22nd Annual Conference

NextGen Business: Sustainability & Digitalisation

Date

8th - 11th April 2026

Venue

Polkowice, Poland

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CIRCLE International is delighted to announce a call for papers for the upcoming 22nd CIRCLE International Conference 2026: NextGen Business: Sustainability & Digitalisation. This conference aims to bring together academics, scholars, educators, and professionals from diverse disciplines to exchange ideas, share best practices, and explore collaborative research opportunities.

The conference will serve as a platform for interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge sharing, spanning a wide array of fields. It also offers a valuable opportunity for PhD & Master’s students and early-career researchers to present their work and engage with an international academic audience.

Hybrid Format: Attend Online or In Person

Join us in person to experience the conference closely!

In order to better support our worldwide audience, the 22nd CIRCLE International Conference will provide both in-person and online participation options. While we are pleased to offer virtual access (particularly for delegates from countries with visa or travel restrictions) we actively encourage in-person attendance. Being there in person provides exceptional networking possibilities, important discussions, and a more comprehensive and engaging conference experience.

For those unable to attend, the online platform allows you to present your work and interact with colleagues from all around the world.

Important Deadline

The conference is now accepting papers and abstracts

Abstract submission deadline

6th February 2026

Abstract acceptance notification

28th February 2026

Full paper submission

27th March 2026

Registration/payment

6th March 2026

Register Now

Conference topics

The conference will address a variety of issues, including Finance & Economics, Climate Change & Sustainability, Human Resources (HR), Tourism & Marketing, Social Sciences & Education, Management & Innovation, AI & Digital Transformation.

  • Corporate finance and investment analysis
  • International economics and trade
  • Financial risk management and derivatives
  • Banking systems and digital finance
  • Macroeconomic policy and fiscal sustainability
  • Fintech and financial innovation
  • Economic growth and development studies
  • Climate adaptation and mitigation strategies
  • Environmental economics and policy
  • Sustainable business and circular economy
  • Renewable energy markets and green finance
  • Climate risk assessment and management
  • ESG reporting and corporate responsibility
  • Sustainability in urban planning and infrastructure
  • Strategic workforce planning
  • Diversity, equity, and inclusion in HR
  • Employee engagement and motivation
  • HR analytics and decision-making
  • Talent acquisition and retention strategies
  • Remote work, wellbeing, and hybrid work cultures
  • Learning, development, and leadership training
  • Sustainable and eco-tourism development
  • Destination branding and digital storytelling
  • Consumer behaviour and travel trends
  • Digital marketing, influencers, and AI tools
  • Crisis communication in tourism and hospitality
  • Heritage tourism and cultural authenticity
  • Experience design and customer engagement
  • Educational leadership and curriculum reform
  • Digital pedagogy and virtual learning
  • Inequality, equity, and access in education
  • Sociology of work, identity, and culture
  • Political science, governance, and public policy
  • Mental health, social care, and community resilience
  • Anthropology and intercultural communication
  • Organisational strategy and transformation
  • Leadership and change management
  • Innovation in business models and value creation
  • Agile and lean project management
  • Corporate governance and ethical decision-making
  • Startups, entrepreneurship, and scaling innovation
  • Knowledge management and organisational learning
  • Machine learning and intelligent systems
  • AI in business, education, and healthcare
  • Data analytics and decision support
  • Blockchain, cybersecurity, and digital trust
  • Human–AI collaboration and ethical dilemmas
  • Robotics, automation, and the future of work
  • Smart systems and Industry 4.0 technologies
  • Geospatial intelligence in mine design and resource optimization
  • Subsurface infrastructure monitoring and spatial risk analysis
  • Multisensor data fusion in underground environments
  • Spatial digital archives for industrial heritage and cultural memory
  • Deep tech innovation in mine-to-mill and smelting workflows
  • Geospatial support for sustainable copper metallurgy
  • Waste storage technologies

We welcome submissions from scholars, researchers, practitioners, graduate students, and doctorate candidates.

Publishing Opportunities

Accepted papers and abstracts will be published in the Book of Proceedings and assigned an ISBN.

