On behalf of the International Society for the Study of Drug Policy (ISSDP), we are excited to invite you to join us in the charming and picturesque city of Ghent, Belgium on 20-22 May, 2015.
Please see the attachments for more information on how to submit an abstract.
The conference will be hosted by the Institute for Social Drug research (ISD) which is part of the Department of Criminal Law and Criminology of the Faculty of Law, Ghent University. The ISD, founded in 2002, is a research group that conducts and promotes internationally relevant scientific research regarding different aspects of drug consumption, the supply of drugs, and local, national and transnational drug policies.
The venue for the conference (“Het Pand”, a former Dominican monastery and nowadays a historical monument) is situated in the historical town center at the banks of the river Leie. Historical places such as the Castle of the Counts, St Bavo’s Cathedral, Belfry as well as museums, restaurants and hotels are within 5-minute walking distance.
The ISSDP Conference is a unique occasion to present your latest findings to an intellectually engaged, diverse and dedicated scholarly community, and to immerse yourself in the state of the art across the full spectrum of drug policy research, with the participation of leading international scholars. Besides the plenary sessions, the 2015 ISSDP conference will offer space for panel discussions, poster sessions, post-conference workshops, etc. A detailed description of the ISSDP conference style is available here. The call for papers and panels is available here.
Researchers and/or practitioners interested in contributing papers that advance future thinking regarding the development, assessment, or evolution of drug policy nationally or internationally are encouraged to submit abstracts. As at all ISSDP conferences we welcome papers on the monitoring, analysis and evaluation of international and national drug policies and methodological and theoretical developments in drug policy analysis. Other areas of particular interest this year include the following:
- Qualitative research methods, drug markets and drug policies
- Historical lessons for the future
- The Dutch coffeeshop-model: recent developments and discussions
- Drug markets and policy responses in Africa, the Middle East, Asia.
- Reviewing the international drug control system: obstacles and opportunities
- Drug problems and drug policies in major cities
- The insider’s perspectives: dealers, traffickers and users on drug policy
- Drugs and human rights
The International Society for the Study of Drug Policy (ISSDP) seeks to encourage and support outstanding research in drug policy. One of the ways we do this is by recognising, each year, the best paper presented by an early career scholar (i.e. within five years of his/her PhD) at the annual ISSDP scientific conference. The award for the best presentation by an early career scholar will be announced during the closing session of the conference.
We strongly encourage PhD students and scholars from developing countries. A competitive scholarships program is available for these delegates.
We hope to see you all in Ghent in May 2015.
Prof. Dr. Tom Decorte, Director of the Institute for Social Drug Research, Ghent University
