Keynotes and speakers

Contributors

The conference has 4 keynote presentations, 17 invited presentations, 17 selected presentations and 3 special sessions. The list below contains information about the contributors and the titles of their contributions (it is organized alphabetically after the presenters first name in the first three categories).

Keynotes

Daniel Ross: Dare to Think Past the Anthropocene: What is to be Done with Education?

Dan is the author of Psychopolitical Anaphylaxis: Steps Towards a Metacosmics (Open Humanities Press, 2021) and Violent Democracy (Cambridge University Press, 2004), and the codirector of the philosophical documentary The Ister (2004), which won festival prizes at Marseille and Montreal.

In 2002 he received his PhD from Monash University with a thesis on “Heidegger and the Question of the Political”. From 2009 to 2014 Dan taught in the master’s program at the Graduate School of Education at the University of Melbourne, and in 2015–216 he was a “Prometeo” researcher at Yachay Tech in Ecuador, a brand-new large-scale university/city project where he also taught a course on the philosophy of technology. He has also been invited to teach courses at Hangzhou’s China Academy of Art (2018) and Shanghai’s Tongji University (2018, 2019), as well as giving many other lectures and seminars.

After interviewing Bernard Stiegler for The Ister, Daniel began working closely with the French philosopher, who died last year. He has translated eleven of Stiegler’s books into English, most recently The Age of Disruption: Technology and Madness in Computational Capitalism (Polity Press, 2019) and Nanjing Lectures 2016–2019 (Open Humanities Press, 2020), and has written extensively on Stiegler’s work, as well as co-editing special issues of the journals Derrida Today and Polish Journal of Aesthetics.

Mirian Vilela: Cultivating human shared values and sparking social transformation; the greatest challenge of education of our times

Mirian is Executive Director of the Earth Charter International Secretariat and of the Earth Charter Center for Education for Sustainable Development at the University for Peace, and coordinator of the UNESCO Chair on Education for Sustainable Development with the Earth Charter.

Mirian has worked with the Earth Charter International Initiative since the beginning of 1996. Since 2005, she has been teaching courses on Sustainable Development, Education for Sustainable Development and Environmental Governance at the University for Peace. For more than 20 years, she has facilitated consultation processes and workshops, and coordinated local, regional and international projects. She has been working in the field of sustainability since 1990, when she worked for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in preparation to the 1992 UN Earth Summit. She has a PhD on Education from La Salle University, with a research focused on sustainability and global citizenship values education, and holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, where she was an Edward Mason Fellow. She lives in Costa Rica and is originally from Brazil.

Noah W. Sobe: UNESCO’s Futures of Education initiative

Noah is Senior Project Officer in the Future of Learning and Innovation section at UNESCO headquarters in Paris where he helps to lead on the new flagship Futures of Education: Learning to become initiative.

He is past president of the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) and co-editor of European Education, the official journal of the Comparative Education Society of Europe (CESE). His scholarship crosses the fields of history of education and comparative education and he holds a faculty position as professor of cultural and educational policy studies at Loyola University Chicago, USA.

Shelley Sacks: Education as a Connective Practice for ‘making Social Honey™’

Shelley is a social sculpture practitioner, cultural activist and author, currently presenting her ‘Social Sculpture – Connective Practice’ approach in the Kassel21-Social Sculpture Lab she is curating for the Joseph Beuys 100 birth centenary, hosted by the documenta Archive. A former student and co-worker with Joseph Beuys in the Free International University, she was also active in the South African liberation struggle, developing non-formal and cooperative education approaches connecting Beuys, Paulo Freire and Ivan Illich.

Sacks is Professor Emerita at Oxford Brookes University, England, and founder of the Social Sculpture Research Unit in Oxford [1997]; University of the Trees [2006], and the new global Social Sculpture Lab for New knowledge and an EcoSocial Future [2021].