The best conference papers will be evaluated for publication in select publications, including:

  • Circle International Journals, (IJMC) & (IJSRM)
  • Inderscience Journals, and
  • Other journals indexed in Copernicus and EBSCO databases.
  • Journal of Enterprise Information Management (SCOPUS)

Organisation Committee

Prof. Mohamed El-Ansari

Circle International

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Prof. Mohamed El-Ansari

Circle International

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Prof. Mohamed El-Ansari

Circle International

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Prof. Mohamed El-Ansari

Circle International

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Hosts and Affiliates

The conference is hosted by University Jana Wyżykowskiego. The conference is affiliated with Several universities including Leeds Beckett University, Vitez University, Salford University, and Sunderland University.

Sponsor

The International Foundation Group “IFG”

Our Speakers

Professor Doctor Alexandra Kenyon has the honour of working within two European Universities; University of Vitez; Bosnia and Her-zegovina and Universidad de Leon, Spain. Professor Doctor Alexandra Kenyon is also the Editor in Chief for the International Journal of Sales, Retailing and Marketing. She is also an author and her 10th Edition of the International Marketing Strategy academic textbook is launched in 2025. In addition; Alexandra is a Research Consultant at Leeds Beckett University in the UK; her most recent project, with National Pubwatch. was to investigate how Local Pubwatch Schemes contribute to safe, secure and sociable night-time economies.

Prof. Alexandra J. KENYON
Keynote speaker

Prof. Raj is a Principal lecturer in the Business school in Leeds Beckett University. His research interests include community events, outdoor events, economic impacts, religious tourism, cultural festivals and sustainable tourism, cultural diversity in events management and international tourism.

Prof. Razaq Raj
Keynote speaker

Scientific Committee

  • Michael Addison, International Foundation Group, UK
  • RafałCzachor, University Jana Wyżykowskiego,Poland
  • Vitor Ambrosio, ESHTE, Portugal
  • Gianpaolo Basile, Universitas Mercatorum, Italy
  • Dolores Sanchez Bengoa, University of Vilnius, Lithuania
  • Tomasz Bernat, University of Szczecin, Poland
  • Enrico Bonetti, University of Campagna, Italy
  • Bernd Britzelmaier, Pforzheim University, Germany
  • Leo Dana, Montpellier Business School, France
  • Michael Fass, University of Gloucestershire, UK
  • Antonio Feraco, Fraunhofer IDM@NTU, Singapore
  • Mitsunori Hirogaki, Ehime University, Japan
  • Claudio Vignali, University of Manchester, UK
  • Magdalena Krzyżanowska, Kozminski University, Poland
  • George Lodorfos, Leeds Beckett University, UK
  • Alberto Mattiacci, University of Rome ‘Sapienza’, Italy
  • Hans Ruediger Kaufmann, University of Applied Management Studies, Germany
  • Carmen Santos, University of León, Spain
  • John Stanton, St Joseph’s University, USA
  • Madalena Pereira, Creative University of Lisbon, Portugal
  • Edyta Rudawska, University of Szczecin, Poland
  • Iga Rudawska, University of Szczecin, Poland
  • Tomasz Wiśniewski, University of Szczecin, Poland
  • Ana Sofia Duque, Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, Portugal
  • Jamila Jaganjac, University Vitez, Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Tanja Gavric, University Vitez, Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Anastasia Konstantopoulou, Edgehill University, UK
  • Robin Carey, University of Wolverhampton, UK
  • Elena Horska, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Slovakia
  • Valerio Temperini, Polytechnic University of Marche in Ancona, Italy
  • Silvio Cardinali, Polytechnic University of Marche in Ancona, Italy
  • Dinesh Vallabh, Walter Sisulu University, South Africa
  • Fatmah Lallmahamood, Circle International, UK
  • Neil Richardson, Leeds Business School, UK

For further information, including registration and conference updates, please visit the conference website or email the conference organising committee at conference@circleinternational.co.uk

Submission Guidelines

Abstract format

Interested authors are requested to submit an abstract of their paper (250-300 words). Click here to submit your abstract.

The Abstract must include the following points

  • Title/s, author name/s
  • Institution/s, country/ies.
  • Abstracts should be between 250-300 words in length.
  • The main body should include:
    • A brief introduction
    • Background/key issues from the literature,
    • An overview of the methods and
    • Results/findings if any.
    • Five keywords.

Deadline for abstract submission: 6th February 2026

Authors of accepted abstracts will be invited to submit their full papers (maximum 5000 words). Download the template for the full paper

A selection of the conference papers will be considered for publication in the following journals:

  • International Journal of Management Cases
  • International Journal of Sales, Retailing, and Marketing
  • Journal of Food Products Marketing
  • International Journal of Business and Globalization

To submit the full paper please follows the instructions:

The length of the paper should not exceed 22 pages; the minimum length is 11 pages of standard typescript (A4 size; font Arial; size 12; single line spacing, margins 2.5 cm).

