Keynote Speakers

 The Scientific Partners of BIOECON are pleased to announce the Twenty-fifth International BIOECON Conference on the theme of “Economic Development, Population Dynamics and Biodiversity Conservation”. The Conference will be held at Kings College, Cambridge between the 4^th – 6^th September 2024. BIOECON XXV will be of interest to both researchers and policymakers working on issues associated with issues at the interface of economic development, conservation and population pressures.

Our keynote speakers will be Professor Elizabeth J. Z. Robinson (Director of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), UK) and Professor Paul R. Armsworth (Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA).

In addition to the conference theme, BIOECON XXV aims to have parallel sessions on a broad range of topics within the umbrella of biodiversity economics including: the role of biodiversity and ecosystem services in economic development, plant genetic resources and food security issues, deforestation and development, fisheries, institutions and instruments (e.g. Payments for Ecosystem Services), biodiversity finance, development and conservation, wildlife conservation and endangered species, international trade and regulation and climate change. For a flavour of previous conferences go to this link http://www.bioecon-network.org/pages/events-01.html.

In particular, submissions are invited on the themes of:

• Instruments for conservation in the context of land-use and biodiversity
• Innovative financial mechanisms for conservation
• Evaluation of biodiversity-related policies and programmes
• The use of spatial data to study impacts on biodiversity and conservation programmes
• The conservation and value of crop genetic diversity
• Institutional frameworks for resource conservation (property rights, market instruments etc.)
• The role of behavioural economics in biodiversity conservation policy design
• Experimental (lab and field) approaches to biodiversity and ecosystem service conservation
• Institution-building for provision of global public goods
• Issues of governance and management of natural resources in developing countries
• Development, growth and resource constraints
• Resources management, distribution, development, poverty alleviation.
• Experimental or survey research on the households’, investors’, or executives’ biodiversity preferences or beliefs.

Aligned with the conference theme we will also run a special session on “Population, Fertility Decline and Resource Exploitation:  The Future of Biodiversity” that will be hosted by Prof Timothy Swanson from the Centre for International Environmental Studies (CIES) at the Geneva Graduate Institute (IHEID). The special session welcomes papers addressing any issues regarding population, fertility, dependency, global land use and the impacts of these issues regarding natural resources. Authors that wish their papers to be considered for the special session should make this known upon submission.

BIOECON also has the goal of influencing policy-makers and policy. To this end expert policy panels will be organised. The purpose of these panels will be to bring together practitioners (Government, private sector, NGO) and academics from different disciplines to discuss current policy related issues in biodiversity conservation and environment. The panel sessions will be supported by and contribute to the aims and goals of the funding partners. The precise composition of the Policy Panels is to be announced.

THE VENUE 

The Conference will be held at the historical premises of King’s College Cambridge. Accommodation and all meals will be provided in the College. The conference will open with a reception at King’s College on the evening of Wednesday the 4^th of September. Conference sessions will commence on the morning of the 5^th of September and conclude on the afternoon of the 6^th September (5:00pm). The conference banquet will take place at the main Dining Hall of King’s College on the evening of the 5^th September. Delegates will also have privileged access to the renown King’s College Chapel (unless closed for building work).

SUBMISSIONS
Complete papers may be submitted for presentation within the BIOECON Conference and only complete papers will be considered by the Scientific Programme Committee. Electronic copies should be sent to bioecon@bioecon-network.org no later than Tuesday 14^th of May 2024. Please include Abstract, JEL Codes and Keywords with your submission. Acceptance of papers will be notified by email by Monday 27^th of May 2024. If you wish to be considered for a bursary (details below) please indicate this when you apply. Applying for a bursary will not affect whether your paper is selected (indeed, the paper may be accepted even if we are unable to offer a bursary).

It is also possible to submit 3-4 papers together as a suggested “special session” under a theme similar to those indicated above. The Scientific Partners reserve the right to accept papers on an individual basis, so it is possible that even when a session is not accepted, individual papers within the session might be so.

REGISTRATION

Attendees will be charged £290 to cover: accommodation (on a B&B basis) on the 4^th and 5^th; drinks reception drinks on 4^th; banquet dinner on the 5^th; lunch and teas and coffees on 4^th and 5^th. Accommodation at King’s College (on a B&B basis) is also available for the nights of the 3^rd and 6^th, at £115/night (for single room). Day participants (not requiring overnights stay) will be charged £120/day (includes lunch and conference banquet) or £90/day (includes lunch but not the conference banquet). All other questions regarding fees, registrations and accommodation should be sent to the conference secretariat at bioecon@bioecon-network.org.

The conference will be an entirely in-person event. Virtual attendance or on-line presentation of one’s paper will not be possible.

There will be a limited number of bursaries made available which will allow some presenters to attend free of charge (though they will not cover travel to the conference or any visa fees). These will be directed towards PhD students and early career researchers, and particularly those who are based at institutions in the Global South. As noted above, please indicate if you would like to apply for a bursary when submitting your paper.

Registration will open on Tuesday 3^rd of June 2024. Registration for all conference attendees, and presenters is due by Wednesday 28^th June 2024. It may be possible for attendees who are not presenting to register later than this, but such places cannot be guaranteed. Cancellation and refund policy will be announced when Registration formally opens. Further registration details and all other conference information will be provided on the BIOECON website at www.bioecon-network.org.