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• ISQOLS 2026 Pre-conference Workshop: “Personal Wellbeing Interventions and Life Coaching”

  • When
    10 Aug 2026
  •  
    9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
  • Location
    University of Kentucky

  Register

  Workshop Title:

  Personal Wellbeing Interventions and Life Coaching

  Instructor: Dr. Tithi Bhatnagar 

  Date and Time: Monday, August 10; 9:00am-1:00pm

  Location: University of Kentucky (room TBA)

  Fee: 

  • $35 USD (ISQOLS Members)/$20 USD (Student, Retired, Developing Country ISQOLS Members); 

  • $50 USD (Non-ISQOLS members)/$35 USD (Student, Retired, Developing Country non-ISQOLS Members)

  
  

  Workshop Description:

  This workshop is designed to provide participants and well-being enthusiasts with an overview of different evidence-based techniques and interventions to enhance personal well-being and help them learn how to select and apply appropriate interventions based on individual needs and preferences. The workshop will focus on an overview of the following evidence-based techniques and interventions:

  1. Introduction to Personal Well-Being and Diagnostics

  2. Mindfulness-Based Interventions

  3. Positive Psychology Interventions

  4. Behaviour-Based Interventions

  5. Personal Growth Strategies (Inter-Domain, Intra-Domain, and Balance)

  6. Coaching as a Powerful Intervention

  
  

  Target Audience:

  All participants – Researchers, Doctoral Scholars, Post-Doc Fellows, Faculty, Practitioners, Policy Professionals, Therapists, Coaches, and anyone else.

  
  

  Activities and Duration: 

  This face-to-face workshop is four hours long (including breaks) and incorporates various pedagogical methodologies, including lectures, interactive discussions, individual exercises, and the integration of audiovisual aids.

  
  

  Preferred Length/Format:

  My first preference would be a full-day workshop. It will give me an opportunity to do some activities with my participants. 

  
  

  In case that is not possible, I would prefer a 4-hour half-day workshop format with a 20-30-minute break after the first two hours.

  
  

  Reading Material:

  This workshop is based on several research articles and the following books:

  • Lyubomirsky, S. (2008). The how of happiness: A scientific approach to getting the life you want. Penguin.

  • Sirgy, M.J. (2002). The Psychology of Quality of Life. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht.

  Note: PPT Slides will be shared later with the participants.

  ISQOLS Experience:

  This was an invited pre-conference workshop, well-received at ISQOLS 2024 in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, and a selected, well-received workshop at ISQOLS 2025 in Luxembourg.

  
  

  Workshop Instructor:

  

  Dr. Tithi Bhatnagar is a Psychologist by training, a well-being and happiness researcher and teacher by profession, and a certified Positive Psychology Coach by practice (trained with Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener, USA). She is the Author of “Subjective Well-Being in the Indian Context: Concept, Measure, and Index”, published by Springer Nature, Singapore. She has her share of conference presentations and publications, both nationally as well as internationally. She is currently a Visiting Professor at Ashoka University, India, and a practising Positive Psychology Coach (also an ICF Certified Coach in training). She is a member of the APA, IPPA, and ISQOLS. Her professional experience combines industry, consulting, academics, academic administration, training, and advisory roles. She has trained around a few thousand teachers, students, Govt. Officials and Executives on different topics, mainly related to well-being, subjective well-being interventions, stress management, and research methods.

  
  

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• ISQOLS 2026 Pre-conference Workshop: “A Crash Course in Planning and Implementation of Community Indicators Projects”

  • When
    10 Aug 2026
  •  
    9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
  • Location
    University of Kentucky

  Register

  Workshop Title:

  A Crash Course in Planning and Implementation of Community Indicators Projects

  Instructors:

   M. Joseph Sirgy and Rhonda Phillips 

  
  

  Date and Time: Monday, August 10; 9:00am-1:00pm

  Location: University of Kentucky (room TBA)

  Fee: 

  • $35 USD (ISQOLS Members)/$20 USD (Student, Retired, Developing Country ISQOLS Members); 

  • $50 USD (Non-ISQOLS members)/$35 USD (Student, Retired, Developing Country non-ISQOLS Members)

  
  