In addition to more than 50 site works, performances, actions and installations, including the well-known social sculpture arena, Exchange Values with small producers in the Caribbean, she has authored books and chapters on ‘aesthetic strategies in times of change’ and developed social sculpture-connective practices like Earth Forum, used in many countries and contexts as “transformative intervention formats” for mind-shift work, futures literacy and democratic competencies.

Invited speakers

Albert Fuster: The Future is Now – Reflections on Time, Place and Agents in the Learning Experience (C4)

Albert is Academic Director of the “Master in Creative Process”, ELISAVA Barcelona School of Design and Engineering, Spain. He is also Director, with Professor Ezio Manzini, of “DxCM Design for City Making in Barcelona”, in collaboration with Desis Network. Coordinator, with Professor Daniel Cid, Flat Zero Project for homeless people in Barcelona city centre.

Christian Christrup Kjeldsen: Global Attitudes and Perceptions of Social Justice among Youth: How the International Large Scale Assesments (ILSA) can inform the 2030 agenda for sustainable development and learning to become (B11)

Christian is Associate Professor and Deputy head of school (DPU) and Director for research, the Standing Committee for International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). IEA is an international cooperative of national research institutions, governmental research agencies, scholars, and analysts working to research, understand, and improve education worldwide.

Christian Ydesen: Reconciling Paradigms and Agendas for the Realization of Education for the 21st century (A11)

Christian is professor (MSO) at Aalborg University, Denmark. He is PI for the project ‘The Global History of the OECD in education’ funded by the Aalborg University talent programme and the project ‘Education Access under the Reign of Testing and Inclusion’ funded by the Independent Research Fund Denmark. He has been a visiting scholar at the University of Edinburgh (2008-2009, 2016), the University of Birmingham (2013), and the University of Oxford (2019) and published several articles on topics such as educational testing, international organisations, accountability, educational psychology and diversity in education from historical and international perspectives.

David Kergel: Digital Diversity within the educational Field – towards an integrative approach (C12)

David is Professor at the IUBH University of Applied Sciences, Dortmund, Germany. He is Co-Editor of the Book-Series Perspectives on Education in the Digital Age” (Routledge), “Social Work Theory and Practice” (Springer), “Prekarisierung und soziale Entkopplung – transdisziplinäre Studien” (Springer) and “Diversität und Bildung im Digitalen Zeitalter”.

Felix Riede: The mandate of the Anthropocene and the collapse of disciplinary boundaries in education (A1)

Felix is Professor with Special Responsibilities focusing on Environmental Humanities and Climate Change Archaeology. Aarhus University, Denmark. His work focuses on human-environment relations in a deep historical perspective – especially in the Palearctic – and with many collaborations across the biological and geological sciences. He is Pl for the ERC funded CLIOARCH project which examines human responses to rapidly changing climates, extreme environmental events, migration and adaptation in prehistoric time in Europe

Jeppe Læssøe: Recent trends in re-thinking education in the face of an escalating non-sustainable world (B1)

Jeppe is Professor Emeritus (MSO) at the Department of Education (DPU), Aarhus University, Denmark. He has been involved in charting the development of education for sustainable development (ESD) and the related political process both in Denmark and internationally. Currently, Jeppe’s research focuses on the links between international and national policy development regarding ESD. Another recurring theme is the role of research in relation to the political process and the resultant methodological challenges and possibilities.

Jonas Lysgaard and Sanne Hasse: Danish Higher Education institutions’ strategies of Education for Sustainable Development (A12)

Jonas is Associate Professor at the Department of Education (DPU), Aarhus University, Denmark. He specializes in education and pedagogy with special emphasis on independent school forms, such as folk high schools and their links to sustainable development and future challenges. He is one of the main authors of Dark Pedagogy: Education, Horror and the Anthropocene (Palgrave Studies in Education and the Environment, 2019)

Sanne is head of research at ‘Centre for Studies in quality of education, professional policies and practice’ at VIA University College.

