh’s Sundarbans, and tourism resilience in an era of multiple crises.
The conference also featured eight research tracks covering areas including health systems, digital learning, social innovation, ethical technologies, renewable energy, low-carbon transitions, and legal and public policy transformation.
Minister Saeed launched the second issue of Volume 9 of Villa College’s International Journal of Social Research and Innovation during the opening ceremony.
Maryam Hudhna Shareef received the Best Paper Award for her research paper, ‘The Effect of Gratitude Journaling on Work Engagement: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study’.
Certificates were also presented to the conference’s partners, partner journals and endorsers by Villa College Deputy Vice Rector for Administration and Finance Abdul Munnim Mohamed Manik. The conference was supported by 21 entities across these categories.
Delivering the closing remarks, ICSRI Coordinator Dr Mamdooaha Ismail thanked the researchers, participants, partners and organising team for their contributions to the successful conclusion of the conference.
