Ahlia Doctoral Research Scholars Forum

Doctoral Colloquium

Innovative and Sustainable Futures in Business, Finance, and Technology

The Doctoral Colloquium is an academic platform organized by the College of Business and Finance at Ahlia University, Manama, Bahrain.

Ahlia University

Welcome to the Doctoral Colloquium

This Colloquium is held as part of the Prospectus for PhD students in Business and Financial Sciences.

This event serves as a unique academic gathering that brings together doctoral researchers from local, regional and international universities. It provides an inclusive and stimulating environment for exchanging ideas, presenting research, and engaging in constructive dialogue across a wide range of disciplines related to business, finance, and technology.

Participants will have the opportunity to share their theoretical and empirical insights, receive valuable feedback, and interact with fellow researchers, journal editors, and policy makers. This cross-disciplinary interaction aims to enrich academic thinking, promote research collaboration, and foster innovation in addressing contemporary challenges in the field.

Event Dates

Important Dates

Event	Date
Deadline for Research Paper Submission	March 30, 2026
Notification of Acceptance	April 5, 2026
Registration Deadline	April 15, 2026
Colloquium Date	May 11-12, 2026

Patrons

Under the Patronage of Prof. Abdulla Al-Hawaj

Objectives

To provide a space for doctoral students to present and discuss their research in a professional and supportive academic setting.
To promote interdisciplinary dialogue that bridges theoretical and applied research in business and financial sciences.
To connect PhD researchers with journal editors, senior scholars, and decision-makers in order to build academic networks and mentorship opportunities.
To facilitate opportunities for scientific publication, enabling researchers to disseminate their work in reputable academic journals.
To foster innovative thinking through the interaction of ideas and diverse perspectives.
To support the academic journey of emerging scholars by enhancing their research communication and academic presentation skills.

Participation

The Doctoral Colloquium will be open to participation in two formats: in-person and online.
PhD students enrolled at Ahlia University are required to attend and participate in-person, as part of their academic and professional development within the university’s doctoral programs.
Whether attending on-site or remotely, all participants will have the opportunity to present their research, engage in academic dialogue, and benefit from interaction with peers, editors, and policy makers.

Language of the Colloquium

The Doctoral Colloquium will be held in both Arabic and English. Participants may submit their research papers in either language, and presentations can be delivered in the researcher’s preferred language (Arabic or English).
Publication is available in both Arabic and English. Papers written in English will be published through Emerald Publishing, while Arabic papers will be included in the proceedings published by EuroMid Press.
This bilingual format is designed to foster inclusivity and wider participation, while ensuring global accessibility through English-language dissemination.

Guidelines

Publication Guidelines & Submission

All submitted papers must adhere to the standards of academic integrity and research ethics. Submissions must be original, unpublished, and not under consideration elsewhere. The Doctoral Colloquium accepts the presentation and publication of research papers in both Arabic and English.

Authors are expected to:

Ensure proper citation and referencing of all sources, following international standards.
Avoid all forms of plagiarism, including self-plagiarism.
Comply with ethical guidelines in terms of authorship, data usage, and academic honesty.

Publication Opportunity 1: Edited Book with Emerald Publishing – English

All accepted papers will be considered for inclusion in a peer-reviewed edited book published by Emerald Publishing as part of the series: Technological Innovation and Sustainability for Business Competitive Advantage.

Submission Requirements:

The paper must not exceed 10 pages, or approximately 4,000 words, including tables, figures (if any), and references.
Each paper must include at minimum the following components: Title, Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Literature Review, Conclusion and References.
Papers must be written in English.
All submissions must be formatted according to the official Emerald template, which can be downloaded here:

📎 [Download Emerald Paper Template]

All papers will undergo double-blind peer review by the Colloquium’s Scientific Committee.
Accepted papers will be subject to content and language editing by the Editorial Board of the book, in coordination with Emerald’s publishing standards.

Submission Platform

Submissions, reviews, decisions, and communication will be managed exclusively through the ConfManage submission system.

🔗 [Submit Your Paper Here]

Post-Conference Publishing Workflow

Following the presentation at the colloquium, accepted papers will proceed through the official Emerald Publishing workflow.

The complete workflow, including timelines, steps for final submission, review, proofing, and publication is outlined in the following Editorial and Production Timeline:

📎 [View Emerald Book Publishing Workflow]

Sample Chapter for Reference

To assist participants in preparing their submissions in line with the expected academic structure and formatting standards, a sample chapter previously published within the same Emerald book series “Technological Innovation and Sustainability for Business Competitive Advantage” is available for reference.

📎 [Download Sample Chapter]

Authors are encouraged to review this sample before submitting their papers, to ensure alignment with editorial expectations.

Publication Opportunity 2 Edited Book – Arabic

All accepted papers will be considered for inclusion in a peer-reviewed edited book published by EuroMid Press as part of the series: EuroMid Studies in Innovation, Management, and Sustainability.