Karen Bjerg Petersen: Global citizenship education for (unknown) futures of education (B9)

Karen is Associate Professor at the Danish School of Education, Aarhus University, Denmark. She is the Editor-in-Chief of JISTE – Journal of the International Society for Teacher Education – and has worked as such for more than 10 years. Her research areas are globalization, global citizenship education, diversity, vulnerable youth and alternative educational settings. She is an experienced editor of books and journals

Kenneth Nordgren: Subject-Didactics in the New Normality: Challenges and Possibilities in History Teaching (A2)

Kenneth is Professor of Social Science Education at Karlstad University (Sweden) where he is a researcher and research leader at the Centre for Social Science Education (CSD) and where he has also served as Dean of Teacher Education. Before receiving his PhD in 2006, he worked as a teacher of history and social science in an upper secondary school. His research interests are in theoretical aspects of history education in complex and changing societies with a particular focus on multiculturalism and the Anthropocene, as well as in more praxis-oriented issues, including inquiry methods and teachers’ collaborative planning and preparation of lessons.

Kerstin von Brömssen: In the Context of Migration – the Swedish Nation’s selfnarration through Civic Orientation Courses (B12)

Kerstin is Professor at the Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University West, Sweden. Kerstin does research in Children, Migration and Education, Teacher Education and Religious and Values Studies. She is the author and editor of several articles and books in the field of religious education, intercultural and social justice education. Her expertise is in empirical research, especially ethnography and discourse analysis, and she has several longstanding international research links, especially with South Africa. She has also, together with Michael Paulsen, coordinated the study circle “Learning and Bildung in times of Globalization” (2018-2020) for the Nordic Summer University.

Laura Cléries Garcia: A framework for innovating through design: Design Attitudes (C1)

Laura is Director of Elisava Research, ELISAVA Barcelona School of Design and Engineering, Spain., Professor of the Degree in Industrial Design Engineering and Director of the Master’s Degree in Design through New Materials. Laura has worked internationally as a designer in main design companies (Zara Home) and design studios, and as researcher for main forecasting publications and think tanks (Pantone Colour Planner, WGSN). Her present research work focuses on futures research methodologies, as well as in materials innovation.

Lene Rachel Andersen: How big are the changes for which we need to prepare and educate? (C11)

Lene is a Philosopher, award winning author, futurist, bildung activist, and a member of the Club of Rome. In 2018, Andersen co-founded the Copenhagen based think tank Nordic Bildung, which combines future studies with education and bildung about and for the future. Andersen is the author of 18 books about how technology may affect the open society and democracy, and she has received two Danish democracy awards for her work.

Ljupco Kocarev & Jasna Koteska: Ethics of Digital me (AI agents and Futures of Education) (A9)

Ljupco is a Macedonian physicist, mathematician, non-linear dynamics, complex systems, and complex networks scientist. Research scientist at the University of California San Diego, full professor of electrical engineering and information technologies at the Ss. Cyril and Metodius University in Skopje, a fellow of IEEE and President of the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts. He has published widely and is editor of seven books.

Jasna is a Macedonian writer, philosopher and full professor at Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje. She is the author of 12 books on Sigmund Freud, Søren Kierkegaard, communism, and sanitation, published in Washington, Toronto, Belgrade, Ljubljana, Sofia, and Skopje. She is editor in chief for Trinity College Toronto and CERI-SK Ljubljana and is coordinator of the study circle “Futures of Education” (2021-2023) for the Nordic Summer University

Michael Paulsen: Onto-sympathy, embodied beings and pedagogy in a (post) Anthropocene age – about the possibility of pedagogically mediated dialogue with more than humans (A4)

Michael is a philosopher and senior lecturer at the University of Southern Denmark, Department of the Study of Culture. He is former Chair of Applied Philosophy Study Board at the Department of Learning & Philosophy, Aalborg University and has been Pl of several research projects. Michael has published widely on various subjects and is editor of seven books. His current research focuses on Education and the Anthropocene. He has also, together with Kerstin von Brömssen, coordinated the study circle “Learning and Bildung in times of Globalization” (2018-2020) for the Nordic Summer University.

