PUBSIC 2026 Conference
Conference: 9-10 February 2026
Welcome Reception: 8 February 2026, evening.
Conference Venue: Gellért Campus, Corvinus University of Budapest
UPDATE!!!
For submission and presentation requirements please check the menu below!
We are happy to announce that almost 90 abstracts have been accepted to the Conference!
About
PUBSIC 2026 Conference
Innovation is often posed as a panacea for contemporary social and economic problems. However, existing models of innovation have often drawn from private sector experience in an undifferentiated way that conflates the manufacturing of products with the delivery of services and does not account for the characteristics of public rather than private services.
Whilst public services can always learn from the private sector, their distinctive characteristics mean that you cannot simply transfer lessons from one sector to another. The PUBSIC Conference is therefore dedicated to developing robust approaches to public service innovation (PSI) that address the need for a distinctive ‘public service’ approach to PSI.
The theme of the 8th PUBSIC Conference is how PSI can contribute to the creation of value for citizens and society. Public administration and management theory and practice are increasingly adapting models of value creation from the service management literature to public service contexts. This is a deliberate move away from dyadic models of interaction between public services and citizens and towards ecosystem approaches that capture the complex and dynamic nature of public service delivery. This conference will explore what such public value might comprise and how PSI can foster it.
The 8th PUBSIC Conference will take place at Corvinus University in Budapest, from 9-10 February 2026, with a Welcome Reception on 8 February, evening. Abstracts are now invited for papers to be presented at the Conference. Papers can be from senior academics or early career researchers and doctoral students. They must address an identified issue for PSI and can be empirical, conceptual and/or theoretical papers. Systematic literature reviews are acceptable but only if they advance PSI theory, not simply describe the state of the field or present a research agenda.
Local Organising Committee
The Local Organisers of the PUBSIC 2026 Conference are recent and former colleagues of the Department of Public Policy of Corvinus University.
Chair of Local Organising Committee
Permanent Scientific Committee
Stephen Osborne, University of Edinburgh (United Kingdom) – Honorary Chairperson
Salvatore Russo, Ca’ Foscari University Venice (Italy) – Chairperson
Tie Cui, University of Edinburgh (United Kingdom)
Marie Leandre Gomez, ESSEC(France)
Ricardo Gomes, Fundação Getúlio Vargas (Brazil)
György Hajnal, Corvinus University of Budapest (Hungary)
Ian Hodgkinson, Loughborough University (United Kindgom)
Albert Meijer, University of Utrecht (Netherlands)
Greta Nasi, Bocconi University (Italy)
Maria Rohnebak, University of Inland (Norway )
Paula Rossi, University of Tampere (Finland)
Jari Stenvall, University of Tampere (Finland)
Call for Papers
The International Scientific Committee invites 500 words (maximum) abstract submissions to the Conference. Inter alia, papers may address one of the following themes, but other relevant papers are welcome.
- The co-creation of value, co-production and PSI
- Ecosystemic approaches to PSI
- Co-design and the role of citizens/service users in PSI
- Behavioural public administration and PSI
- The third and non-profit sector and PSI
- PSI and ICT/digital technology (including the use of Big Data)
- Collaboration and open innovation
- Innovative responses to climate change and environmental challenges
- Social enterprise, social entrepreneurship, and PSI
- Managing and evaluating PSI
- Political dimensions of PSI
- PSI for sustainable development
- Innovation in public policy and in public policy processes
- The ‘dark side’ of PSI
- Public – private partnerships and PSI
- The governance of risk in PSI
ABSTRACT SUBMISSION PROCESS
Abstracts (max 500 words) should be submitted by email to pubsic2026@uni-corvinus.hu by 24th October 2025. They will be reviewed by the Permanent Scientific Committee and decisions notified to authors by 10th November 2025.
Important Deadlines
- 10 November 2025 -Extended deadline for Abstract Submission
- 26 November 2025 – Start of the registration
- 8 December 2025 – Deadline of reduced registration fee – Early Bird
- 10 January 2025 – Deadline of conference registration at full fee
- 1 February 2026 – Programme publication
- 9-10 February 2026 – Conference – 8 February evening: Reception
Submission and presentation requirements
If you send your full paper by 15 January in email, we will make them available to participants through a cloud service, but this is not mandatory.
Presentation in the Conference:
- please prepare for a roughly 15 minute presentation
- please bring your ppt with you on a USB stick
Program outline will be published here soon.
