Sustainability Education Research Beyond Boundaries
The purpose of the Sustainability Education Research Day is to explore the intersections of current educational research and practices and sustainability studies. By the title “Beyond Boundaries”, this year’s seminar seeks to address the need and the potentials of examining perspectives across disciplines and accounting for transitions and margins.
The day is organized by Sustainability Education (SusEdu) research group at the Faculty of Education, UH), a diverse group of sustainability researchers and educators from different research and didactic backgrounds.
The program of the day:
9:00 | Welcome | Chair of the seminar Marianna Vivitsou |
Opening words | Dean of the Faculty of Educational Sciences Johanna Mäkelä SusEdu group leader Lili-Ann Wolff | |
9:15-10:15 | Keynote | Associate Professor Michiru Natagsu, The case against (sustainability) education? On the convergence of Libertarian, Marxist and Anarchist view |

Michiru Nagatsu, PhD
· Title of Docent, Faculty Common Matters
· Associate professor, Practical Philosophy
· Practical Philosophy
· Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS)
· TINT – Centre for Philosophy of Social Science
Key note abstract:
One might reasonably expect that there is little in common among Libertarian, Marxist and Anarchist traditions in political philosophy. I argue that at least some strands in these traditions show an interesting convergence when it comes to their views on the main function of education as an institution in modern society: that it is a mechanism to produce conformists who support the dominant economic and political system. If there is some truth in this claim, then the prospect of sustainability education to help our society achieve sustainability transformation might be slim. I will discuss this worry and possible remedies.
Timetable of presentations : Session 1 & Session 2
10:20-11:30 Session 1 — moderated by Marianna Vivitsou
10:20-10:40 | Maritime archaeological research and sustainability education | Aikaterini Velentza |
10:20-10:40 (cancelled) | Promoting food sense through school meals | Kristiina Janhonen |
10:40-11:00 | Situating Energy Literacy within Fictional Writing: Intermedial Ecocritical Frames | Inna Sukhenko |
11:00-11:20 | Children of the Anthropocene. Researching Atmospheres in the Ruins of an Anthropocentric World | Riikka Hohti |
11:20-11:30 | Q & A |
11.30-12:15 Lunch break
12:15-13:45 Session 2 — moderated by Satu Valkonen
12:15- 12:35 | Supporting children’ sustainable growth with skills learning mindset using solution-focused Kids’ Skills method | Jenny Niu |
12:35-12:55 | ECEC Personnel’s’ Views on Social and Cultural Sustainability: Dealing the questions of difference and diversity | Satu Valkonen |
12:55-13:15 | The role of futures in sustainability education | Tapio Rasa & Antti Laherto |
13:15-13:35 | Vanhakin nyt nuortuu: kokeneen kestävyystutkijan viimeaikaisia oivalluksia | Hannele Cantell |
13:35-13:45 | Q & A |
13:45-14:15 | Let’s talk Boundaries Inspired by the title of the seminar, this open session invites participants to reflect on and discuss approaches to Boundaries in Sustainability Education Research. The discussion will focus on questions such as: what boundaries are we talking about? why go beyond boundaries? are boundaries necessary at all? | Marianna Vivitsou |
14:15 | Closing words | Lili-Ann Wolff |