  Workshop Description: The proposed workshop introduces well-being/QOL researchers and practitioners to the burgeoning research on the science and practice of community indicators projects. The workshop is designed to provide an overview of the following areas of community (local and regional) indicators projects:

  • Why indicators? An introduction to key concepts

  • Theory in practice - foundations guiding community indicators projects

  • Organizing principles of community indicators projects

  • Whose input? Making decisions about community quality-of-life dimensions and indicators

  • By the numbers - data collection, analysis, and reporting

  • Promoting the use and application of community indicators reports 

  • What happens next? Follow-up activities to ensure continuity and growth 

  Activities and Duration: The proposed workshop is an in-person seminar, seminar-style, with instructor-participant interaction and exercises. The proposed workshop can be scheduled as a full-day session or truncated to a half-day session as needed. 

  Reading Material: This workshop will be based on Sirgy, M. Joseph (2022). Community quality-of-life Indicators: A guide for community indicators projects. Cham: Springer Nature and various sources from the Springer Community Quality-of-Life and Well-Being book series, https://link.springer.com/series/13761, formerly edited by Rhonda Phillips. 

  Instructors’ Bios 

  M. Joseph Sirgy: Joe is a management psychologist (Ph.D., U/Massachusetts, 1979) and the Virginia Tech Real Estate Professor Emeritus of Marketing at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (USA) and Extraordinary Professor at the Work-Well Research Unit at North-West University – Potchefstroom Campus (South Africa). He has published extensively on quality of life (QOL). He co-founded the International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies (ISQOLS), served as its Executive Director/Treasurer, and as development Co-Director. He received the Distinguished Fellow Award from ISQOLS. In 2003, ISQOLS honored him as the Distinguished QOL Researcher for research excellence and a record of lifetime achievement in QOL research. He helped co-found the Community Indicators Consortium and served on its board. He co-founded the journal, Applied Research in Quality of Life. ISQOLS honored him for excellence and lifetime service to the society. He won several Best Paper Awards in the Journal of Happiness Studies. He was awarded the EuroMed Management Research Award for outstanding achievements and groundbreaking contributions to well-being and quality-of-life research. He was recognized by the Program in Real Estate at Virginia Tech with the Blackwood Award for Exemplary Faculty Service and with the Founding Faculty Award.  Also, he was the co-editor of ISQOLS/Springer book series on International Handbooks in QOL, Community QOL Indicators: Best Cases, Applied Research in QOL: Best Practices. He is currently the editor of Springer book series on Human Well-Being and Policy Making. To know more about Joe Sirgy, please visit his personal website at https://sites.google.com/a/vt.edu/joe-sirgy-personal-website/ 

  Rhonda Phillips: Rhonda’s research and outreach efforts focus on community quality of life and well-being. A specialist in community development and planning, she was recognized for her career achievements with induction into the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Certified Planners (FAICP). She is the author and editor of numerous books focusing on making the places we live better for all, including The Handbook of Community Well-Being; The Handbook of Community Development, Perspectives from Across the Globe; Sustainable Communities, Creating a Durable Local Economy; Community Development Indicators Measuring Systems; and the text, Introduction to Community Development. Rhonda served as founding Editor-in-Chief of two journals, Local Development & Society (Taylor & Francis) and International Journal of Community Well-Being. Her work in community indicators and well-being has spanned several decades, and she has served on the Board of Directors of the Community Indicator Consortium and as president of the International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies.

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• ISQOLS 2026 Pre-conference Workshop: “A “Walkthrough” of Public US Wellbeing Datasets"

  • When
    10 Aug 2026
  •  
    1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
  • Location
    University of Kentucky

  Register

  Workshop Title:

  A 'Walkthrough' of Public US Wellbeing Datasets

  
  

  Instructors: Harry Brisson (GNHUSA, Mic Check Media)

  Rob Moore (GNHUSA, Scioto Analysis)

  Date and Time: Monday, August 10; 1:00pm-5:00pm

  Location: University of Kentucky (room TBA)

  
  

  Fee: 

  • $35 USD (ISQOLS Members)/$20 USD (Student, Retired, Developing Country ISQOLS Members); 