Submission Requirements:

The paper must not exceed 10-15 pages, or approximately 4,000-6,000 words, including tables, figures (if any), and references.
Each paper must include at minimum the following components: Title, Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Literature Review, Conclusion and References.
Papers must be written in Arabic.
All Arabic references used in the research must be translated into English and cited according to the American Psychological Association (APA) style, 7th edition or a more recent edition.
All submissions must be formatted according to the official EuroMid Press template, which can be downloaded here.
All papers will undergo double-blind peer review by the Colloquium’s Scientific Committee.
Accepted papers will be subject to content and language editing by the Editorial Board of the book, in coordination with EuroMid Press publishing standards.

Submission Platform

Submissions, reviews, decisions, and communication will be managed exclusively through the ConfManage submission system.

🔗 [Submit Your Paper Here]

Post-Conference Publishing Workflow

Following the presentation at the colloquium, accepted papers will proceed through the official Emerald Publishing workflow.

The complete workflow, including timelines, steps for final submission, review, proofing, and publication is outlined in the following Editorial and Production Timeline:

📎 [View Emerald Book Publishing Workflow]

Publication Opportunity 3: Journal of Business and Socio-economic Development (JBSED)

In addition to the edited book, selected high-quality papers will be considered for publication in the Journal of Business and Socio-economic Development (JBSED), published by Emerald Publishing in collaboration with Ahlia University and the University of Business and Technology.

Types of Eligible Submissions:

We invite the submission of mature and publishable manuscripts, which fall into either of the following categories:

Empirical Research Papers:
Well-structured studies with a sound theoretical framework, clear methodology, robust data collection, empirical results, and practical recommendations.
These are typically expected from doctoral candidates in advanced stages of their research.
Comprehensive Literature Review Articles:
In-depth, critical, and integrative reviews of the literature with proper theoretical framing and scholarly synthesis of prior research.
These are most suitable for doctoral students in mid-stages of their study, preparing conceptual foundations for future empirical work.

Manuscript Preparation:

Submitted papers must strictly adhere to the author guidelines of the journal, which can be accessed here:

Author Guidelines – JBSED | Emerald Publishing

Authors are encouraged to carefully study these requirements before submitting their papers to ensure alignment with the journal’s scope, structure, and formatting standards.

Submission Process:

All interested participants must first submit their papers via the ConfManage platform (as previously explained). After internal peer evaluation and editorial screening by the Scientific Committee, a selected number of papers will be invited for submission to JBSED through Emerald’s submission portal:

Submit Your Paper to JBSED

These invited papers will undergo the journal’s standard double-blind peer-review process before final publication.

Submit your paper

Browse Previous Publications

To familiarize yourself with the style, topics, and quality of previously published work in JBSED, you may browse the journal’s archive here:

Journal of Business and Socio-economic Development | Emerald Publishing

WOrkshops

Workshops for Doctoral Researchers

One of the core objectives of the Doctoral Colloquium is to enhance the academic and research capabilities of doctoral researchers through focused training in scholarly writing, research methodology, and publication strategies. The colloquium also provides a valuable platform for academic networking, enabling doctoral researchers to build collaborative relationships and strengthen their pre-career development pathways.

As part of this mission, the colloquium offers specialized workshops addressing key challenges faced by early-stage and advanced doctoral researchers. Four featured workshops include:

Speakers

Keynote Speakers

Panels

Panel Discussion

This panel discussion brings together two doctoral candidates in their final stage from Brunel University of London, UK one adopting a quantitative approach and the other using a qualitative methodology, along with first-year PhD students serving as discussants. The session aims to provide a realistic and experience-based perspective on the doctoral research journey, from topic selection and proposal development to data collection, analysis, and thesis completion.

Benefits for First-Year PhD Students:

Gaining clarity on how to choose a feasible and impactful research topic.
Understanding the practical differences between quantitative and qualitative research in real doctoral work.
Learning about data collection challenges (e.g., access to respondents, interviews, surveys, ethics approvals).
Anticipating common obstacles in supervision, time management, publication pressure, and thesis writing.
Building confidence by realizing that challenges are normal and manageable.
Developing early strategic thinking about research design and long-term planning.

This session will help first-year students move from abstract understanding of research methods to a more applied and realistic view of the doctoral journey, empowering them to make informed methodological and strategic decisions from the very beginning of their PhD program.

FEes

Registration Fees

Participants whose papers are accepted are required to complete the registration process in order to confirm their attendance and ensure inclusion in the academic sessions and publication proceedings. Registration also provides access to all workshops and networking activities.

Please find the registration categories and corresponding fees below:

Registration Type	Fee (USD)
Full Registration (includes presentation, publication, and workshops participation)	$500
Workshops Participation Only (without paper submission or presentation)	$400
Printed Copy of the Colloquium Book (optional)	$70