Call for papers
The 5th edition of the EU-PAIR 2026 International Conference is dedicated to exploring what the European Commission’s unveiling of the 2026 Work Programme, entitled Europe’s Independence Moment, that marks a pivotal shift in the European Union’s strategic orientation toward enhanced sovereignty, resilience, and global agency. Confronted with mounting pressures on security and democratic governance, intensifying geopolitical conflicts, economic and industrial vulnerabilities, and the accelerating impacts of climate change, the European Union is redefining the foundations of its political, economic, and technological autonomy. This evolving agenda raises critical questions about how the EU conceptualizes independence, how these ambitions are translated into policy frameworks, and how they reshape Europe’s role within an increasingly fragmented international order. Academics, researchers, practitioners, doctoral candidates, students, and stakeholders are invited to engage in discussions on June 18th – 19th at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Romania.The EU-PAIR Conference 2026 theme is Europe’s Independence Moment: Governance, Power, and Policy Transformation in a Fragmented Global Economy.Europe’s Independence Moment captures a defining juncture for the European Union as it confronts profound transformations in the global economy, geopolitical order, and technological landscape. Intensifying strategic competition, disrupted supply chains, climate imperatives, and rapid digitalisation are reshaping how power is exercised and how prosperity is generated. This conference invites scholars and practitioners to examine the governance arrangements, policy instruments, and economic strategies required for Europe to secure autonomy while remaining open, competitive, and committed to democratic values.Conference Focus: The conference focuses on how the European Union is reconfiguring its governance structures, public policies, and economic strategies in response to growing geopolitical, technological, environmental, and societal pressures. It explores the ways in which power is exercised through institutions, regulation, and markets, and how public authorities, businesses, and civil society jointly shape Europe’s capacity to act in a fragmented global economy.The interdisciplinarity of the EU administrative science field permits to have a broader list of subjects for debating from all areas of research. Participants are encouraged to delve into topics including but not limited to: EU governance and institutional transformation, security, defence and resilience, economic sovereignty and industrial policy, digital transformation and technological governance, green transition and climate governance, social Europe and skills, external action and global partnerships, business and corporate responsibility, and policy design, implementation and evaluation.
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS – to be announced
TRACKS
The following tracks are stated for the conference (but not limited to):
PUBLICATION OPPORTUNITIES
The papers (maximum 2 papers/person) presented during the EU-PAIR 2026 will be double peer-reviewed for originality, clarity, significance, and scientific contributions. The accepted papers will be sent to be included in the Scientific Proceeding of the Conference. The previous EU-PAIR proceedings were indexed into ProQuest under Clarivate – E-Book Series, CEEOL, and Google Scholar databases.
The length of the paper should be between 6 and 20 pages. The final paper should strictly follow the guidelines (see paper template).
The authors will have the opportunity to publish into the following journals (in accordance with the journals’ requirements):
PRACTICALITIES
The language of the conference is English. The abstract and final paper must be submitted in English. The conference will be organised as a hybrid event, but we strongly encourage in-person attendance for presenters.
IMPORTANT DATES
REGISTRATION
PAYMENT DETAILS:Beneficiary: Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, RomaniaFiscal Code 4701126For payments in RON:Trezoreria IasiRO44TREZ40620F330500XXXXFor payments in EURO:BRD – GROUPE SOCIETE GENERALE SARO71BRDE240SV33256932400SWIFT Code: BRDEROBUXXX
Payments should be made specifying “Conference Fee EU-PAIR 2026 for:” and the NAME of the paper’s first author. A scanned copy of the document proofing the payment should be sent by e-mail at eupair@uaic.ro
CONFERENCE VENUE:Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, RomaniaFaculty of Economics and Business AdministrationCarol I, Blvd., No. 11, Iasi, Romania, 700505
For further details or questions please don’t hesitate to contact us at eupair@uaic.ro.