For publication in International Journal of Management Cases and International Journal of Sales, Retailing and Marketing follow the instructions below or visit the below links for the two journals: IJMC Submission Requirement Guidelines & IJSRM Submission Requirement Guidelines

Please supply the text of your article in a Microsoft Word file. All of the text must have the minimum of word processing features.

Give your article a title, and list all of the authors at the top of the page. Include an abstract of no more than 300 words and also a list of keywords.

Attach the document in an email to journals@circleinternational.co.uk

The paper submission deadline: 27thMarch 2025

Papers must be formatted according to the conference guidelines

The text should be in Arial (size 12) using the following features:

  • Single-line spacing
  • Left-aligned text, unjustified
  • A single space between sentences
  • A single carriage return between paragraphsNo additional paragraph formatting, e.g. Word headings or style

Headings:

If the pattern of headings is complex, please distinguish them by making main headings bold, the next level normal and the subheadings in italics.

Display features:

  • Do not use any automatic features of Word-like blobbed and numbered lists.
  • Put theses in via your keyboard with the numbers, blobs and tab spacing.
  • Set up tables and figures as simple as possible so that they can be converted for typesetting.
  • Only cross-reference tables and figures in the main file; at the very least, put them on separate pages-ideally, send additional Word or Excel files.

The text:

  • For the word, be as consistent as you can with spelling, references, and nomenclature.
  • Use English ‘connection’, ‘colour’, ‘capitalize’, spellings in preference to US ‘x’, ‘or’, and ‘z’. If there is variable spelling, please use your word processor to check that you have used it consistently.
  • Numbers should be words from one to ten and in figures thereafter using commas to separate large ones e.g. 1,000,000.
  • Where you use a blobbed list, the entries should be punctuated as sentences – with capital letters and full stops – where they involve a verb, like this one.
  • If the list is part of a sentence like the one for paragraph features above no punctuation will be required until the last blob.
  • Punctuation should be kept to a minimum and full stops only left for genuine abbreviations like e.g. or ibid. (n.b. there is no extra space) For references please see below.
  • Capitalisation of initial letters should also be kept to a minimum. Only dignify titles with capitals where a specific managing director, professor or senior lecturer is mentioned. The initial letters of proper names and titles of books and magazines are capitalized; the titles of articles and the headings in your article will not be. Do not capitalize the internet.
  • Only the initial letter of the first word of a heading or the article title should be capitalized – follow the style of this page. No full stops at the end of headings.
  • Spell out the contents of the acronym in brackets after it; the International Journal of Management Cases (IJMC). For subsequent references, DSA is fine.
  • Use en dashes – like these – without space for parenthesis. Don’t worry if you cannot find these on your machine, they can be put in later. All number series, particularly page references to articles in endnotes, should be separated by an en dash without space: e.g. pp 228 – 412.
  • Use single ‘smart’ (i.e. curly) quotes for all quotations and inverted commas, except where there is a quotation inside a quotation, then use double ones.
  • Use conventional abbreviations for quantities, without spaces between the number and the measure: so £10m, 35% or 25kg, and no extra full stops are required.
  • Show percentages as a figure (35%) rather than spelling it out (percent).

References :

The list of books, articles and sources referred to is placed at the end of the article. It is important that the Harvard referencing system is adopted.

Warning:

  • Do not, under any circumstances, send graphics or pictures embedded in Word Files. Most Word graphics are inextricable from text files.
  • Please type out your captions separately in Word and send in a hard copy of how you would like the diagram to look.

Registration

Doctoral students, faculty members of University Jana Wyżykowskiego, the International Foundation Group, and Circle International receive priority in registration. The cost includes attendance at the conference from 8th to 11th April 2026. It also consists of the presenting of a single paper. All additional papers require an additional conference fee. Additional authors attending the conference have to pay the conference fee. If your paper is not approved and you do not wish to attend, your registration fee will be returned. The prices cover entrance to conference sessions, networking, coffee breaks, lunches, and the gala dinner.

