PhD Conference on Sustainable Development 2026

The conference is organised by the Agenda 2030 Graduate School at Lund University and 2026 marks the sixth edition of this PhD conference on sustainable development. Over the years, it has become an important meeting place for doctoral students interested in sustainability in its broadest sense.

The programme features paper and poster presentations, workshops and panel discussions exploring sustainable development from a range of perspectives. The day concludes with an optional after-work session from 15:30.

Theme: Beyond Agenda 2030

This year’s conference invites participants to think beyond current timelines, disciplinary boundaries and policy frameworks.

A global agenda for sustainable development has its roots deep in the 20th Century and will extend far beyond the current timeline, even if it has, and will continue to go through significant, even radical change. This year’s conference is dedicated to sustainable development beyond current frames, be it in terms of timeline, disciplinary or interdisciplinary conceptualisations, or policy. And if you are working on SDGs as they currently exist, you are more than welcome too! We hope you would like to join this important conversation.

The conference will open with a keynote by Johannes Stripple, Associate Professor at the Department of Political Science, Lund University, whose work on environmental governance and future-oriented sustainability thinking resonates with this year’s theme ‘Beyond Agenda 2030’. His talk, “Environmental Politics After the Future: From Earth System Governmentality and Agenda 2030 to BiberAmt”, will explore changing approaches to environmental governance and adaptation in a world increasingly shaped by uncertainty and transformation.

Programme and registration

The conference is free of charge and will take place at Geocentrum I & II (Sölvegatan 10-12) in Lund on 13 October 2026.

Please visit the Agenda 2030 Graduate School website to view the programme and register for the conference. Registration is open until 5 October 2026. We hope you will join us for a day of inspiring discussions, new connections, and fresh perspectives on sustainable development.

PhD Conference on Sustainable Development, 13 October 2026 | Agenda 2030 Graduate School

Who can participate in the conference?

All PhD students at Lund University with an interest in sustainable development are welcome. Subject to available places, master’s students and PhD students from other universities may also participate.