  • $50 USD (Non-ISQOLS members)/$35 USD (Student, Retired, Developing Country non-ISQOLS Members)

  
  

  Workshop Description:

  GNHUSA has been advocating for wellbeing measurement in the US for nearly two decades, and maintains a database of publicly available wellbeing-relevant indicators.  This half-day workshop introduces participants to the WALKI (Worthwhile American Lives Key Indicators) framework, a U.S.-based wellbeing measurement system built on the 3,000 interviews collected during GNHUSA’s 10,000-mile Happiness Walk (2012–2019). The Walk asked Americans a simple open-ended question—“What matters most in life?”—and revealed eleven wellbeing domains. These domains emerged inductively from qualitative evidence, offering researchers a unique citizen-defined complement to existing frameworks like GNH, OECD BLI, or Stiglitz-Sen-Fitoussi.

  This workshop is designed for students of all levels, postdoctoral researchers, and early-career scholars seeking a practical overview of what U.S. public datasets can currently support wellbeing research. We introduce WALKI briefly, then dedicate most of the session to a domain-by-domain review of the strongest available U.S. metrics, their limitations, geographic granularity, and release schedules. Participants conclude with a hands-on exercise—building their own prototype wellbeing index —and a synthesizing discussion of which domains are well-served, under-served, or missing in U.S. measurement systems.

  No coding experience is required. All exercises are designed to be inclusive to scholars across disciplines.

  Required / Core Reading:

  • Happiness Walk Data Analysis Report (Moser & Francis, 2022) — Gross National Happiness USA.
    
    

  Optional Supplementary Readings:

  • OECD Better Life Index Framework
    
    

  • Stiglitz–Sen–Fitoussi Commission Report on the Measurement of Economic Performance and Social Progress
    
    

  • World Happiness Report (methodology chapters)
    
    

  GNH Centre Bhutan: The Nine Domains of GNH
  

  
  

  Instructors: 

  Harry Brisson (GNHUSA, Mic Check Media)

  Harry Brisson is a researcher and data scientist whose work spans wellbeing measurement, media analytics, and the design of tools that translate complex data into meaningful public insight. As co-creator of the WALKI (Worthwhile American Lives Key Indicators) framework, he focuses on developing empirically grounded approaches to understanding what Americans value most in life and how those values can be reflected in policy and institutional decision-making. His research draws on large-scale survey data, national public datasets, and innovative qualitative-to-quantitative methods inspired by GNHUSA’s 10,000-mile Happiness Walk. Harry has extensive technical experience building collaborative analytical systems, working across Python, cloud environments, and applied research workflows. Prior to founding Mic Check Media, he led research initiatives in industry and nonprofit contexts, bridging domains including public wellbeing, music and culture, and civic engagement. 

  Rob Moore (GNHUSA, Scioto Analysis)

  Rob Moore is a public policy analyst specializing in cost-benefit analysis, social policy evaluation, and the use of wellbeing metrics in municipal and state decision-making. As founder of Scioto Analysis, he works with governments, nonprofits, and research organizations to design evidence-based policies that improve population wellbeing. Rob’s work emphasizes the practical application of frameworks like GNH, cost-effectiveness analysis, and wellbeing-adjusted metrics to real-world challenges in housing, economic mobility, public health, and community development. He brings experience translating complex research into actionable policy guidance, with a focus on equity, public transparency, and the integration of qualitative community-generated data. As co-facilitator of the WALKI workshop, Rob contributes expertise in connecting wellbeing domains to policy levers, interpreting federal and state datasets, and identifying measurement gaps that limit the effectiveness of U.S. wellbeing initiatives.

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• ISQOLS 2026 Pre-conference Workshop: “Quality-of-Life Beyond Material Conditions: Measuring Subjective Well-being and Behavioral Outcomes"

  • When
    10 Aug 2026
  •  
    1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
  • Location
    University of Kentucky

  Register

  Quality-of-Life Beyond Material Conditions: Measuring Subjective Well-being and Behavioral Outcomes

  Instructors:

  Dr. Fahim Nawaz & Dr. Khadija Shams

  
  

  Workshop Description:

  Quality-of-life research has long demonstrated that material living conditions alone, such as income, employment, or economic growth, do not fully explain how individuals evaluate their lives. Classical contributions in economics and well-being studies have shown that increases in income or GDP do not translate mechanically into higher life satisfaction, giving rise to enduring debates on the limits of material progress (Easterlin, 1974; Deaton, 2008). As a result, contemporary quality-of-life research increasingly emphasizes the role of non-material and relational dimensions of well-being. This workshop is designed to acquaint the participants with a distinct framework to understand quality of life as a concept underlying two analytically differing yet interrelated aspects/components.

