CIRIEC-Spain calls for participation in the 20th International Congress of Social Economy Researchers, which will take place in Jaén on 2, 3 and 4 April 2025, under the direction of Adoración Mozas, Professor at the University of Jaén, President of CIRIEC-Spain and Vice-president of CIRIEC International. The 20th Congress of CIRIEC-Spain marks the consolidation of a tradition of almost four decades, an achievement that reflects the continuity and relevance of CIRIEC’s research work in social economy, as well as the commitment of the academic and professional community to promote and strengthen this field in Spain and internationally.
The 20th congress, held in Jaén, will be an opportunity to increase visibility and further legitimize the crucial role of cooperativism and social economy in contemporary societies. The CIRIEC-Spain Congresses are unmissable events for researchers in social economy, professionals in the sector, and representatives from public administrations with relevant responsibilities. This 20th Congress is also held in the context of the International Year of Cooperatives (2025).
CIRIEC-Spain encourages the submission of scientific communications on one of the various thematics proposed, around the main theme of the 20th Congress: “University and social economy: science, innovation, and knowledge to face the polycrisis.” The deadline for submitting proposals (abstracts) is December 31.
In addition to the different thematic areas, there will be a specific workshop for educational innovations in teaching cooperativism and social economy subjects. There will also be a workshop for doctoral students working on their theses, as well as a think-tank workshop on the current situation of researchers and professors in Spanish universities.
Awards will be given to the best communications presented at the 20th Congress and the two best doctoral theses defended before December 31, 2024.
According to the call for papers document, contributions for General Workshops will be accepted on topics such as:
• Science, innovation, and knowledge to face the polycrisis.
• Social economy in Andalusia and Spain.
• Artificial intelligence and social economy.
• Taxation of different social economy branches.
• Statistical advances and measuring the impact of social economy.
• Public policies to promote social economy.
The selected themes for Thematic Workshops are as follows:
T.1.- Generational renewal in social economy organizations.
T.2.- Social economy enterprises as emerging companies: innovation and scalability.
T.3.- Challenges of care strategies from a social economy perspective.
T.4.- Combating energy poverty through social economy.
T.5.- The contribution of social economy to the circular economy: theoretical and empirical advances.
T.6.- Digital transformation (DT) in social economy entities.
T.7.- University social responsibility and public policies.
T.8.- University teaching innovation: bringing social economy closer to rethink the economy.
T.9.- Towards a European and Latin American school of social entrepreneurship.
T.10.- Inter-cooperation in the social economy.
T.11.- Regional public policies to promote social economy.
T.12.- Ethical finance.
T.13.- Business management and sustainability (AEDEM).
T.14.- Social enterprises and social economy.
T.15.- Social economy, associations, volunteerism, and the Third Sector against inequalities.
T.16.- Legal developments in the field of social economy.
T.17.- History of cooperativism and social economy.
T.18.- Social economy and public-private collaboration in public health, education, and care services.
Positive Impact
With this 20th Congress, CIRIEC-Spain once again aims to highlight and raise awareness of the importance of social economy in addressing economic and social issues such as unemployment, social exclusion, sustainability, local development, housing, and the quality of our democracies. The goal is to promote greater awareness of the positive impact of social economy enterprises and the third sector on society.
The Jaén Congress will be an academic and sectoral exchange space, as well as a driving force to foster innovation and knowledge in order to face the current polycrises while strengthening the impact of social economy both nationally and internationally.
The 20th International Congress of Researchers of CIRIEC-Spain is supported by the ENUIES Network (Spanish Inter-University Network of Institutes and Research Centers in Social Economy), the REJIES Network (Young Researchers in Social Economy), AEDEM, and the CIDEC Documentation Center.
Official website of 20th International Congress of Social Economy Researchers of CIRIEC-Spain
