ISTC 2027 | 27–28 May 2027 | Istanbul, Türkiye
Call for Proposals
The Future Needs Testing
The intelligence to act. The judgment to question.
Have you learned something about software quality that others can use? We would like to hear it.
Proposals open
6 Nov – 15 Dec 2026
The Call for Proposals opens on 6 November 2026 and closes on 15 December 2026 at 23:59 Istanbul time (UTC+3).
ISTC 2027 brings the testing and quality engineering community to Istanbul on 27–28 May 2027. We are looking for talks and hands-on tutorials that combine a clear idea with the experience, evidence or reasoning behind it.
Our theme, The Future Needs Testing, invites us to consider both the intelligence to act and the judgment to question. AI-assisted development and autonomous systems create new opportunities and new uncertainties. They also make established testing skills, thoughtful collaboration and human judgment increasingly valuable. Bring us your experiments, techniques, lessons and open questions — including ideas that go beyond AI.
What we are looking for
Topics we would like to explore
Testing AI and autonomous systems:
Evaluating variable behaviour, data, model-based products, agent actions and meaningful quality criteria.
AI-assisted testing:
Using and evaluating AI-generated tests, analysis, automation and other support for quality work.
Test design and exploration:
Exploratory testing, risk analysis, models, effective test design and learning from uncertainty.
Automation and engineering:
Maintainable automation, APIs, test data, environments, observability and developer experience.
Performance, resilience and security:
Understanding behaviour under pressure, failure, scale and changing conditions.
People, leadership and collaboration:
Communication, inclusive teams, critical thinking, skills, quality culture and decision-making.
Quality and business outcomes:
User needs, accessibility, quality economics, risk and the evidence behind release decisions.
These topics are starting points. We also welcome focused proposals that bring a different perspective to software quality.
Formats
Session formats
Conference talk | 28 May:
30 minutes including questions; plan for approximately 25 minutes of presentation and 5 minutes of discussion.
Half-day tutorial | 27 May:
Approximately 3 hours of learning, with practical exercises. Breaks are scheduled separately.
Full-day tutorial | 27 May:
Approximately 6 hours of learning, with a structured exercise plan. Breaks are scheduled separately.
Session durations are subject to final programme confirmation.
Your proposal
What to include
- A clear session title and the format you propose.
- A short audience-facing summary, a detailed explanation for the review committee and three specific takeaways.
- Your intended audience and experience level, with the practical context or evidence behind your proposal.
- Your name, contact information, short biography, a headshot and optional LinkedIn or previous work links.
- For a joint session, the same details for one co-speaker and a short explanation of how you will share the presentation.
- For a tutorial, an outline of the exercises, participant prerequisites and any special technical needs.
Submit one session per form; you may submit additional proposals separately. No full paper is required. Please complete written answers in English and select your proposed presentation language in the form.
How we select the programme
Eligible proposals will be assessed by at least two reviewers. The committee will consider practical value, clarity, depth, evidence and suitability for the intended audience. It will also look at how sessions fit together across topics, experience levels and perspectives.
We welcome first-time speakers. Please focus on the idea and what participants can learn. Product examples are welcome when they support a transferable lesson; a sales pitch alone is not suitable for the reviewed programme. Reviewers will not assess proposals where they have a conflict of interest.
For speakers
Speaker support
If your proposal is selected, the ISTC team will provide the details of speaker registration and any travel or accommodation support in writing before asking you to confirm. Recording and publication of sessions are handled separately.
Important dates for speakers
- Call for Proposals opens: 6 November 2026
- Proposal deadline: 15 December 2026, 23:59 Istanbul time (UTC+3)
- Notification to applicants: By 4 January 2027
- Speaker acceptance deadline: 11 January 2027, 23:59 Istanbul time (UTC+3)
- Public programme announcement: 15 January 2027
- Optional speaker introduction videos: 29 January 2027
- Tutorial requirements confirmed: 12 February 2027
- First slides and tutorial materials: 23 April 2027
- Final slides and materials: 14 May 2027
- Technical checks: 17–21 May 2027
- Tutorial Day: 27 May 2027
- Conference Day: 28 May 2027
All deadlines use Istanbul time (UTC+3). Please keep the relevant event day available until the programme is confirmed.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to submit a full paper?
No. Please use the proposal form and explain your idea, intended audience and takeaways.
Can I submit more than one proposal?
Yes. Please submit each session separately.
Can I present with a co-speaker?
Yes. One co-speaker may join you. Please include both speakers’ details and explain how you will share the session.
Can I apply as a first-time speaker?
Yes. We welcome first-time voices as well as experienced speakers.
What language should I use?
Please complete the written proposal in English and select your proposed presentation language in the form.
What happens after I submit?
The committee will review eligible proposals. We plan to notify applicants by 4 January 2027.
Can I submit a product-focused session?
Product examples can be useful when they support a transferable lesson. The reviewed programme is not a platform for sales pitches.
Submit
Ready to submit?
Share your idea by 15 December 2026 at 23:59 Istanbul time (UTC+3). Questions? Email [email protected].
