WHAT: The ECR TRANSPORT RESEARCH FORUM offers a platform for researchers and practitioners early in their transport careers (a master-level student, PhD candidate or a fresh graduate from a master program or PhD program, in the first few years of working in the transport industry), for capacity building, networking opportunities and mentoring/sponsorship.

WHEN: 30-31 August 2025

WHERE: Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta City, Indonesia

COST: This event is free of charge, and meals will be provided. However, participants are responsible for covering their own transportation (e.g., airfare) and accommodation expenses. 

If you are interested in attending the ECR Transport Research Forum, kindly fill out the online Expression of Interest form by 13 JULY 2025. You can download the form using the button (EOI Form) below. If the link does not work, please copy the link and paste it into a browser http://bit.ly/437mS7L . Your participation in this program is highly appreciated. Please feel free to forward to your colleagues and students. Selected participants will be notified of the finalised program by 20 July 2025. If you have questions or suggestions, please send an email to 4thecrforum@gmail.com.

The Women in Transport Leadership (WITL) Knowledge Network, in cooperation with the Eastern Asia Society for Transport Studies (EASTS), Indonesian Transport Society (MTI), Indonesia Infrastructure Research Center (Infraindo) and the EASTS International Research Group would like to invite you to the 4th Early Career Transport Research Forum.

This regional forum is designed to support and empower early career transport researchers by fostering meaningful interactions, sharing research insights, and building lasting professional networks in a collaborative and inclusive environment. 

Forum Objectives

• Build a vibrant ECR community through shared experiences and peer learning

• Enhance research skills and opportunities for publication and presentation

• Encourage dialogue between researchers, students, and transport professionals

• Promote inclusive capacity-building, especially for women in transport

• Support balanced growth in research, collaboration, and career development

Theme: HEALing Communities

This year’s theme focuses on HEALing Communities—advancing urban mobility solutions that are:

Healthier, Equitable, Accessible, and Liveable.

Why HEALing Communities?

HEALing Communities prioritize well-being, sustainability, and inclusivity in urban mobility. As cities navigate post-pandemic realities, there's an urgent need to reduce car dependency, improve access to public transport, and promote active and micro-mobility solutions.

These communities advocate for:

• Pedestrian-friendly environments

• Universal design for transport equity

• Emerging mobility technologies (e.g. e-mobility, shared mobility)
  
  

By fostering inclusive and alternative mobility systems, HEALing Communities aim to enhance quality of life, ensure transport equity, and build safer, greener, and more accessible cities for all.

Join us to exchange ideas, build new connections, and contribute to shaping a healthier and more equitable transport future. 

WITL - Women in Transport Leadership Knowledge Network, is the first knowledge network created in the Australasian region solely dedicated to empowering women and developing a critical mass of female transport leaders. It serves as a platform for creating knowledge, fostering innovation and empowering person to person collaborative linkages amongst female transport leaders in Australia and ASEAN. The Women in Transportation Leadership Network WiTL is a platform to produce knowledge, foster innovation and increase female to female collaborative linkages in Australasia. The knowledge network aims to strengthen female capabilities and increase leadership opportunities to address the diverse transport challenges, particularly issues related to gender and transport, which is key to achieving a more holistic and inclusive global community. The platform encourages a more healthy gender-free and friendly academic exchanges among all gender and thus endeavor a more open and welcoming platform.  It promotes a positive contemporary image of Asian- Australian female leadership concerned with developing more collaborative, inclusive and supportive culture in research, education and practice. 

EASTS - The Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies, boasts of a 29-year history in fostering and supporting excellence in transportation research and practice. Students and early career researchers (ECRs) in Asian higher education institutions are attracted to attend the EASTS biennial because of networking opportunities, the sharing of excellent research work and participation in international research groups. However, it is important to recognise challenges that ECRs experience and deal with in their day-to-day doctoral life, and particularly when they transition to diverse employment pathways, and find strategies to address these challenges.

MTI - Indonesian Transportation Society, Established in 1995, the Indonesian Transportation Society (MTI) is a non-profit professional organization dedicated to advocate sustainable transport in Indonesia. MTI is a prominent partner for the Indonesian Government and stakeholders in the policy making process, to implement sustainable transport policies based on research, policy dialogues, and public awareness campaigns. With 21 chapters and 400 members nationwide, MTI engages transportation professionals to address Indonesia's transportation challenges sustainably through research, policy dialogues, and public awareness campaigns, both domestic and international. 

Infraindo - Indonesia Infrastructure Research Center, is a non-government organisation established in 2012 that promotes the SDGs 2030 Agenda through collaborative research on several key sectors, including urban and spatial planning, transportation, water and sanitation, energy and environment, stakeholder engagement, as well as knowledge sharing to increase awareness of sustainable infrastructure development.