Call for Papers:

GIGS 5th Annual Conference:

Innovation, Social Preferences, and Sustainable Value Creation for Business, People & Planet

July 8-11, 2026

Submission Deadline: March 1st, 2026

Keynote Speakers

Khrystyna Bochkay, PhD

Professor of

Accounting and

Academic Advisor -

International

Sustainability

Standards Board

Miami Herbert

Business School, The

University of Miami

Josef Zechner, PhD

Professor of Finance

and Investments, Co-

Head of Research

Institute for Capital

Markets (ISK)

WU Vienna

University of

Economics and

Business

The Global Initiative for Governance and Sustainability (GIGS) invites submissions for its 2026 Annual Conference, which will take place in Hamamet, Tunisia, from July 8–11, 2026, and will mark the fifth anniversary of GIGS.

The conference theme, “Innovation, Social Preferences, and Sustainable Value Creation for Business, People & Planet,” seeks to advance scholarly understanding of how innovation-driven business models interact with social preferences, behavioral considerations, and stakeholder expectations in shaping sustainable economic and organizational outcomes.

While innovation remains central to addressing environmental, social, and governance challenges, growing attention to social preferences, values, norms, and non-financial motivations has reshaped perspectives on decision-making in firms, markets, and public institutions. The conference encourages research that examines how these dimensions influence investment behavior, corporate strategy, governance mechanisms, and policy design in the context of sustainability and long-term value creation.

We welcome theoretical, empirical, and methodological contributions that explore the interplay between innovation, social preferences, and sustainability, as well as papers addressing broader themes in:

• Accounting, accountability, and sustainability reporting
• Finance, financial markets, and sustainable investing
• Business strategy and strategic innovation
• Behavioral and institutional perspectives on decision-making
• Digital transformation and responsible technologies

The GIGS 2026 Annual Conference aims to foster rigorous interdisciplinary dialogue among scholars and practitioners, contributing to deeper insights into how innovation and social preferences jointly support sustainable business practices and societal well-being.

The GIGS Summer Symposium offers an exceptional platform for faculty, students, and practitioners to converge in a refreshing and inspiring environment. It encourages stimulating transdisciplinary dialogues and debates, propelling our scholarship to new pinnacles. And what better setting to rekindle old friendships, forge new ones, and mutually inspire than the stunning beaches and azure skies of Hammamet, Tunisia. GIGS 2026 will also host a Doctoral Colloquium and Mentoring on July 8, 2026.

Key dates:

• Submission opens: 5 January 2026
• Submission deadline: March 31st, 2026
• Notification of decision: On a rolling basis, latest on April 15th, 2026

 Registration link: https://gigs-initiative.org/event/gigs-5th-annual-conference-2026-21/register

Best Paper Awards:

The following awards will be presented based on recommendations by the scientific committee and conference chairs: Conference Best Paper, Best Paper in each Track, Best Doctoral Paper, and Best Discussant Award. Monetary stipends will be offered to the winners!

Doctoral Symposium:

The Doctoral Symposium will be held on July 8th, 2026. Interested PhD Students in the areas of accounting, finance, economics, and sustainability should be nominated by a supervising faculty members (e.g. supervisor, advisor, department chair, etc.) by sending their nomination letter to academic@gigs-initiative.org before the submission deadline March 1st, 2026.

Chair of the Doctoral Symposium: Professor C.S. Agnes Cheng, the Dale Looper Chair in Accounting in the Price College of Business, the University of Oklahoma.

Submission information: All submissions must be fully developed papers and require giving a formal presentation at the conference. Papers must be fewer than 12,000 words inclusive of all materials, including appendices and references. Papers exceeding these limits may be returned to the author(s). Papers must be submitted in PDF or DOCx format. 

Paper Submission

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Looking forward to seeing you there!

Conference Co-Chairs:

• Ines Chaieb, Professor of Finance, University of Geneva & SFI Swiss Finance Institute
• Amna Chalwati, Professor of Accounting, Sobey School Business, Saint Mary’s University

Conference Track Chairs 

Accounting: 

• Samir Trabelsi, CPA Ontario Distinguished Scholar & Professor of Accounting and Governance, Brock University
• Amna Chalwati, Professor of Accounting, Sobey School Business, Saint Mary’s University

Finance:

• Ines Chaieb, Professor of Finance, University of Geneva & SFI Swiss Finance Institute
• Nadia Massoud, Ian Potter Professor of Finance, Melbourne Business School, University of Melbourne
• Imen Latrous , UQAC 

Entrepreneurship:

• Robert Wood, Professor of Behavioural Decision Theory & Director of CommBank Diaries 2026 project, Macquarie University
• Neila Benzina, CEO,  Wimbee

Management:

• Majdi Ben Selma, ESG UQAM
• Hela Chebbi, ESG UQAM
• Khalil Rhaiem, UQAC

Industrial Relations:

Yasmine Mohamed, UQAT