ERF 33rd Annual Conference: Economic Transformation Under Persistent Disruption: Evidence, Policy, and Resilience in MENA
The Economic Research Forum invites submissions for its 33rd Annual Conference. The exact date and location of the conference will be communicated later. The conference will focus on Economic Transformation Under Persistent Disruption: Evidence, Policy, and Resilience in MENA.
The MENA region is facing a period of persistent disruption. Conflict and fragility, fiscal pressures, weak productivity growth, labor market strains, climate risks, food and energy insecurity, displacement, digital transformation and global geoeconomic fragmentation are reshaping the policy choices facing countries across the region.
These challenges require more than short-term crisis management. They call for stronger evidence, better data, deeper regional analysis, and more policy-relevant research on how MENA economies can build resilience while advancing economic transformation, inclusion and sustainable growth.
ERF invites high-quality original research papers that address these questions using rigorous theoretical, empirical, comparative or policy-oriented analysis. Papers should focus on the Arab countries, Iran and Turkey, and should clearly explain their relevance to economic policy in the region.
Conference Themes
Submissions are invited under the following three broad themes, aligned with ERF’s emerging strategic priorities.
- Macroeconomic and Fiscal Resilience
This theme covers research on macroeconomic stability, fiscal sustainability, public debt, inflation, exchange-rate adjustment, monetary policy, subsidy reform, public investment, social protection financing, financial sector resilience, energy-price volatility, conflict-related macroeconomic risks, and the fiscal implications of climate change and energy transition. Papers may also address how countries can maintain stability, protect vulnerable groups and finance development priorities under conditions of constrained fiscal space and recurrent shocks. - Productive Transformation, Private Sector Development and Firm Dynamics
This theme covers research on productivity, firm entry and exit, competition, entrepreneurship, innovation, access to finance, informality, industrial policy, export performance, trade integration, digital adoption, AI, supply-chain resilience, climate adaptation by firms, SMEs, start-ups and the role of the private sector in job creation and economic diversification. Papers that use firm-level data, administrative data or comparative evidence across countries are especially encouraged. - Labor, Inclusion and Human Capital
This theme covers research on employment, unemployment, job quality, informality, youth labor market transitions, female labor force participation, education, skills, migration, refugees and displacement, poverty, inequality, social mobility, social protection, active labor market policies, the care economy, and the implications of automation and AI for work. Papers should pay particular attention to distributional effects, vulnerable groups and the policy constraints shaping labor market outcomes in the region.
Cross-Cutting Themes
ERF also welcomes papers that cut across the above themes, including work on:
- Governance, institutions and political economy;
- Gender equality and social inclusion;
- Conflict, fragility and displacement;
- Digital transformation and artificial intelligence;
- Climate change, water scarcity and food security;
- Energy transition and green growth;
- Trade, regional integration and geoeconomic fragmentation;
- Data, measurement and research infrastructure.
Comparative papers covering more than one country in the ERF region are particularly welcome.
Submission Guidelines
Authors are invited to submit a paper proposal of no more than two pages or 700 words.
The proposal should include:
- Title of the paper
- Author name(s), affiliation(s), and contact information
- Research question and motivation
- Data and methodology
- Expected contribution
- Policy relevance for the ERF region
- Relevant conference theme
Submissions should represent original work. Papers that have already been published or accepted for publication are not eligible.
Accepted authors will be invited to submit full papers according to the conference timeline. Full papers will be reviewed before final inclusion in the conference program.
Selection Process
Submissions will be reviewed through a competitive refereeing process. Selection will be based on:
- Originality and contribution to knowledge;
- Analytical rigor and methodological soundness;
- Quality and relevance of data;
- Policy relevance for the ERF region;
- Potential contribution to regional debate and policy dialogue.
Refereeing committees will nominate the most distinguished papers for the Best Paper Award. Nominated papers will be assessed on the basis of their contribution to knowledge, analytical rigor, and policy relevance.
The awards will be announced during the conference’s Closing Plenary. Each winning paper will receive an honorarium of US$1,000.
Any paper presented at the Annual Conference that is accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal within two years of the conference will receive an honorarium of US$500 per paper.
Eligibility
Submissions are open to researchers working on the Arab countries, Iran and Turkey, regardless of institutional affiliation. ERF encourages submissions from researchers based in the region, early-career scholars, women researchers, researchers from underrepresented countries, and scholars using ERF/OAMDI (https://erfdataportal.com/ ) datasets or other regionally relevant data sources. Co-authored papers and comparative regional studies are encouraged.
Important Dates
- Submission deadline: August 12, 2026
- Notification of acceptance of proposals: September 25, 2026
- Full paper submission deadline: January 2, 2027
- Conference dates: April 2027
Submission
Submissions should be made through the following link: https://erf.org.eg/erf-33nd-annual-conference-submission-form/
Contact
For further inquiries, please contact Mrs. Hoda Azmi, Conference & Logistics Manager, ERF, at 21 Al-Sad Al-Aaly Street, Dokki, Giza, Egypt. Email: hazmi@erf.org.eg