Announcement

4th International Conference on Islamic and Halal Economic Studies (4TH ICIHES 2026)

Call for Chapters (CFP) Outline

15 & 16 October 2026

Burapha University, Thailand

Introduction & Overview

The global halal market has grown into a multi-trillion-dollar industry, but academic research has not kept up. Most existing studies focus heavily on the same few topics—mainly individual consumer buying habits and local food certification rules.

Consequently, major parts of the broader halal ecosystem have been largely ignored by researchers. Key areas like national economic impacts, digital technologies, supply chain tracking, and human capital development receive far too little attention. 

This book aims to fill these research gaps. By moving away from over-studied topics, this volume brings together fresh research on the real "blind spots" of the global halal industry to help guide its future growth.

Recommended Themes & Topics for Submissions
We invite original book chapter contributions addressing—but not limited to—the following 8 core themes:

Theme 1: The Macroeconomics of the Halal Economy (The Data Gap)
The Research Gap: Most existing literature focuses on micro-level operations (individual businesses or products). There is a critical shortage of empirical research analyzing how the halal sector impacts a country's national macroeconomic indicators and cross-border economic integration.
Sub-topics for Authors:
•    National Metrics: Quantifying the halal industry’s net contribution to national GDP, employment rates, and industrial output.
•    FDI & Capital Flows: Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) patterns, capital inflows, and investment incentives in the global halal sector.
•    International Trade Relations: Export-import dynamics, trade balances, and tariff barriers between OIC (Organization of Islamic Cooperation) and non-OIC nations.

Theme 2: Digital Innovation and Halal Fintech (The Financial Tech Gap)
The Research Gap: While Islamic fintech is growing rapidly, academic literature often separates Islamic finance from real-economy halal sectors (food, fashion, pharmaceuticals). Research is needed on how digital financial tools directly power, streamline, and scale the halal ecosystem.
Sub-topics for Authors:
•    Embedded Finance: Integration of halal fintech (BNPL, micro-crowdfunding, digital wallets) within halal e-commerce platforms.
•    Financial Inclusion: Using peer-to-peer (P2P) lending and digital micro-Islamic finance to fund micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the halal sector.
•    DeFi & Smart Contracts: Shariah compliance, risk management, and governance models in decentralized finance (DeFi) applied to global halal commerce.

Theme 3: Frontier Technologies in Supply Chain & Assurance (The Traceability Gap)
The Research Gap: Beyond basic administrative compliance, there is limited academic work on how emerging technologies (AI, IoT, Blockchain) solve complex issues of cross-border tampering, real-time auditability, and dynamic halal integrity monitoring.
Sub-topics for Authors:
•    Blockchain for Integrity: End-to-end supply chain transparency, immutable ledger tracing, and smart-contract verification for imported halal goods.
•    AI & IoT Monitoring: Utilizing Artificial Intelligence, machine vision, and sensor networks for automated halal compliance and contamination detection in production lines.
•    Digital Certification Platforms: The transition from paper-based certification to digital, API-driven verification systems.

Theme 4: Non-Food Halal Lifestyle & Medical Sectors (The Sector Imbalance Gap)
The Research Gap: Over 60% of published halal literature centers on food and agriculture. Non-food lifestyle and bio-medical sectors are expanding rapidly in market share, yet remain significantly under-researched in academic literature.
Sub-topics for Authors:
•    Halal Pharmaceuticals & Vaccines: Consumer trust, regulatory approval pathways, and ethical sourcing in halal pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
•    Modest Fashion & Retail: E-commerce trends, global supply chain bottlenecks, and branding strategies in modest fashion.
•    Halal Personal Care & Beauty: Ingredient safety, consumer skepticism, halal-certified clean cosmetics, and synthetic replacements for animal derivatives.

Theme 5: Halal Service Quality vs. Product Quality (The Service Experience Gap)
The Research Gap: Standardized research usually evaluates physical halal products. There is a lack of rigorous, empirical frameworks to measure how consumers experience and evaluate halal-compliant services across digital and physical domains.
Sub-topics for Authors:
•    Muslim-Friendly Hospitality: Service quality metrics, certification challenges, and guest expectations in Muslim-friendly tourism (MFT) and medical tourism.
•    E-Commerce & Digital Services: User satisfaction and trust factors in halal delivery apps, ride-hailing services, and online marketplaces.
•    Human Capital Development: Workforce training, service delivery standards, and corporate culture within halal-certified service environments.

