Forum for Future Economists 2027

Work in Progress - Labor, Inequality and Structural Change

Date: 18 - 19 March 2027

On 19 March 2027, the third Forum for Future Economists (FFE) Conference will take place at Vienna University of Economics and Business. The conference is specifically aimed at bachelor’s and master’s students and provides a platform to submit and present your own academic work. Take this opportunity to share your research projects with an interested audience, receive valuable feedback, exchange ideas with fellow students and build connections within the academic community.

Under this year’s theme, “Work in Progress - Labor, Inequality and Structural Change”, we bring together experts to explore current developments in the labour market, examine persistent inequalities and discuss the structural changes shaping the world of work.

The Forum for Future Economists (FFE) is an academic conference by students, for students, and provides a platform for academic exchange. You can present your work from specialization courses, seminars, Bachelor’s and Master’s theses, or papers written specifically for the event and gain experience presenting at a conference. 

On 18 March, the day before the main conference, we also invite you to attend the pre-conference “How to Academia?”. It offers an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of working in academia and insights into academic research. Participation is optional and is intended as an additional offering.

The detailed programme will be announced in the coming months.

Important Information

• Free of charge: Participation in the conference is free of charge,

• Language: Submissions may be written in either German or English. To facilitate exchange among participants and ensure that everyone can engage in the discussions, we ask you to present in English. 

• Submission format: Individual submissions and submissions by small groups of up to four people are welcome.

Submission

• Proposals (approximately one A4 page) should be submitted by email to ffe@wu.ac.at by 22 December 2026. Each proposal should provide a brief overview of the topic, the proposed methodology and the key literature on which the paper is based. You will receive detailed feedback on your proposal and be informed whether your paper has been accepted for presentation. Submissions will be reviewed by an academic committee. The deadline for submitting the full paper is March 7, 2027. We encourage everyone to attend the conference, regardless of whether you submit your own work for presentation!

Topics

You are free to choose your own topic. Submissions on any topic within economics are welcome. Possible topics include climate and the environment, industry, energy, monetary policy, inequality, gender, the labour market, education, mobility and more.

Timeline

• 22 December 2026: Deadline for submitting proposals

• Early February 2027: Feedback for submitted proposals

• 7 March 2027: Deadline for final paper

• 18 March 2027: Pre-Conference 

• 19 March 2027: Conference

Anmeldung

Please register using the registration form if you would like to attend the Forum for Future Economists! For group submissions, each group member must register individually. You are welcome to attend the conference even if you are not submitting a paper, but registration is still required.

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