Call for Workshop Papers

Services have become the dominant source of employment and value added across most low‑ and middle‑income countries. Unlike the historical pattern of agriculture to manufacturing to services, the contemporary trajectory of many countries in the Global South involves a direct transition from agriculture into low‑productivity, often informal, services. At the same time, the prospects for export‑led industrialisation in MICs have weakened, prompting renewed interest in whether service‑led pathways can deliver inclusive, employment‑intensive, and productivity‑enhancing development.

This online workshop invites paper submissions that advance empirical, theoretical, and policy‑relevant research on the developmental implications of servicisation in the Global South. We seek contributions that critically examine whether, and under what conditions, service‑led structural change generates broad‑based improvements in economic development, jobs, income, poverty reduction, and inequality.

 

Submission Details

Please submit an abstract of 300-400 words, including title, author affiliation(s), and methodology. Selected papers will be invited for presentation at the online workshop and considered for inclusion in a special journal issue. We welcome submissions from early‑career and established researchers alike.

Queries and abstracts should be sent to:

Paul Shaffer [paulshaffer@trentu.ca]

Andy Sumner [andrew.sumner@kcl.ac.uk]

 

Timeline

Deadline for abstracts:            1 March 2026

Decisions:                               31 March 2026

Deadline for papers:               1 September 2026

Online workshop:                   Early/mid-September 2026

 

Organisers: Ravi Kanbur, Kunal Sen, Paul Shaffer, Andy Sumner.

Photo by Luciani Koroshec on Unsplash.