The year 2026 marks the 40th anniversary of Ningbo University. To support the University’s development as a high-level institution, deepen international academic exchange, and address major theoretical and practical questions concerning local transformationin the context of globalization and the ongoing advancement of ecological civilization, Ningbo University will host the International Conference on “Globalization and Local Transformation: Production, Consumption and Development in an Era of Ecological Constraints” from October 30 to November 1, 2026.

Today, resource and environmental constraints are becoming increasingly pronounced, and traditional resource-intensive and extensive modes of production and consumption are facing growing pressure for transformation. At the same time, globalization continues to reshape the spatial organization of production, consumption, innovation, and value creation, making differences among localities in resource endowments, industrial foundations, governance capacity, and development opportunities increasingly visible. Ecological transition, therefore, is not simply a matter of technological upgrading; it entails systemic changes in production systems, consumption patterns, infrastructure, institutional arrangements, and social values, and unfolds along differentiated pathways across cities, regions, and rural areas.

Changes in production and consumption are also reshaping the drivers and patterns of local development. Green production, circular use of resources, low-carbon mobility, sharing-based consumption, and sustainable lifestyles are continuing to expand. Tourism, culture, heritage, and hospitality, in particular, provide important arenas in which the complex relationships among human mobility, changing consumption practices, place identity, resource valorization, and local transformation can be observed. The conference will therefore center on a core question: How are globalization and ecological constraints reshaping the relationships among production, consumption, and local development? It will bring together scholars from China and abroad to examine diverse pathways of local transformation, governance mechanisms, and practical experiences; deepen comparative research between China, Europe, and other parts of the world; and promote theoretical innovation, mutual learning, and international collaboration.

As part of Ningbo University’s 40th anniversary academic program, the conference will also showcase the University’s research achievements and international partnerships in ecological transition and local development, culture-tourism integration, and cross-cultural exchange. It will further bring together academic resources from China and abroad, expand high-level collaborative networks, and strengthen the University’s international academic influence in related fields.

I. Conference Theme and Topics

The conference is organized around three interrelated core themes: the transformation of production, changing patterns of consumption, and local development. It seeks to examine the interactions among these three dimensions under conditions of ecological constraint and globalization, as well as the differentiated transformation pathways that emerge across places with varying resource endowments, development capacities, and levels of attractiveness. The conference is not confined to any single sector. Particular attention will also be given to tourism, culture, heritage, and hospitality as important arenas through which transformations in production, consumption, and local development can be observed and understood.

Theme 1: How Can Production Be Organized Differently?

Production Transformation, Innovation, and New Pathways for Local Development

— Transformation and new forms of local specialization;

— Circular economy, industrial ecology, functional economy, and new business models;

— Restructuring of global value chains, changes in industrial location, resource allocation, and regional economic linkages;

— Transitions in agriculture, food systems, energy, mobility, and infrastructure;

— Green innovation, digital technologies, and artificial intelligence in support of transition;

— New business models in the cultural and creative industries, tourism, and hospitality;

— Heritage valorization, cultural production, and local value creation;

— Employment, skills, occupational transitions, and the evolution of local production ecosystems.

Theme 2: How Can We Consume Differently?

New Consumption Practices, Experiences, and Lifestyles

— Responsible consumption, sufficiency-oriented consumption, new lifestyles, and changing preferences;

— New forms of mobility and travel, and changing practices in housing, energy use, and food consumption;

— Changing tourism practices: sustainable tourism, proximity tourism, tourism mobility, and new forms of hospitality;

— The experience economy, cultural consumption, leisure, and new uses of heritage;

— Gastronomy, local flavors, destination identity, and place-based lifestyle and consumption;

— Digital platforms, social media, artificial intelligence, XR, and immersive experiences;

— Overtourism, tourism carrying capacity, and pressures on local resources and environments;

— Rebound effects, overconsumption, and the transition toward sustainable consumption.

Theme 3: How Can Transition Be Organized at the Local Level?

