Call for Papers is now closed

Zayed University is pleased to issue this call for papers and expressions of interest in the Women as Global Leaders 2012 conference to be held 13–15 March 2012 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.).

Theme

The 2012 Women as Global Leaders Conference celebrates the courage, creativity, strength of conviction and humanity of socially responsible leaders and their capacity to leave a lasting legacy impacting the future development of communities and organizations across the world.

Mission

The Women as Global Leaders Conference is a student-focused conference designed to inspire and connect the emerging generation of leaders from around the world.

Goal

Students from Zayed University and universities around the world will interact with established leaders, create worldwide partnerships, share experiences and learn from each other. 

Conference Objectives

•  Celebrate the courage, creativity, strength of conviction and humanity of socially responsible leaders and their capacity to leave a lasting legacy impacting the future development of communities and organizations across the world.

•  Inspire innovation and stimulate opportunities for women to lead responsibly in the world, in their nations, in their communities and in their homes.

•  Build bridges and encourage collaboration between students and their counterparts around the world.

•  Create a synergistic, inspirational and motivational environment enabling women to emerge as responsible, ethical, unique and dynamic leaders.

•  Affirm Zayed University’s commitment to educating women globally for and about leadership.

Conference Areas of Interest

With particular emphasis on women as leaders, this international event will provide opportunities for collaboration, mentoring, sharing and exchanging ideas. Conference sessions will focus on the primary conference theme, leadership education, the development of concrete leadership skills, and the empowerment of women as socially responsible leaders. We encourage presentations with a focus on women, socially responsible leadership and sustainability in four principle groupings:

•  Environmental Sustainability – sessions may include topics related to technology, energy, health and urbanization.

•  Cultural Sustainability – sessions may include topics related to heritage, the arts, and identity issues.

•  Economic Sustainability – sessions may include topics related to aid, development, and consumption issues.

•  Social Sustainability – sessions may include topics related to education, governance, human resources, and capacity building issues.

Submission of Proposals

Deadline for Proposals: All proposals must be submitted on or before October 14, 2011.

Note:  All proposals must be submitted online.

Submissions will be accepted from August 1, 2011 via our Women as Global Leaders website www.zu.ac.ae/wagl2012 please go to Call for Proposal’s tab.

A letter concerning the status of your proposal will be sent via email by November 30, 2011.

Submissions must be original.  Presentation of in-progress research also is encouraged, as well as collaborative projects between students and faculty, universities and communities, and among students.

Types of Proposals:

Individual Papers / Research-Oriented Presentation (20 minutes): These are presentations in which the author(s) presents original research (including in-progress research), findings from a project, a case study, class exercise, critical analysis or a practical creative initiative. These presentations can be formally written academic papers, multimedia presentations, or other formats that convey ideas and conclusions; papers can be co-authored. Program organizers at Zayed University will group presentations into panels around common themes.

Panels (90 minutes):  Panels are organized around a central theme, and are made up of at least 3 individual papers (as mentioned above). Panel organizers submit a proposal for a session that includes the individual papers (i.e. Zayed University does not group papers as is the case with individually submitted papers). Panel organizers must include information about each of the papers when they submit the panel session proposal for review. All panels must have at least three papers in order to be considered a pre-organized session.

Roundtable Discussions (60 minutes):  Roundtable discussions are informal conversations led by an individual on a prearranged topic. Participants do not sign up in advance but choose the session that they would like to join. Roundtable conversations stimulate intellectual exchange around a common theme, thus encouraging participants to share ideas and information as well as generate new knowledge. Given the diversity of conference delegates, roundtable discussions are unique opportunities for exploring different cultural backgrounds, intellectual traditions, and understanding of leadership topics or global problems. Roundtable organizers should come prepared to begin the conversation with 10-15 minutes of prepared information regarding the topic on hand, background details, and questions for consideration. Organizers also should be ready to guide discussion around the common theme. Although topic choice is open, all topics presented must relate to the conference theme.

Workshops (60 or 75 minutes): Workshops involve a presentation or interactive activity that encourages the development of skills and techniques beneficial to leadership development and knowledge. Workshop possibilities include small group exercises, hands-on activities, and in-depth discussions on topics or skills pertinent to the practice or acquisition of leadership. Workshops can be led by individuals or groups. Although workshops commonly concentrate on competency development, they also can address pedagogical issues related to the teaching of leadership. Proposals that encourage interaction between faculty and students and among individuals of different backgrounds are especially encouraged.

Poster Sessions (45 minutes):  Submission accepted from students only. The poster session is an interactive forum for sharing work and receiving feedback.  Content of the poster should be in line with conference theme and one of the four principal groupings. The poster (a visual display of your research, program or project) will be mounted on a display board.  Presenters are expected to be available during the session to allow for informal discussion with participants. 

Submission Instructions

Proposal Format

All proposals must be received by October 14, 2011.  Proposals must be in English, and must include the following information:

•  Presenter(s) name(s)

•  Email address

•  Institution name and address

•  Title

•  Strand and Session Type

•  Abstract of 250 words maximum

•  Brief bio for each presenter, 150 words maximum

•  Internet and audio-visual requirements necessary for the session

Proposals are accepted online from August 1, 2011 by filling in the information as required above.  The online form can be found by clicking on the “Submit Proposal” link on the conference website:  www.zu.ac.ae/wagl2012

Proposal Evaluation Criteria

The following criteria will be used to evaluate all proposals in our referred proposal review process. Your proposal will be review on how well the following criteria are met:

•  Topic: Relevant to conference theme and sub-themes.

•  Abstract:  The content and expected presentation format is clearly articulated.

•  Significance: The paper is well-grounded conceptually, and makes an original contribution to scholarship or to theoretical framework.

•  Access: The paper/session is likely to provide information that is current and of interest to participants.

•  Length: The topic and content can be effectively dealt with within the time allocated.

•  Outcome: The program/session clearly states expected outcomes.

•  Impact:  Overall anticipated value to the target audience.

Conference Registration

Participants also must register separately to attend the conference. The conference registration and proposal submission processes are completely separate.

The call for papers is now closed for international submissions