  The first of these aspects is termed the ‘objective life conditions’, which includes ‘apparent’ factors such as income, socioeconomic inequality, job security, health, educational attainment, and political inclusion, to name a few. These apparent or objective variables are dominantly used in research involving social phenomena (OECD, 2011; Diener et al., 2018). The second aspect of quality of life is termed the ‘subjective or relational conditions’, comprising factors such as one’s degree of religiosity, social capital, the strength of family ties, and the availability as well as degree of social support. Factors like these are argued to shape one’s sense of self, belonging, and meaning (Putnam, 2000; Helliwell & Putnam, 2004; Diener & Seligman, 2002). The workshop, therefore, draws on the scholarly literature on quality of life, subjective well-being research, and the capability approach to development (Sen, 1999; Nussbaum, 2011) to argue that the subjective or relational factors exert a considerable influence on one’s perception and experience of inequality or deprivation. Furthermore, the subjective factors could also moderate and amplify the impact of unfavorable objective factors/conditions, thereby driving individuals towards extreme behavioral outcomes such as political mobilization and violence (Helliwell et al., 2014).

  The workshop consists of two parts or components. The first part will draw on the existing scholarly literature to introduce and differentiate between the objective/apparent and subjective/relational aspects of quality of life. This part will specifically focus on defining, measuring, and relating these distinct yet interrelated concepts to quality of life. The second part of the workshop will be a hands-on exercise that will comprise designing a questionnaire for measuring or quantifying the subjective or relational aspects underlying quality of life, such as the degree of one’s religiosity, the strength of family ties, and social capital, for instance.

  Participants will further learn to clean the primary data and combine the survey responses for constructing composite indices. Finally, using STATA (statistical software), the participants will also learn to link the subjective and objective variables pertaining to quality of life with behavioral outcomes through empirical modeling. We believe the workshop will be beneficial for doctoral students, postdoctoral scholars, as well as the early career researchers interested in the theoretical and applied aspects of quality of life.

  It is pertinent to mention that the workshop is not about discovering new dimensions of quality of life. Instead, it aims to equip the participants with empirical skills to measure subjective well-being and analyze how it can potentially translate into cognitive and behavioral outcomes such as polarization and conflict.

  Time Allotment:

  The total duration of the workshop will be four hours, allocated as follows:

  Hour 01: Theory (theoretical underpinnings of the subjective/objective aspects of the quality of life and their relationship with behavioral outcomes)

  Hour 02: Designing a questionnaire and administering a short survey among the workshop participants

  Hour 03 and 04: Data entry, data cleaning, and data analysis using STATA to quantify the subjective aspects of quality of life and linking these with behavioral outcomes using empirical modeling

  Facilitator Bio and Photo

  The workshop will be jointly conducted by Dr. Fahim Nawaz (Mr.) and Dr. Khadija Shams (Miss.). In the first hour, Dr. Khadija Shams will cover the theory part. In the second hour, both facilitators will jointly help design the questionnaire and use it to collect primary data from the participants. In the last two hours, Dr. Fahim Nawaz will conduct the applied part of the workshop involving data entry, data cleaning, and data analysis for empirical modeling using STATA. The biographies and photos of both facilitators are as follows:

  BIOGRAPHY – DR. FAHIM NAWAZ

  Dr. Fahim Nawaz is an applied economist. He completed a Ph.D. in Economics at the Technical University Dresden, Germany, in November 2022. For his Ph.D., he wrote a cumulative doctoral dissertation titled “Three Essays on the Determinants of Radicalization – A Case of North-Western Pakistan’, in which he empirically assessed the drivers of religious radicalization in Pakistan’s northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, bordering Afghanistan. This was accomplished using survey data collected from over 600 respondents in all 34 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. His doctoral research has been published in peer-reviewed journals like Cogent Social Sciences. Dr. Fahim Nawaz currently works as a Lecturer at the Department of Economics,