Registration – closes on 10 January 2026!
Register for the Conference here: PUBSIC 2026 REGISTRATION
For accounting reasons, registration fee payments must be made in Hungarian Forints (HUF) and will be accepted only in HUF as follows:
- Early Bird Registration (Until 8 December) – 97500 HUF
- Full Fee Registration – (9 December – 10 January) – 117000 HUF
For more information please contact us at pubsic2026@uni-corvinus.hu
Submission and Presentation Requirements
If you send your full paper by 15 January in email to pubsic2026@uni-corvinus.hu, we will make them available to participants through a cloud service, but this is not mandatory.
Presentation in the Conference:
- please prepare for a roughly 15 minute presentation
- please bring your ppt with you on a USB stick
Program outline will be published here after the registration closes.
Local Information
Conference Location
Travelling to Budapest
Getting to Budapest by Plane
Budapest is served by Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (BUD), located about 16 km southeast of the city center. The airport offers direct flights from many major European cities and international hubs.
Getting to the City Center
From the airport, the city center is easily accessible:
- Bus 100E: Direct service to downtown (Deák Ferenc tér), approx. 35–40 minutes. Tickets available at airport vending machines or via the BudapestGO app.
- Taxi: Official taxis (Főtaxi) are available outside the terminal. A ride to the city center costs around €25–30 and takes about 30 minutes.
- Airport Shuttle: Shared minivan services can be booked at the airport or in advance online.
Accomodation
Hotels near Gellért Campus – Google Map
Featured hotels
Budapest Marriot Hotel*****
250 USD/night
3 km from Venue
The Budapest Marriott Hotel offers breathtaking views that capture the essence of the city’s beauty. From the hotel’s rooms and suites, guests can enjoy stunning panoramas of the Danube River, the majestic Buda Castle, the iconic Chain Bridge, and the picturesque Gellért Hill.
Intercontinental Budapest *****
250 USD/night
3 km
Located on the Danube Promenade with stunning views of the Danube River and the castle district — one of Budapest’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites — InterContinental Budapest provides an elegant setting to explore the history, vibrant gastro scene, and cultural destinations the capital city.
Danubius Hotel Astoria City Center****
3 km
120 USD/night
A hotel with classic styling and a rich history right at the heart of Budapest – the legendary Danubius Hotel Astoria City Center opened in 1914 as one of the city’s most elegant hotels, and – over a century later – it stays true to that original character. Sublime fin-de-siècle architecture and comfortable rooms, in the center of Budapest, 10-minute walk from prime attractions like the Hungarian National Museum, the Great Synagogue (the largest in Europe), the Danube promenade and the famous Váci Street.
Airport-shuttle buses, metro and tram lines just in front of the building.
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La Prima Fashion Hotel Budapest ****
130 USD/night
3 km
- Perfect location on Váci Street
- Real city center feel: step out of the hotel and right into the heart of the city
- Just a few minutes from the capital’s main tourist attractions
- 80 fashionable rooms, fitness suite
The hotel is just a few minutes away from the Danube, so after your conference day you can take a walk at the Danube-Corso and get lost in the magnificent view of the city lights.
Mercure Budapest Korona Hotel ****
120 USD/night
2,5 km
The hotel is located in the center of Budapest: Váci Street and Great Market Hall are in a walking distance, National Museum is just in front of the hotel building.
Airport shuttle bus and Kálvin tér metro station are just on the other side of the street.
It’s just a 10-minute walk to Corvinus along a vibrant street lined with shops and restaurants.
Hotel Ibis Centrum Budapest
2,6 km
120 USD/ night
ibis Budapest Centrum is the best choice if you look for a hotel with excellent location. Discover Budapest with public transport – metro station is just 50 meters from the hotel. The Market Hall, Liberty bridge and the famous Váci street are near by. The Ibis Budapest Centrum is only 44 meters from a Metro Station. The Great Market Hall and Corvinus University are just 600 meters away, accessible by a pleasant walk through quiet, hidden streets with great architecture— that’s why we usually accommodate our guests here.
Meininger Budapest Great Market Hall ***
2 km
100 USD/ night
This very recently built and unique hostel-hotel combination is located right next to Great Market Hall. It offers a wide range of accommodation options from more sustainable & community-minded to the more premium rooms.
Contact
pubsic2026@uni-corvinus.hu