International Hybrid Symposium
© 2026 EPFL
Youth, Digital Access, Urban Participation, Health and Well-Being in the Global South
12–13 March 2026 | Hybrid Format |
Call for papers |
Digital technologies, especially smartphones and mobile internet, are profoundly transforming the way young people learn, work, interact and participate in urban life. However, effective access to digital technology and its uses remain marked by strong territorial, social and gender inequalities, particularly in secondary cities in the Global South.
This international symposium offers a space for interdisciplinary dialogue to analyze urban digital ecosystems, the digital practices of young people, and their effects on urban participation, health and well-being. It will highlight local innovations, digital participation schemes and public policies that promote inclusion.
Thematic axes /
Contributions may fall into one or more of the following areas:
- Measuring digital access: Access, network quality, costs, energy, equipment, spatial inequalities, affordability.
- Digital practices of young people and urban participation: Daily uses, civic tech, participatory mapping, mobile money, informal e-commerce, adaptation strategies.
- Gender, Inclusion and Urban Justice: Gender inequalities, online violence, empowerment devices, access to urban services.
- Urban services, digital ecosystems, health and well-being: E-health, social services, online psychological support, digital infrastructure and vulnerability reduction.
- Local digital governance and public policies: Digital inclusion policies, co-construction with young people, data protection, urban planning.
Who is this appeal for?
- Researchers and young researchers
- PhD students and post-docs
- Practitioners, local authorities
- NGOs, youth associations
- Digital and social innovation players
Particular attention is paid to actors in the field and secondary cities of the Global South.
Types of Expected Contributions
- Scientific communications
- Empirical Case Studies
- Feedback
- Presentations of projects or initiatives led by youth collectives
Selection criteria: relevance, originality, clarity, empirical anchoring, contribution to the reduction of digital inequalities.
How to proceed
- Format: hybrid (face-to-face + online)
- Languages: French and English
- Practical information (location of the face-to-face meeting, duration of the communications, possible costs, partners, scientific committee) will be communicated shortly.
Dates clés | Key dates
Submission Deadline: 31 January 2026
Notification: 15 February 2026
Symposium: 12–13 March 2026
Please fill up the form andSubmit your Abstract and join the discussion!