Governance, Territorial Equity, and New Development Pathways

— Local transition policies, multi-level governance, and coordination among governments, businesses, and civil society organizations;

— Localization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and synergies among economic, social, and environmental objectives;

— Territorial equity, just transition, and the spatial distribution of the costs, benefits, and opportunities associated with transition;

— Responses to ecological transition in cities, regions, rural areas, industrial areas, and peripheral regions;

— Institutional and financial capacities, adaptation, resilience, and public-sector innovation;

— Civic participation, local communities, social acceptance, land- and resource-use conflicts, and place-based experimentation;

— Tourism governance, destination renewal, visitor-flow management, and the balance among local attractiveness, residents’ quality of life, and sustainability;

— Culture, heritage, place identity, and rural tourism as important resources for economic diversification and local development;

— Place-based resources and amenities, livability and tourist appeal, territorial attractiveness, and their formation mechanisms and measurement.

II. Organizing Institutions

Host Institution

Ningbo University

Organizers

Ningbo University–University of Angers Joint Institute

Research Base for Culture-Tourism Integration and International Communication, Ningbo University

Research Center for Francophone Countries and Regions, Ningbo University

Academic Support

Journal of Sustainability

Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management

III. Date and Venue

Dates:
October 30–November 1, 2026

Venue:
Ningbo University
No. 818 Fenghua Road, Jiangbei District, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China

IV. Invited Guests

International Scholars

(in alphabetical order by surname)

Sébastien Bourdin
Professor of Economic Geography and Environmental Management, IÉSEG School of Management, France; Jean Monnet Chair in Circular Economy and Territories

Irini Dimou
Professor, Department of Business Administration and Tourism, Hellenic Mediterranean University, Greece

Jean-Christophe Gay
Distinguished Professor, IAE Nice Graduate School of Management, Université Côte d’Azur, France; Scientific Director, Côte d’Azur Tourism Institute

Corneliu Iațu
Professor, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași, Romania; President, Romanian Geographical Society; Member, Academia Europaea

Nathalie Lemarchand
Distinguished Professor, Université Paris 8, France; President, International Geographical Union (IGU)

Rubén C. Lois González
Professor, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Former First Vice-President, International Geographical Union (IGU)

Jean-René Morice
Dean and Professor, ESTHUA National Institute of Tourism (INNTO France), University of Angers, France

Sairi Piñeros
Professor, National University of Colombia; Chair, International Geographical Union (IGU) Commission on Latin America and the Caribbean

Larbi Safaa
Dean, Centre of Excellence in Tourism and Hospitality Management, Cadi Ayyad University, Morocco; Professor, Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences, Cadi Ayyad University

Hans Gustav Westlund
Professor of Urban and Regional Studies, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden; Fellow, Regional Science Association International

Chinese Scholars

(in alphabetical order by surname in Pinyin)

Arongna
Professor, School of Tourism, Inner Mongolia Normal University

Bai Kai
Professor, School of Geography and Tourism, Shaanxi Normal University

Cai Xiaomei
Professor, South China Normal University; Director, Key Laboratory of Cultural Space and Social Behavior, South China Normal University

Chen Ye
Vice Dean and Professor, College of Tourism and Service Management, Nankai University

Chan Chung Shing (Johnson)
Assistant Professor, Department of Geography and Resource Management, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Hu Xiaohan

Executive Dean and Associate Professor, College of Shanghai Lausanne Hospitality Management, Shanghai Business School

Jin Cheng
Professor, School of Geography, Nanjing Normal University

Li Fangxuan
Professor, Department of Tourism Management, South China University of Technology

Liu Lu
Deputy Director, Editorial Office of Tourism Tribune

Lu Song
Dean and Professor, School of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, Shanghai Normal University

Ren Lianping
Professor, Macao University of Tourism

Sun Jiuxia
Vice President, China Society of Natural Resources; Professor, School of Tourism Management, Sun Yat-sen University; Nationally Recognized High-Level Talent

Wang Ning
Professor, Department of Sociology, School of Humanities, Southeast University

