Researchers and practitioners are invited to contribute to the Research Conference within the First Global Convening on Informal and Shared Mobility (ISM), taking place in Bangkok, October 26–28, 2026. The conference will highlight new research, comparative perspectives, and collaborative approaches to informal and shared mobility systems, with a particular focus on the Global South.
The first-ever Global Convening on Informal and Shared Mobility (ISM) will bring together ISM workers and businesses, researchers, policymakers, and civil society to exchange knowledge and explore new ways to strengthen the inclusion and integration of informal and shared mobility across key policy areas such as transport, public health, climate, and the economy.
As part of the convening, a Research Conference will be held to present and discuss new research results. Following the conference, selected papers will be invited for inclusion in an international joint special issue publication in Asian Transport Studies (ATS), African Transport Studies (AFTRAN), and Latin American Transport Studies (LATS), under Elsevier’s Regional Transport Studies series.
Researchers are invited to submit extended abstracts (600–800 words) presenting empirical research, conceptual innovation, or policy analysis related to informal and shared mobility. Submissions offering interdisciplinary perspectives, South–South collaboration, cross-regional comparison, or engagement with community organizations and ISM workers are particularly encouraged.
Key themes
- Digitization and platformization
- Livelihoods, labor conditions, and capacity development
- Governance, regulation, and political economy
- Gender, inclusion, and equitable access
- Low-carbon transitions and environmental impacts
- Public health and safety in ISM systems
- Integration with public transport and other mobility modes
- Financing and economic sustainability of ISM systems
Important dates
- Abstract submission opens: November 15, 2025
- Submission deadline: January 5, 2026
- Notification of acceptance: February 15, 2026
- Full paper submission (for publication and travel support consideration): May 15, 2026
Limited travel support will be available, particularly for early-career researchers from low- and middle-income countries and affiliates of the VREF Next-Gen programs or PRISM partner institutions.
READ THE FULL CALL FOR ABSTRACTS HERE
Questions? Contact: glocon2026papers@gmail.com
Co-organizers
This conference is co-organized by:
VREF (Volvo Research and Educational Foundations),
Partnership for Research on Informal and Shared Mobility (PRISM),
Global Network for Popular Transport, and
Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok.
