20 - 21 August 2026
Hosted at Victoria University's City Tower
Victoria University (VU) and Liaoning University (LNU) warmly invite you to attend an international conference designed to inspire innovation and collaboration in teaching, research and academic leadership.
The International Conference on Innovation and Development 2026 will bring together academics, industry experts and students from around the globe to exchange cutting-edge ideas and approaches.
The conference will feature highly relevant presentations and provide valuable networking opportunities, paving the way for future partnerships and joint initiatives.
The conference will proudly feature the second ‘Innovation and Development Student Forum’, providing undergraduate and postgraduate students a platform to present their research, share ideas and engage in scholarly dialogue. Outstanding contributions will be recognised through best paper awards, with certificates awarded to selected presenters across categories.
The conference theme is broad, but some sub-themes may include the following:
Research in business, information technology and related disciplines contributing to sustainable development
Innovative teaching and learning in higher and vocational education and English language teaching
Academic leadership, policy and institutional transformation
Opportunities, challenges and resilience in transnational education (TNE) and global collaboration
Professor Colin Higgins is Dean of La Trobe Business School, La Trobe University Australia. He is also Professor of Management in the La Trobe Business School. His research focuses on how business organisations address sustainability challenges – most particularly through their sustainability reporting. He is a former Editor-in-Chief of Business & Society and a former Division Chair of the Social Issues in Management Division (SIM) of the Academy of Management
His work is published in leading international journals such as Journal of Business Ethics, Accounting, Business Strategy &....
Professor Andy Hill is internationally renowned for his ground-breaking work in neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Prion Diseases, and in the field of extracellular vesicles. His research addresses some of the major health challenges of the twenty-first century.
As the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research & Impact, Professor Hill has a critical role in leading Victoria University's strategy for 'Research with Impact' with a focus on diversifying the applied research program, ethical commercialisation and embedding 'Protecting Country' principles.
Chunhui Huo is a professor of management and PhD Supervisor, currently serving as a Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee of Liaoning University and Vice President of Liaoning University.
He has been selected for several high-level talent programs in Liaoning Province, including the Xingliao Talent Program (as a Leading Talent in Distinguished Cultural Experts and the “Four Batches” Talent Initiative), the Xingliao Talent Program for Outstanding Young Talents, the Liaoning Provincial “Hundred-Thousand-Ten Thousand Talent Program” (Hundred-Level), and the Liaoning Provincial Outstanding Talent Support Program.
Professor Janine Dixon is the Director of the Centre of Policy Studies (CoPS) at Victoria University. She works mainly with economy-wide models of the Australian economy, undertaking economic research for various public and private sector funders in Australia and internationally.
Since 2013, Janine has been responsible for the Victoria University Employment Forecasting project. As part of this project she has worked on the development of detailed “baseline” forecasts of the Australian economy and labour market, which are regularly updated to reflect changing economic conditions. These forecasts are used by commonwealth and state and territory government agencies around Australia.
Paper submission
Abstract deadline: 30 April 2026
Notification on abstracts: 29 May 2026
Full paper first draft deadline: 30 June 2026
Final paper submission deadline: TBC
Please note that the abstract submission period has now closed, and all submissions are currently under review by the committee.
We will get back to you soon regarding the outcome and next steps.
Thank you for your patience and interest in the conference.
Registration
Early bird registration: 29 May 2026
Final Registration Deadline: 10 July 2026
Accepted and presented full papers will be published in the Springer Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems (LNNS) book series, subject to successful peer review and compliance with Springer's publication requirements. The LNNS series is indexed in major databases, including Scopus, DBLP, SCImago, EI Compendex, and INSPEC, ensuring broad international visibility and impact for published research.
Accepted and extended papers will be considered for potential publication, subject to additional peer review in: IIMB Management Review https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/iimb-management-review (Indian Institute of Management Bangalore), published by Elsevier (ScienceDirect), indexed in Scopus and ranked Q2 in SCImago
Secure your place at the ICID 2026 Conference in Melbourne from 20–21 August 2026 and be part of discussions on innovation and development.
Get in touch
Connect with VU Melbourne
We acknowledge the Ancestors, Elders and families of the Kulin Nation (Melbourne Campuses), the Eora Nation (Sydney Campus) and the Yulara/YUgarapul and Turrbal Nation (Brisbane Campus) who are the traditional owners of University land.
