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. Originally planned to take place at Heriot-Watt University Dubai, the conference will now be held fully online from 25–26 March 2026 due to the evolving situation in the Gulf.

Moving to an online format enables scholars, practitioners, and policymakers from around the world to participate without travel barriers while maintaining the high-quality program and global engagement that define the conference. Participants will join live sessions, presentations, and discussions through an interactive digital platform, creating opportunities to share ideas, connect with others in the field, and engage with leading voices in social capital research.

The conference will feature keynote presentations, paper sessions, panels, and discussions bringing together a diverse international community interested in how social capital shapes social, economic, and institutional outcomes.

Heriot-Watt University Dubai is a globally recognised 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.

For more information about the conference, its organizers, or academic credentials, please contact us directly at socialcapital2026@hw.ac.uk. We are committed to transparency and welcome inquiries to ensure confidence in the event’s legitimacy and scholarly value.