UKADR 2026 - 10th Anniversary Annual Conference

The Age of Polycrisis

We live in an age of polycrisis, where climate extremes, pandemics, conflicts, urban vulnerabilities, political instability, and technological disruptions and systemic shocks collide to create complex and cascading risks.

As the world looks beyond the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, crisis and disaster management research must evolve to meet new governance, social justice, and technological challenges. Building resilience requires rethinking not only scientific approaches but also governance structures, cultural systems, and community practices.

"This conference reimagines crisis and disaster research through the lenses of science, society, and solidarity."

Conference Subthemes

04 Sub Themes

Multi-Hazard, Cascading, and Transboundary Risks

Lessons from past floods, earthquakes, pandemics, and wildfires
Anticipating systemic risks and "black swan" events

Governance, Power, Trade, and Policy Coherence

Comparative approaches across democracies, authoritarian regimes, and fragile states
Bridging climate change, DRR, trade, and sustainable development agendas

Emerging Technology, AI, and Digital Innovation

Digital twins, VR/AR simulations, and predictive analytics
Ethics, data governance, and the limits of techno-solutionism

Search and Rescue (SAR) and Next-Generation Leadership for Emergency and Crisis

Innovative training methods
Building transdisciplinary curricula and practitioner-researcher networks

Key Speakers

Leading voices in the field.

Dr. Vineet Joshi

Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Acting Chairman, University Grants Commission, Government of India, India

Dr Robert MacFarlane

OBE, Deputy Director (Security and Data Protection) Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), United Kingdom

Professor Alex Copley

Professor of Tectonics, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom

Professor Adam Amara

Chief Scientist, UK Space Agency & Director, Surrey Space Institute, University of Surrey, United Kingdom

Dr. DeeDee Bennett Gayle

Associate Dean for Research, College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity, University of At Albany, USA

Dr. Ratnakar Adhikari

Executive Director, Enhanced Integrated Framework Executive Secretariat, World Trade Organization (WTO), Switzerland

Dr. Jolene Jerard

Executive Director at Centinel, Singapore

Dr. Alun Newsome

Assistant Chief, Coast Guard, United Kingdom

FOCUS BLOCK

Call for Papers

We invite scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to submit abstracts that challenge conventional wisdom in disaster research.

Paper Submission

Submission Guidelines

All extended abstracts submissions should be in the English language.
Extended abstracts should be a maximum of 750 words (excluding tables, figures, and references).

Formatting Guidelines

Structure

Extended abstracts should include a short background, problem, objectives, method, results, and conclusions.

Headers

The title should be listed in the header of each page.

Font & Spacing

Single spacing and Aptos (Body) 12-point font.

One Document

The entire submission (title, abstract, text, figures, graphs, tables, and references) must be contained in one document.

"Don't miss your chance to share your research, honour the legacy of our field's leaders, and gain international recognition!"

Delegate Fees

Registration includes access to all sessions, conference materials, and networking events.

Key Dates

19th Jan 2026

Registration and Abstract Submission and Participation opens.

31st Aug 2026

Registration and Abstract Submission and Participation closes.

14-15 Sept 2026

UKADR 10th Anniversary Conference at Aston University.