Twenty-Second International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability

  • Unseen Unsustainability: Addressing Hidden Risks to Long-Term Wellbeing for All
  • 20-22 April 2026
  • University of the Aegean, Rhodes, Greece + Online

Plenary Speakers

The Twenty-Second International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability featured plenary sessions by some of the world’s leading thinkers and innovators in the field.

Phoebe Koundouri

Phoebe Koundouri

Professor, Athens University of Economics and Business & University of Cambridge; Co-Chair, United Nations Global Sustainable Development Report; Chair, World Council of Environmental and Resource Economists Associations; Director, AE4RIA

(Online in English)

Stergios Vakalis

Stergios Vakalis

Assistant Professor, Department of Environment, University of the Aegean, Greece

"Hidden Risks in the Renewable Era: When Clean Energy Creates Systemic Inefficiencies"

Björn Hassler

Björn Hassler

Professor, Södertörn University, Sweden

"When “Ordinary” Science, Policy and Resilience Is Not Enough: How to Stimulate Innovative Environmental Governance from Below"

David Humphreys

David Humphreys

Emeritus Professor, Environmental Policy, The Open University, UK

"Hiding in Plain Sight: The Everyday Practices that Degrade Our Planetary Home"

Research Network Chairs

David Humphreys

David Humphreys

Professor, Environmental Policy, The Open University, United Kingdom

(English)

Victoria Hurth

Victoria Hurth

Senior Associate, Institute for Sustainability Leadership, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom

(English)

José Gutiérrez-Pérez

José Gutiérrez-Pérez

Professor, Educational Research Methodology, Faculty of Science Education, Universidad de Granada, Spain

(Spanish)

Local Conference Chair

Dr. Chryssi Vitsilaki

Dr. Chryssi Vitsilaki

Professor Emerita and former Rector, University of the Aegean, Greece

Emerging Scholar Awardees

For each conference, a small number of Emerging Scholar Awards are given to outstanding graduate students and emerging scholars who have an active research interest in the conference themes. Emerging Scholars perform a critical role in the conference by chairing the parallel sessions, providing technical assistance in the sessions, and presenting their own research papers. The 2026 Emerging Scholar Award Recipients are as follows:

Katryn Furmston

Katryn Furmston

Nottingham Trent University, UK

(In-Person)

Caroline Glowka

Caroline Glowka

University of Lincoln, UK

(In-Person)

Tatenda Musasa

Tatenda Musasa

Midlands State University, Zimbabwe

(In-Person)

Catalina María Maya Iregui

Catalina María Maya Iregui

Universidad de Antioquia, Colombia

(In-Person)

Jessica Telfer

Jessica Telfer

Oklahoma City University, United States

(Online Only)

Jason Pang

Jason Pang

University of Toronto, Canada

(Online Only)

Manikya Sai Tejaswini Vallabhajosyula

Manikya Sai Tejaswini Vallabhajosyula

Univeristy of North Texas, United States

(Online Only)Manikya-Sai-Tejaswini-Vallabhajosyula

Georgios Anagnostopoulos

Georgios Anagnostopoulos

Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences, Greece

(Online Only)

Ali Soltani

Ali Soltani

University of New England, Australia

(Online Only)

Krishna Nair J

Krishna Nair J

VIT-AP University, India

(Online Only)

Host Institution