Student, interested in sustainability education? Come to Minerva on Jan 26 to hear about the development of sustainability courses in different disciplines

Lumisia autoja talvella Liisankadun varrella.
Bulletin 16.1.2024

Sustainability education seminar brings together researchers, teachers, and developers of sustainability education at Minerva Plaza on 26 January 2024 from 9 to 11 a.m. Come and hear about new discipline-specific courses, teaching materials, and research focusing on sustainability themes, and to discuss learning objectives, pedagogical solutions, and the future of sustainability education. 

In February 2023, the Strengthening Sustainability Expertise project provided seed funding to a total of 13 sustainability education development projects at the University of Helsinki. The projects have used seed funding to develop methods and teaching materials for the discipline-specific parallel implementations of the common Sustainability Course (SUST-001, 3 credits) or the discipline-specific course (2 credits) as a continuation of the Sustainability Course. The projects have sought ways to strengthen students' discipline-specific sustainability knowledge, learning to become sustainability experts and sustainability skills as part of learning generic expert skills. 

The development work was done during 2023, and the projects will present their outputs and outcomes at a seminar in January 2024. In addition to new sustainability courses and materials, the seminar will present the latest research findings on integrating sustainability into teaching and curricula. 

When and where?

Date and place 

  • Friday 26.1.2024 from 9:00 to 11:00 
  • Minerva Plaza (K226), at Siltavuorenpenger 5 A, floor K2 

Schedule

9:00-9:15 Coffee

9:15-9:45 Opening speeches - recent research perspectives (in English)

  • Tarja Tuononen: Sustainability competences in curricula
  • Viola Hakkarainen: Transformative sustainability education in online environments? – Opportunities and challenges across three universities in three continents

9:45-10:45 Parallel sessions: results of sustainability education projects (presentations in English, Finnish or Swedish) 

Session 1. Room K222c (Presentations in Swedish and Finnish)

  • Harriet Zilliacus: Pedagogiska fakultetens kurs i hållbarhetspedagogik
  • Minerva Peijari: En tvärvetenskaplig moodle-kurs med fokus på samhällsvetenskapliga perspektiv
  • Samuel Sandboge: Introduktion till planetär hälsa (medicinska fakulteten)
  • Ilkka Miettinen - Kestävä terveys 2.0 – monipuolisempaa oppimateriaalia ja enemmän yhteistyötä (farmasia)

Session 2. Room K226 (Presentations in English)

  • Arho Toikka: Teaching critical approaches to welfare and sustainability (social sciences)
  • Saara Kekki: Indigenous peoples and environment
  • Laura Ruotsalainen: Creating a new discipline specific sustainability course (computer and data sciences)
  • Eleanna Asvestari: Sustainable space MOOC course (physical sciences)

Session 3. Room K232 (Presentations in Finnish)

  • Timo Leskinen: Kiertotalouden kemia ja kestävyys
  • Milja Heikkinen: Eettiset kysymykset Maatalous-metsätieteellisen tiedekunnan kestävyysopetuksessa
  • Pirjo Virtanen: Ekolingvistiikka ja kestävyyskysymykset
  • Noora Korpelainen: Kestävyyskurssi, taiteiden tutkimus
  • Anni Kaikko: Kestävä terveydenhuolto ja globaalit terveysuhat -verkkokurssi

10:45-11:00 Wrap-up 

The seminar is open to everyone interested in sustainability education. The event will start with a morning coffee. Therefore, please register in advance by filling in the registration E-form by Monday 22.1.2024 at the latest. 

More information

Photo: Veikko Somerpuro