Dear Colleagues, NextGen scholars, partners, and mobility advocates in the VREF community,
We invite you to bring your voices, research, and passion to The 1st Global Convening on Informal and Shared Mobility (GloCon). Taking place in Bangkok, Thailand, from October 26–28, 2026, GloCon is a historic opportunity to push our collective research into real, lasting systems change.

Whether your work focuses on digitalization, labor conditions, public health, or integrating informal transport with formal transit networks, this is our shared arena – let’s shape it together.

Why This Matters Now

For hundreds of millions of people across the Global South, tuk-tuks, matatus, jeepneys, boda-bodas, and shared vans aren’t just transportation – they are the lifelines of the city. They are essential to the functioning of communities and play a key role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 8.3, 11.2, and 13) and decarbonizing the transport sector.

Through our VREF Informal and Shared Mobility (ISM) program, with PRISM as our flagship initiative, we have been working to strengthen equity, sustainability, and inclusion in transport across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Transforming popular transport into a catalyst for social justice requires strong data, interdisciplinary research, and, above all, true collaboration.

“The goal of GloCon is to build a future where cities and rural areas meaningfully invest in and integrate informal and shared mobility as essential parts of their transportation systems,” says Henrik Nolmark, Executive Director of VREF. “Transforming popular transport into a powerful catalyst for sustainable development and social justice requires strong data, shared knowledge, and collaboration. Through GloCon, we are bringing together leading global research and creating space for informed dialogue that can shape the future of mobility.”

Three Pillars of Systems Change

The convening is built on three foundational pillars:

• Shared Knowledge: Showcasing rigorous, comparative research with a spotlight on knowledge from and for the Global South.
• Shared Movement: Creating a rare, inclusive space where researchers, policymakers, civil society, and transport workers sit equally at the table.
• Shared Transformation: Ensuring that small operators and workers actively help shape the future of mobility, rather than simply inheriting it.

A Comprehensive Program & Call for Papers

Alongside PRISM, Columbia University, and our global partners, we are turning research into action with a robust week of programming:

• Joint Call for Papers (Submit by December 19): We are calling on our research community to submit academic papers. Selected submissions will be presented at the conference and considered for publication in a special joint issue across three leading journals: ATS, AFTRAN, and LATS.
• ISM Graduate Research Academy (Oct 23–24): An intensive, invitation-only mentorship program for graduate researchers, hosted by PRISM and CUTI.
• Independent Side Events (Oct 25 & 29): Focused roundtables, workshops, and receptions hosted by partners and sponsors.
• Main Conference (Oct 26–28): Featuring plenary sessions, keynote addresses, panel discussions, and immersive site visits across Bangkok.

During the event, organizers will also unveil the landmark ISM Global Declaration, setting a foundational commitment to advancing equitable and sustainable informal transit worldwide.

An Invitation to Set a Global Standard

There is no better city than Bangkok to host this global conversation. Its streets serve as a living laboratory where formal transit infrastructure and informal movement systems have coexisted and evolved together for decades. Let’s come together to advance people-centered mobility systems worldwide.

Event Details:

• When: October 26–28, 2026
• Where: Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

Links & Registration:

• Learn more: informalandsharedmobility.net
• View the Agenda: [Click here for the schedule]
• Register Now: [Secure your spot]

Co-organizers & Partners GloCon is presented by the Volvo Research and Educational Foundations (VREF).Supported by: the Clean Mobility Collective (CMC), Kuehne Climate Center, and the French Development Agency (AFD). Co-organized by: Chulalongkorn University Transportation Institute (CUTI), Partnership for Research in Informal and Shared Mobility (PRISM), Global Network for Popular Transportation (GNPT), Columbia Climate School, Shared-Use Mobility Center (SUMC), World Resources Institute (WRI) Ross Center for Cities, Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies (EASTS), Society for the Promotion of Area Resource Centers (SPARC), and Trufi Association.

Questions? Don’t hesitate to contact the academic committee at: glocon2026papers@gmail.com