ISTANBUL CONFERENCE ON ECONOMICS AND SOCIETY (ISTCES)
24-26 September 2025 / Ibn Haldun University, Başakşehir, Istanbul
Theme
Pathways to Inclusive Growth: Overcoming Challenges in Emerging and Developing African Countries
The maiden edition of the Istanbul Conference on Economics and Society (ISTCES), hosted by the Department of Economics at Ibn Haldun University, will be held from 24th to 26th September 2025 at the Ibn Haldun University Complex in Başakşehir, Istanbul under the theme “Pathways to Inclusive Growth: Overcoming Challenges in Emerging and Developing African Countries.”
Emerging and developing countries face multifaceted challenges. In some nations these growth challenges are so severe that they are described as growth disasters. Even when economic growth occurs, its benefits are distributed unevenly, heightening social stratification and threatening economic, social, and political stability. Developing countries in Africa are especially susceptible to this pattern; Ghana, Mozambique, Mauritania, Zambia, Chad, Mali, and Madagascar were once labelled growth disasters.
Although the early 2010s saw the rise of the so-called “African lions” Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, and South Africa concerns persist about the sustainability of this growth and the effects of inequality. Income gaps have created “zones of luxury,” whose implications for economic and political stability are magnified by the fragility of many African democracies. This momentum was further interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Lockdowns and social-support programmes introduced by some African governments led to rapidly rising national debt and, in Ghana’s case, a debt restructuring, undermining investor confidence.
Climate change is another growing concern for African countries whose agriculture depends largely on natural rainfall. More frequent and volatile extreme weather events pose a significant challenge to food security and sustainable development.
The inaugural ISTCES aims to provide a forum for researchers, scholars, policymakers, industry leaders, and development practitioners from and working on Africa to discuss ways of fostering inclusive economic and social growth in African countries. The conference seeks to explore innovative and sustainable solutions to the economic and societal challenges faced by emerging and developing African nations, to create avenues for collaboration among academics, industry players, and policymakers, and to strengthen international partnerships for mutual growth, particularly among African scholars and between African and Turkish researchers.
We invite academics, researchers, policymakers, and student researchers working on any aspect of inclusive growth in Africa, including socio-cultural, economic, political, religious, business, trade, innovation, literary, educational, sociological, and philosophical dimensions to participate in the first edition of ISTCES, to discuss, disseminate, and learn about strategies and emerging practices in inclusive growth as they apply to Africa.
Why Attend?
Engage with leading experts in sustainability, economics, education, and the social sciences
Present your research to a global audience
Network with policymakers, industry leaders, and academics
Contribute to shaping the future of inclusive, sustainable development
Explore the opportunities to publish either in the Conference Proceedings Book or in the Bussecon Journal’s Africa-themed special issue*
Free exclusive Bosphorus tour/Istanbul tour
Contact Information
econconference@ihu.edu.tr
+90 212 692 0 212
We look forward to your participation!
Department of Economics, Ibn Haldun University
*All accepted abstracts and papers not published in the Bussecon academic journal will be included in the conference proceedings book, which will be published by Ibn Haldun University Press. IHU Press is recognized as an international academic publisher by the Council of Higher Education (YÖK). Participants who do not wish to have their work published in the proceedings book will have the opportunity to publish their work in the Africa-themed special issue of the Bussecon Academic Journal, subject to the standard peer-review process.
The Microsoft CMT service was used for managing the peer-reviewing process for this conference. This service was provided for free by Microsoft and they bore all expenses, including costs for Azure cloud services as well as for software development and support.