Call for Abstracts - HDR Symposium

Australasian Cities at the Crossroads: Navigating Legacy, Innovation & Sustainability

HDR Symposium: 7 - 9 December 2025

We warmly invite PhD candidates conducting urban research to join the 2025 HDR Symposium, a two-and-a-half-day event preceding and complementing the State of Australasian Cities Conference. This year, the symposium will be held in Brisbane, Australia, and will continue its tradition of creating a collegial, inclusive, and supportive environment for candidates to share, refine, and receive valuable feedback on their research.

Since 2013, the HDR Symposium has brought together PhD candidates from across Australasia, fostering connections and relationships within the diverse PhD. This year, the symposium will be guided by the values of inclusivity, collaboration, and respect, ensuring a welcoming and culturally safe space for all participants.

Program Themes

The 2025 HDR Symposium invites submissions from PhD candidates across a wide range of urban research disciplines. Click here for full details on the program themes.

City Economics and Development
City Governance and Structure
City Health and Liveability
City Housing and Inclusion
City Movement and Infrastructure
City Nature and Environment
City Cultures and Identity
City Design and Morphology
Reckoning with Settler Colonial Cities

The symposium is highly recommended for candidates post confirmation to nearing completion. As in past years, a core feature of the symposium will be the mentoring workshop, where participants are grouped based on shared research themes or methodologies and paired with two mentors - one senior academic and one Early Career Researcher (ECR) - to provide tailored feedback and guidance.

Additional sessions will focus on career development, research pathways, and navigating the academic journey.

Submission Guidelines

During the submission process you will need to provide

A clear title (max 15 words)
Author(s) name(s) and affiliation(s)
Selection of the relevant thematic track
Abstracts should be no more than 300 words and include your year of candidature

Submissions will be peer-reviewed, and successful authors will be invited to present at the symposium.

We encourage participants to also consider submitting an abstract to the main SOAC 2025 conference.

Travel Bursary

The Australasian Cities Research Network (ACRN) offers a Travel Bursary to support participation. Details on eligibility and the application process will be shared with accepted candidates.

The HDR Symposium at SOAC 2025 promises to be a vibrant and enriching experience, providing a platform to engage with peers, mentors, and leading urban scholars.

Submit your abstract today and join us in shaping the future of urban research across Australasia!

Important Dates

Submissions Open	26 March 2025
Abstract Submission Deadline	9 May 2025
Notification of Acceptance	19 June 2025
Full Program Released	25 July 2025
Presenter Registration Deadline	1 September 2025
Conference Dates	9-12 December 2025

Download Call for Abstracts

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