2026 is an election year for both the Council and the President of the International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME). Below, we outline the election process that will be followed.

The election process will take place in the lead-up to and during the IAME 2026 Conference, according to the timeline detailed below.

Election timeline

• 11 March – 10 April 2026 (23:59 CET)
  Nomination period
• 10 April – 17 April 2026
  Verification of nominations
• 1 May 2026
  Closing of the eligible voters list
  (Both nominated candidates and eligible voters must comply with IAME membership regulations)
• May 2026
  Voting preparations and distribution of candidate information to the IAME membership
• 1 June – 1 July 2026 (23:59 CET)
  Voting period
  (Online voting remains open until the end of the first conference day)
• 2 July 2026
  Communication of election results
• 3 July 2026
  First meeting of the new IAME Council for the 2026–2028 term

Candidate and voter eligibility

All individuals participating in the election process—including candidates, nominators, and voters—must hold a valid paid-up IAME membership, either:

• for 2025/2026 (ending 30 June 2026),
• for 2026/2027 (ending 30 June 2027), or
• a multi-annual membership with a later expiry date.

To renew your membership, please visit:
https://www.iame.ac/subscription-plan/

Alternatively, membership renewal is included when registering for the conference by selecting the non-member rate, which includes one year of membership.

Candidate requirements

• Council candidates, upon verification by the Nominations and Elections Committee, will be invited to submit a short biography, which will be made available to voters.
• Presidential candidates, upon verification, must also submit:
  • a letter of intent, and
  • a vision statement for their presidency.

In accordance with the IAME Constitution, all candidates must be regular paid-up members for the 2026/2027 membership year by 1 May 2026 in order to be validly elected.

Constitutional provisions (Excerpt)

According to the IAME Constitution:

Article 21
The Council of the Association shall consist of the President, the Vice-Presidents (if any—the number of Vice-Presidents cannot exceed four), the Treasurer, the Secretary, and ten other Members of the Association.
To be nominated for Council and to hold office, a person must be a paid-up member of the Association.
To be considered for the position of President, Vice-President, or Secretary, a person must have served at least one term (two years) on the Council.

Nominations

All nominations for President and Council positions must be submitted no later than 10 April 2026 to:

secretariat@iame.ac
Michael.Dooms@vub.be

Nominations and Elections Committee

The Nominations and Elections Committee is composed of:

• Michaël Dooms (Secretary)
• Thanos Pallis (Immediate Past President)
• Harilaos Psaraftis
• Larissa van der Lugt
• Dong Yang

(The latter members are outgoing Council Members and are not eligible for re-election, having reached the three consecutive terms limit.)

Voting Process

• Voting will take place online.
• Each eligible voter will receive a unique voting token.
• The voting period runs from 1 June to 1 July 2026 (23:59 CET).
• Regular reminder emails and updates will be sent throughout the election process.

On behalf of the IAME Council,

Michaël Dooms
Secretary, International Association of Maritime Economists

Election of the Council

The following provisions govern the election of the Council of the International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME), as set out in the Association’s Constitution.

Election Cycle

Article 29
At the 1992 General Meeting and thereafter at intervals of two years, the Members of the Association shall elect the Members of the Council.

Term Limits

Article 30
Members of the Council, except for the Secretary and Treasurer, may not serve more than three consecutive terms of two years, but may stand for re-election after a two-year break.

Article 31
The President shall be elected by the membership and shall not serve more than two consecutive terms of two years each.

The Secretary and Treasurer:

• Must be Members in good standing of the Association;
• Are appointed by the Council;
• May serve up to a maximum of ten years, consisting of:
  • an initial five-year term, which may be extended by a further five years following a positive interim evaluation by the Council.

After completing a ten-year term, the Secretary and Treasurer may stand as candidates again following a call among Members launched by the Council.

Election and Replacement of Council Members

Article 32
The Members of the Council shall be elected by the Members of the Association.
In the event that a Council Member retires or otherwise vacates their post, the vacancy shall be filled for the unexpired portion of the term by the defeated candidates, in reverse order of elimination.

Nominations Process

Article 33

The Nominating Committee shall consist of:

• the Past President,
• the Secretary of the Council, and
• two Council Members not seeking re-election.

The Committee is responsible for nominating a slate of candidates who agree to stand for:

• the position of President, and
• ten Council Member positions.

The nomination list shall be distributed to Members no less than ten weeks before the General Meeting.

Additional Nominations

Other candidates for President or Council membership may be nominated by any Member of the Association, provided that:

• the Secretary is informed in writing (including electronically) no later than six weeks before the General Meeting;
• the nomination bears the signature of the nominating Member;
• the Candidate provides written consent confirming their willingness to stand and their compliance with the eligibility criteria set out in Article 21.

Candidates may nominate themselves. In cases of self-nomination:

• the Candidate must have the written support of two Members of the Association;
• the Candidate must meet the eligibility criteria set out in Article 21.

Nominations shall close five weeks before the General Meeting, to allow time for Members unable to attend the Meeting to vote.

All candidates for President are required to prepare:

• a letter of intent, and
• a vision statement for their candidacy.

Voting Procedure

Article 34
A Member’s vote may be transmitted to the Secretary:

• by post,
• by facsimile transmission, or
• electronically,

using the appropriate paper or online voting form, provided it is submitted before the close of voting.

Information on:

• the voting procedure, and
• the list of candidates for President and Council

shall be circulated with the notification of the General Meeting no less than four weeks before the Meeting.

Counting of Votes

Article 35
Ballots received prior to the General Meeting shall be counted and the results held confidential by scrutineers appointed by the Council until the completion of the counting of all ballots at the General Meeting.

Arrangements shall be made at the meeting venue to allow voting prior to the General Meeting. Voting shall close 24 hours before the commencement of the General Meeting.

A voters list shall be maintained under the authority of the Secretary.