What events and learning opportunities does PIARC organize?

PIARC (World Road Association) runs a mix of large congresses, specialist symposia, and ongoing training through the PIARC Road Academy. You can find current calls for abstracts, registration links, and programme updates on piarc.org, where the homepage highlights active events such as the XXVIII World Road Congress, SURF 2026, and new Road Academy sessions. Participation generally involves registering for an event or submitting an abstract before a published deadline; the site does not state that any of these are free or open without registration.

Main types of PIARC events

PIARC's event programme falls into a few recurring formats, each with a different purpose and level of commitment.

World Road Congress

The World Road Congress is PIARC's flagship global gathering. The current cycle is the XXVIII World Road Congress, and the site notes that new information is available with abstracts open until 31 August (extended to 30 September). This is the event to watch if you want to present technical work to an international road and transport audience, or to follow the association's strategic themes in one place.

Specialist symposia

PIARC organises focused symposia on technical subjects. One current example is SURF 2026: the 10th Symposium on Pavement Surface Characteristics, for which registration is open. These events suit practitioners who need depth on a single topic — in this case pavement surface characteristics — rather than a broad overview.

Surveys and calls for evidence

PIARC also issues calls for evidence, such as the PIARC Survey on Digital Twins in the Road and Mobility Sector. These are not conferences, but they are participation opportunities: contributing evidence feeds into PIARC's knowledge work and can connect you to the committees behind a topic.

Learning opportunities: the PIARC Road Academy

The PIARC Road Academy is the association's training and knowledge-sharing programme. According to the site, it is expanding its programme with a new session on the Vulnerable Road Users theme and a webinar on innovative approaches to road asset management. This shows the Academy combines structured sessions with shorter webinars, and that its topics track PIARC's strategic themes — road safety, asset management, and sustainability among them.

If you are looking for continuing professional development rather than a one-off conference, the Road Academy is the part of piarc.org to check first. Details such as fees, eligibility, and session dates are not specified in the available site information, so confirm them on the relevant Academy page before planning.

How to take part

Participation follows the event type:

• Congresses and symposia — register through the event page. For the XXVIII World Road Congress, abstracts are open until 31 August, with a new date of 30 September, so presenters should prepare a submission before that deadline.
• Road Academy sessions and webinars — check the Academy programme for the current schedule and enrolment route.
• Surveys and calls for evidence — respond to the published call, such as the Digital Twins survey, if the topic matches your work.

A practical sequence: identify the event on piarc.org, read its page for deadlines and registration requirements, then act before the stated cut-off. Deadlines are the main constraint — the Congress abstract date has already been extended once.

Finding event information on piarc.org

The homepage is the fastest entry point. It surfaces current items directly, including the Digital Twins survey, SURF 2026 registration, the XXVIII World Road Congress abstract call, and Road Academy updates. From there, follow the linked pages for full details. The site is available in English, French, Spanish, and other languages, so you can switch language if needed.

Note that the site uses cookies to enable secure access to your personal space and to download publications; you accept their use by clicking "Accept." If you plan to register or download documents, expect to interact with that consent step and, where required, a personal account.

Choosing what fits your goal

Start from the homepage, confirm the deadline and registration terms on the specific event page, and treat the published dates as firm — the Congress abstract deadline has already moved once.