About the Conference

The Social Capital Conference 2026 is a premier academic event dedicated to advancing research and dialogue on social capital, networks, and collaboration. Scheduled for 26–28 March 2026, the conference will be hosted at Heriot-Watt University Dubai, a globally recognized institution established in Scotland in 1821 and ranked among the top quartile UK research universities. Heriot-Watt has a proud history of academic excellence and innovation, with campuses in Scotland, Dubai, and Malaysia, serving a truly international community of scholars and students.

Academic Integrity and Standards

This conference is an academic event of the highest integrity, hosted by Heriot-Watt University at its Dubai campus in collaboration with the International Social Capital Association (ISCA), a registered non-profit scholarly association dedicated to advancing research and practice in the field of social capital globally. The conference has an academic advisory board and appointed thematic chairs, who collectively form the review panel; all submissions have undergone a rigorous peer-review process, and the event adheres to established academic standards for scholarly conferences, including transparent review, programme quality, and intellectual merit.  

Distinguished Speakers

The conference programme features world-leading scholars, including our keynote speakers Professor Robert Putnam (Harvard University), Professor Raj Chetty (Harvard University), and Professor Beate Völker (University of Amsterdam). Other major contributors to the field of social network analysis/social capital, including Professor Martin Everett (University of Manchester) and Professor David Krackhardt (Carnegie-Mellon University) have also confirmed their attendance.