To learn more, please contact the Moondani Balluk Academic Unit on +61 3 9919 2836 or [email protected]
Copyright © 2026. Victoria University, CRICOS No. 00124K (Melbourne), 02475D (Sydney and Brisbane), RTO 3113, TEQSA No. PRV12152
Professor Colin Higgins
Professor Colin Higgins is Dean of La Trobe Business School, La Trobe University Australia. He is also Professor of Management in the La Trobe Business School. His research focuses on how business organisations address sustainability challenges – most particularly through their sustainability reporting. He isa former Editor-in-Chief of Business & Society and a former Division Chair of the Social Issues in Management Division (SIM) of the Academy of Management.
His work is published in leading international journals such as Journal of Business Ethics, Accounting Auditing and Accountability, Business Strategy & the Environment, Journal of Cleaner Production, and the Journal of Business Research. As a former Associate Dean International he has driven a number of initiatives to drive student recruitment diversification, international academic partnerships, and student mobility.
Professor Andy Hill
Professor Andy Hill is internationally renowned for his ground-breaking work in neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Prion Diseases, and in the field of extracellular vesicles. His research addresses some of the major health challenges of the twenty-first century.
As the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research & Impact, Professor Hill has a critical role in leading Victoria University's strategy for 'Research with Impact' with a focus on diversifying the applied research program, ethical commercialisation and embedding 'Protecting Country' principles.
Before Victoria University, Professor Hill held several leadership roles at La Trobe University. Most recently, he was the Associate Provost Research and Industry Engagement (Science, Health and Engineering) and responsible for the strategic leadership of research and developing partnerships and increasing research productivity.
He has also been Director of the La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science and Head of the Department of Biochemistry. During that time, he established the La Trobe Research Centre for the Study of Extracellular Vesicles (RCEV) and was its inaugural Director. In addition, Professor Hill has held positions at University College London and the University of Melbourne as a Wellcome Trust Prize Travelling Research Fellow, ARC Future Fellow, and recipient of several NHMRC Research Fellowships from 2002-2016.
Some of his career accomplishments include:
Professor Hill gained his BSc(Hons) in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand and his PhD at Imperial College, London.
Professor Huo Chunhui (Robin)
Chunhui Huo is a professor of management and PhD Supervisor, currently serving as a Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee of Liaoning University and Vice President of Liaoning University. He has been selected for several high-level talent programs in Liaoning Province, including the Xingliao Talent Program (as a Leading Talent in Distinguished Cultural Experts and the “Four Batches” Talent Initiative), the Xingliao Talent Program for Outstanding Young Talents, the Liaoning Provincial “Hundred-Thousand-Ten Thousand Talent Program” (Hundred-Level), and the Liaoning Provincial Outstanding Talent Support Program.
Professor Huo also serves as Vice Chairman of the Chinese Enterprise Management Research Association and has been a senior visiting scholar at the University of Cambridge. His research focuses on strategic management, innovation management, and marketing.
He has led multiple research projects funded by the National Social Science Fund of China and the Ministry of Education and has published over 140 academic papers in SSCI journals such as Journal of Management, Long Range Planning, and International Business Review, as well as major Chinese journals. He has authored 18 academic books, and several of his policy recommendations have received official endorsements from provincial and higher-level authorities.
Professor Janine Dixon
Professor Janine Dixon is the Director of the Centre of Policy Studies (CoPS) at Victoria University. She works mainly with economy-wide models of the Australian economy, undertaking economic research for various public and private sector funders in Australia and internationally.
Since 2013, Janine has been responsible for the Victoria University Employment Forecasting project. As part of this project she has worked on the development of detailed “baseline” forecasts of the Australian economy and labour market, which are regularly updated to reflect changing economic conditions. These forecasts are used by commonwealth and state and territory government agencies around Australia.
Janine is an experienced lecturer and trainer in CGE modelling, having taught on many CoPS short courses and undergraduate courses and supervised PhD students.
Prior to joining CoPS in 2007 Janine worked at the Australian Bureau of Statistics (1997-2002) where she was the manager of various surveys of the service industries in Australia. She has a PhD from the University of Dublin, Trinity College (2006) and a Bachelor of Economics with First Class Honours from Monash University (1997).