Open Stream

The International Social Innovation Research Conference (ISIRC) is the world’s leading interdisciplinary social innovation research conference. The conference brings together scholars from across the globe to discuss social innovation and social entrepreneurship from varied perspectives. 

ISIRC 2021 will be hosted in Milan (Italy), by the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, ALTIS, Graduate School Business and Society, and E4impact Foundation. It will run from the 8th to 10th September 2021. 

In 2021 the conference theme is “Enabling the change! Social innovation and enterprises for a better future”. This theme aligns with the world leading impactful research and activities being undertaken by members of ALTIS and by E4Impact in Africa, and it reflects the important role we see for social innovation and social enterprise in creating more fair and sustainable societies both in developed and developing countries.

The conference will be organized in the following streams:

1. Active ageing and social innovation
2. Critical perspectives on social innovation
3. New approaches to social innovation: design thinking theory, practice and critique
4. Digital and technological social innovation
5. Financing social impact
6. Hybrid models & organizing implications for social entrepreneurship research & beyond
7. Migrants’ economic, social, and political inclusion: what role for social innovation?
8. Public institutions and social innovation
9. Regional and geographical aspects of social innovation
10. Social impact measurement: challenges and promising pathways
11. Social innovation and entrepreneurship in Africa
12. Social innovation education
13. Social innovation for health and wellbeing
14. Sustainability and social innovation in a time of climate and biodiversity emergency
15. Theoretical and methodological futures for social innovation
16. Universities as global enabling social innovation agents
17. Social innovation and complexity
18. Circular economy and social innovation
19. Spirituality, social innovation and religious entrepreneurship
20. Sustainability and social innovation in pandemic era
21. Orchestration networks for social innovation
22. Open stream.

Guidelines for submission

To contribute to the conference, it is possible to submit both abstracts of papers and proposals for panel sessions. Following details about the submission:

1. Paper abstracts

Must be maximum 400 words, excluding references (Font: Times New Roman 12-pt, double spaced, 2.5 cm margin all around).

They should articulate: (1) the research objectives or questions being addressed; (2) the conceptual or theoretical perspectives informing the work; (3) where appropriate, the methodology utilised; and (4) the contribution of the paper to knowledge in light of the conference themes. 

A maximum of two abstracts may be submitted per presenter (joint papers to be presented by co-authors will also be considered).

To enable anonymity, the authors’ names should not appear. Instead, a cover page giving the title of the paper and full identifying information of the author(s) (name, address, telephone and e-mail address) should be included as a separate Word or PDF document.

On abstract submission please ensure you advise the conference stream. 

1. Panel session proposals 

Must be maximum 400 words, excluding references.

They should include: (1) the panel purpose and its relationship to the nominated conference stream; (2) details of (minimum) three and (maximum) four papers and paper presenters to be included in the panel; and the expected contribution to the panel.

On panel submission please ensure you advise the conference stream. 

Process and deadlines

All paper abstracts and panel proposals must be submitted through: www.isirc2021milano.com 

Abstract and panel proposals submission due: 28th February 2021

Notification of decision on submissions: 31st March 2021

Optional full paper submission for consideration in best paper awards: 15th July 2021

Enquiries about conference administration and technical issues related to online submission should be directed to the conference administration team at isirc2021@unicatt.it   

Guidelines for full paper submissions

Papers must be written in English and should be sent in Microsoft Word or PDF format.

Papers should be between 5,000 and 8,000 words in length including tables, figures and references.

Tables and figures should be incorporated into the paper. Each table and figure should be given a title.

Please include an abstract and four to six key words.

To enable anonymity, the authors’ names should not appear. Instead, a cover page giving the title of the paper and full identifying information of the author(s) (name, address, telephone and e-mail address) should be included as a separate Word or PDF document.

Harvard is the preferred referencing style.