In-person:

Fees Discount Registration by
€252 30% off 30th September 2026
€288 20% off 30th October 2026
€324 10% off 30th November 2026
€360 Standard fee After 30th November 2026

Online:

Fees Entry Type
€180 Standard fee:
€90 Without publication:
Register Now

Accommodation

We understand how important it is to find the right place to stay during the conference. That is why we have prepared a carefully selected list of hotels in Polkowice and nearby towns that offer comfortable rooms, modern conference facilities, and reliable Wi-Fi.

In the center of Polkowice, you will find Aqua Hotel (recepcja@aquahotel.pl) which we recommend and Via Hotel, both highly rated by guests and conveniently located close to the conference venue. These are ideal options for participants who value comfort and proximity to the event.

In the vicinity of Polkowice – within a distance of 10 to 20 kilometers – you will also find other excellent accommodation options, such as Hotel Skarbek in Lubin and Qubus Hotel in Głogów.

Book your accommodation in advance to take advantage of the best offers and fully enjoy your time at the conference in Polkowice.

Transportation

Delegates traveling to Polkowice, Poland, have several convenient transportation options:

  • By Air:
    Although Polkowice does not have its own airport, the nearest international airports are:

    • Wrocław Copernicus Airport (WRO) – approx. 100 km away
      www.airport.wroclaw.pl/en
    • Poznań–Ławica Airport (POZ) – approx. 120 km away
      www.airport-poznan.com.pl/en

From either airport, delegates can continue by car, train (with transfers), or bus.

  • By Train:
    Polkowice is not directly served by the railway. The nearest train stations are located in:

    • Lubin (approx. 15 km)
    • Głogów (approx. 20 km)

Train schedules and ticket booking are available on the official Polish railway website:
www.rozklad-pkp.pl/en

  • By Bus:
    Several regional and long-distance bus services connect Polkowice with major Polish cities like Wrocław, Legnica, and Zielona Góra. Useful bus operators and platforms include:

  • By Car:
    Polkowice is conveniently located near the S3 expressway, providing direct access from the north and south of Poland. The drive from Wrocław takes about 1.5 hours.

Payment

Please make the payment for the conference fee, which includes the costs of bank transfer, to Uczelnia Jana Wyżykowskiego in Poland in order to finalise the registration procedure for the conference. It is crucial to submit the payment only after obtaining notification of abstract acceptance.

Participants are fully responsible for covering the cost of the conference fee.

Payment Information for Conference Participants

We kindly inform all participants that international delegates are required to make payment in euros (EUR) to the following bank account:

SWIFT: WBKPPLPP
PL 35109021090000000114357366

Local participants may make payments in Polish zloty (PLN), based on the current exchange rate published by the National Bank of Poland (NBP) on the day of the transaction to the following bank account:

Santander Bank Polska S.A. o/Polkowice
73 1090 2109 0000 0005 5006 4774

Please ensure that the correct amount is transferred and that any bank fees are covered by the sender.

Please include the phrase “participation in the CIRCLE International Conference” in the bank transfer details and specify the participant’s name and surname. This will enable us to promptly identify and process your payment.

Visa

Before departing, delegates should check visa and travel limitations based on their nationality and destination. Check for travel advisories and recommendations from appropriate agencies to ensure a safe and seamless trip.

If you require a visa to attend the conference in Poland, please follow the steps below:

  1. Check Visa Requirements
    Visit the website of the Polish Embassy or Consulate in your country to determine whether you need a Schengen visa (Type C) for conference attendance and to review specific requirements.
  2. Prepare the Required Documents
    Typically, you will need:

    • A valid passport (must be valid for at least 3 months beyond your planned stay)
    • A completed Schengen visa application form (Download from: www.gov.pl or your local Polish embassy site)
    • An official invitation letter from the conference organizer
    • Hotel booking confirmation
    • Flight itinerary
    • Travel medical insurance with minimum coverage of €30,000 valid for the entire Schengen area
    • Proof of visa fee payment
  3. Submit Application
    Submit the complete application to the nearest Polish Embassy or Consulate, either by scheduling an appointment or via an external visa center (e.g., VFS Global – check your local procedures).
  4. Attend the Visa Interview
    If required, attend a visa interview at the Polish diplomatic mission.
  5. Collect Your Visa
    After approval, collect your visa in person or as instructed.
  6. Important Deadline
    It is strongly recommended to apply for your visa at least 3 months before the conference to ensure timely processing.

Contact Us

For further information, including registration and conference updates, please visit the conference website or email the conference organising committee at conference@circleinternational.co.uk

Circle International
Mayfair Point
34 South Molton Street
London W1K 5RG
United Kingdom