Theme 6: Regulatory Fragmentation & Standard Governance (The Policy Gap)
The Research Gap: Scholars frequently examine their own domestic halal laws, but there is significant friction when shipping halal goods globally due to conflicting regional standards, jurisdictional overlaps, and lack of mutual recognition.
Sub-topics for Authors:
•    Standard Harmonization: Legal and economic impacts of standard fragmentation (e.g., differences between JAKIM, BPJPH, ESMA, and GSO standards).
•    Non-Muslim Exporters: Regulatory barriers, compliance costs, and entry strategies for non-Muslim majority countries exporting to Muslim-majority markets.
•    Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs): Geopolitics, bilateral accords, and cross-border legal frameworks among global halal certification bodies (CBs).

Theme 7: Reconciling Halal with Sustainability (The Tayyib & Ethics Gap)
The Research Gap: Traditional research often isolates formal legal permissibility (Halal). The key research gap lies in bridging Halal with Tayyib (wholesomeness)—addressing whether products are also environmentally sustainable, ethical, organic, and humane.
Sub-topics for Authors:
•    Green & Ethical Consumption: Convergence of halal consumption patterns with eco-friendly, zero-waste, and organic lifestyle movements.
•    Animal Welfare & Sourcing: Ethical livestock management, humane handling, and sustainable supply chains in modern halal meat production.
•    UN SDGs Alignment: Strategies for leveraging the global halal economy to achieve UN Sustainable Development Goals (e.g., responsible consumption, climate action, poverty reduction).

Theme 8: Education, Skills Development, and TVET in the Halal Industry (The Talent Gap)
The Research Gap: Most halal research focuses on products and rules, but ignores the human workforce needed to run the industry. There is a major lack of research on how practical education, TVET programs, and specialized university training can bridge the skill gap and build a qualified workforce for the global halal economy.
Sub-topics for Authors:
•    TVET Integration: The role of vocational training institutes in developing skilled workers for halal manufacturing, slaughtering, logistics, and audit operations.
•    Curriculum Development: Designing higher education and technical programs that combine traditional Shariah knowledge with modern science and technology.
•    Professional Certification and Standards: Standardizing training and professional certification frameworks for halal executives, auditors, and industry experts globally.

Theme 9: New Trends and Changing Consumer Markets (The Modern Trends Gap)
The Research Gap: Most researchers study halal in separate categories like food, banking, or basic laws. There is a missing link in understanding how new daily trends—like social media, global emergencies, and everyday buyer mindsets—impact the halal market as a whole.
Sub-topics for Authors:
•    Social Media and Influencer Marketing: How online creators, bloggers, and streaming content shape halal lifestyle choices and buying decisions.
•    Halal Markets in Times of Crisis: How halal businesses handle major global disruptions like pandemics, wars, and shipping delays.
•    Non-Muslim Consumer Mindsets: How non-Muslim shoppers view halal products as signs of high safety, cleanliness, and fair business practices.

Theme 10: Other Related Topics on Halal 


Submission Guidelines & Manuscript Requirements
•    Abstract Submissions:
o    Length: 300–500 words.
o    Must include: Chapter title, author name(s), affiliation, email, keywords (4–6), clear statement of the research gap, methodology, and main findings/contributions.

•    Full Chapter Specifications:
o    Length: 6,000–8,000 words (including references, tables, and figures).
o    Format: APA 7th Edition referencing style, Times New Roman, 12pt font, double-spaced.
o    Originality: Manuscripts must be original work, not previously published, nor under consideration elsewhere.

Contact Us:

Sekretariat ICIHES 2026
The University Research Group on Halal Economy (KPU Ekonomi Halal)
Faculty of Economics and Management
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
43600 Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan

Email: ekonomihalal@ukm.edu.my

WhatsApp: +6017-679 5007 (Dr. Suhaili); +6019-233 8888 (Mohammad Syafirul Zarif)

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