  University of Peshawar in Pakistan. He teaches various courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Some of the courses that he has taught include Development Economics, Applied Econometrics, Statistical Packages, Microeconomics, and Public Finance. Additionally, he actively supervises master's and Ph.D. students. From his joining the Department of Economics in January 2023 to the present day, 09 students enrolled in the Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) program in Economics successfully completed their research under his supervision. An additional 05 M.Phil. and 04 Ph.D. students working under his supervision are close to completing their research. Apart from teaching and research, Dr. Fahim Nawaz is also passionate about creating literacy among the masses at large regarding contemporary economic issues and events. To achieve this goal, he co-created the Development Insights Lab (DIL) at the University of Peshawar. DIL is a think-tank that uses data to write reports on economic issues of public interest in simple to understand lay-man language. This effort is further complemented by his active engagement with local, national, and international media platforms, opining on contemporary economic, social, and development issues pertaining to Pakistan and Afghanistan. Dr. Fahim Nawaz is also currently working as an Advisor to the Minister for Higher Education in the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. This position allows him to advise the Provincial Government on reforming the higher education system in response to the evolving national and global changes in knowledge needs and labor market dynamics.

  BIOGRAPHY – DR. KHADIJA SHAMS

  Khadija Shams studied PhD in Economics at the University of Glasgow, UK; and was employed by the Scottish Government in the Equality Statistics Team of the Communities Analytical Services Division. She is presently working as an Associate Professor in Economics at Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University, Peshawar, Pakistan. Her area of interest includes: Economics of Inequality and Deprivation; Economics of Happiness and Development Studies.

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• ISQOLS 24th Annual Conference Kentucky, USA,"Beyond the Bluegrass: Harnessing Research to Enhance Quality-of-life"

  • Start
    11 Aug 2026
  •  
    8:00 AM
  • End
    14 Aug 2026
  •  
    9:00 PM
  • Location
    University of Kentucky, Gatton Student Center

  Register

  
  

  
  

  The 24th Annual Conference of the

  International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies (ISQOLS)

  "Beyond the Bluegrass: Harnessing Research to Enhance Quality-of-life"

  
  

  August 11-14, 2026

  Lexington, Kentucky, United States of America 

  isqols.org/2026

  The International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies (ISQOLS) is excited to hold its 24th annual conference in the beautiful Bluegrass region of Lexington, Kentucky, USA!

  The theme of this year’s conference is “Beyond the Bluegrass: Harnessing Research to Enhance Quality of Life.” As ISQOLS moves into three decades of advancing the study of quality of life, well-being, and happiness, we invite scholars from diverse disciplines and methodological backgrounds to contribute their research. This conference will take place at the University of Kentucky and offers a unique platform to explore innovative approaches and their implications for policymaking, with a shared commitment to enhancing societal well-being. Confirmed keynotes include, David Bartram (University of Leicester), Robert Biswas-Diener (Positive Acorn), Carol Graham (The Brookings Institution, University of Maryland), and Alexandria Huerta (USAID). 

  With five pre-conference workshops on March 10 and eighteen thematic tracks—including eight special sessions and symposia—the conference provides extensive opportunities to share and exchange knowledge. View our Call for Abstracts for full details.

  Explore our travel guidelines, sponsorship opportunities, and scholarship and grant options to support participation.

  Join us as we gather researchers and practitioners from around the globe to share insights, discuss impactful findings, and forge connections that drive forward the pursuit of sustainable well-being for all.  

  
  

  Conference Venue: 

  Gatton Student Center University of Kentucky
  

  University of Kentucky

  160 Ave of Champions 

  Lexington, KY 40508

  Directions

  
  

  Registration and Refund Details:

  Early Bird Registration: March 30 – May 15, 2026
  Regular Registration: May 16 – July 15, 2026
  Late/On-site Registration: July 16, 2026 – on-site

  Refund Policy:

  100% refund available through June 15, 2026
  50% refund available from June 16 – July 15, 2026
  No refunds available after July 16, 2026

  
  

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