Wang Xingyu
Associate Professor, School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Wu Meiling
Research Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Xie Huizi (Tse Wai Tsz Serene)
Assistant Professor, Lee Shau Kee School of Business and Administration, Hong Kong Metropolitan University

Zhang Jie
Professor, School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University

Zhang Jinhe
Professor, School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University

Zhang Yuangang
Professor, School of Tourism, Shanghai Normal University

Zhang Haizhou
Assistant Professor, Department of Tourism Management, South China University of Technology

Zhao Duoping
Professor, School of Geography and Planning, Ningxia University

Zhao Shuhong
Dean and Professor, School of Business Administration and Tourism Management, Yunnan University

Zhu Hong
Professor, School of Geography and Remote Sensing, Guangzhou University; Nationally Recognized High-Level Talent

The list of invited guests will continue to be updated.

V. Conference Format

The conference will feature keynote addresses, roundtable discussions, parallel sessions, and thematic workshops. Centered on theoretical development, methodological innovation, comparative case studies, and practical implications for local transformation, the conference aims to promote in-depth exchange between scholars from China and abroad.

A number of thematic workshops will also be organized in an invitation-only, small-group format, with an emphasis on problem-oriented inquiry, dialogue on cutting-edge research issues, engagement with industry, and in-depth discussion. These workshops are also intended to strengthen links between the conference and leading academic journals in China and internationally. The proposed thematic workshops include:

(1) Thematic Workshop on “Culture-Tourism Innovation and the Valorization of Place-Based Resources”

This workshop will focus on the revitalization of local resources, multi-stakeholder collaboration, the development of emerging business formats, placemaking and the design of experiential settings, and local resource valorization in the context of changing patterns of cultural and tourism consumption.

(2) Thematic Workshop on “Localizing the Sustainable Development Goals” (English/French)

This workshop will examine the localization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with particular attention to the role of cities and regions as spaces in which sustainability transitions are implemented. It will also be linked to the Journal of Sustainability special issue, “Localizing the SDGs: The Role of Cities and Regions in Sustainable Development.”

High-quality papers closely aligned with the conference theme may be invited, following further revision, for submission to relevant partner journals or special issues. All submissions will be subject to the journals’ standard editorial procedures and peer-review processes.

VI. Call for Papers and Registration

The conference welcomes abstract submissions and proposals for presentations in the parallel sessions from scholars in China and abroad. Submissions may address any one of the three main themes outlined above or explore issues that cut across multiple themes. We particularly welcome research on tourism, culture, heritage, hospitality, and leisure that contributes to understanding contemporary transformations in production, consumption, or local development.

Conference Registration

Participants are requested to register by email no later than October 20, 2026, by sending their registration information to wangxueji1990@163.com. The email subject line should read: “Conference Registration + Name + Affiliation.”

Registration information should include the participant’s name, gender, institutional affiliation, academic/professional title and position, contact details, whether the participant intends to present in a parallel session, whether an abstract will be submitted, and invoicing information, where applicable.

Abstract Submission

Participants wishing to present at the conference should indicate this in their registration email and submit the title and abstract of their proposed presentation to wangxueji1990@163.com.

Abstracts should be written in English and be 300–500 words in length. Submissions should include the paper title and an abstract outlining the research question(s), methodology, and principal findings or expected contribution. All abstracts will be reviewed by the Conference Academic Committee, which will select the presentations to be included in the program and determine the final schedule.

VII. Registration Fees

Faculty members and researchers: RMB 1,000 per person
Graduate students: RMB 500 per person

The registration fee covers conference materials, meals during the conference, and participation in scheduled academic activities. Accommodation and transportation expenses are not included.

Information regarding payment procedures, recommended hotels, and on-site registration arrangements will be provided in the Second Circular.

VIII. Important Dates

IX. Contact Information

Mr. Wang
Ningbo University–University of Angers Joint Institute
Email: wangxueji1990@163.com

Mr. Su
Ningbo University–University of Angers Joint Institute
Email: suyongjun7312@163.com