Nanna Jordt Jørgensen: Education for Sustainable Development and social justice: Global and local challenges and educational openings (B2)

Nanna is Associated Professor at University College Copenhagen, Denmark. She is an anthropologist and has a PhD in Education for Sustainable Education. She has worked with development and research focusing on marginalized children and young people in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. As a researcher at Copenhagen University College, she focuses on sustainability and social vulnerability.

Natalie Mossin: Architectures interaction with the Sustainable Development Goals; reaching for sustainable development, in teaching and practice (C2)

Natalie is Head of Institute at the Royal Danish Academy – Institute of Architecture and Technology. She is a specialist in sustainable development in the build environment and innovation in construction. She is serving on the Council of the International Union of Architects (UIA) and as a co-chair of the UIA Commission on Sustainable Development. Natalie is President of Congress for the World Congress of Architects 2023 and a past President of the Danish Association of Architects (2008-2018). She has served in numerous honorary offices and as an architectural editor, curator and juror. She has been a Fullbright Scholar at Columbia University, New York, and a curator of the Danish Pavilion at the Venice Biennale Architettura.

Thomas Østergaard et al.: Learners Learning to Become – Exploring experiences with developing educator’s ESD-competencies across sectors in Higher Education (B4)

Thomas Østergaard. Associate Professor at VIA Faculty of Design & Business, and Researcher at the Research Center for Creative Industries and Sustainable Development & the Research Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, VIA. Thomas was awarded the Herning Municipality Sustainabiltity Award 2020 and has specialized his research within The Role of the Designer in Circular and Sustainable Transitions. Thomas is also lead-coordinator of the Incubator at VIA Herning.

Torsten Sack-Nielsen is Associate Professor and Head of the Research centre for construction, energy, water and Climate at VIA Faculty of Construction and Architecture. He has specialized his research in Circular Transitions in the Building and Architectural Sector.

Karen Frederiksen, Dean of VIA Faculty of Health Sciences. Chair of the cross-organizational project group supporting VIA’s work with the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Birgitte Helbæk, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Continuing education – pedagogy and CFU

Birgitte Woge Nielsen, Associate Professor at the VIA Faculty of Health Sciences and the lead-coordinator of the Incubator at the campus North, Aarhus.

Selected papers

Ainoa Abella Garcia, Maria José Araya, Thomas Østergaard, Experiencing Emotional and Entrepreneurial Didactics for Sustainable Design Educations, Researchers and Associate Professors, ELISAVA Barcelona School og Design and Engineering, Spain, Elisava School of Design & Engineering, Barcelona, Spain& University of Santiago, Chile & VIA University College, Denmark. (A13)
Anne Louise Bang, Oh No, Not another Framework!, Senior Associate Professor, Center for Creative Industries and Professions at VIA University College, Denmark. (C3)
Bridie Lonie, Art’s capacity to foster emergent understanding, Teacher, Dunedin School of Art at Otago Polytechnic, New Zealand. (A14)
Caroline McCaw, Education for Sustainability: Learning from and with living systems, Researcher, Design department at Otago Polytechnic, New Zealand. (B10)
Elinor Bray-Collins, Nalini Andrade & Catherine Wanjiru, Gender Equality and TVET on the African Continent: Findings from the Scholarship, Elinor and Nalini, Faculty, Liberal Studies and International Development & Manager, International Development Institute, Humber College, Canada; Catherine, Gender Expert, Kenya. (A6)
Inge Andrew, Using Design Activism to Empower and Value a Community Group, Master Student, Design department at Otago Polytechnic, New Zealand. (C7)
Jesper Marius Als, The plurality of reality for global educational opportunities, International coordinator, International project office at VIA University College, Denmark. (C14)
Katrine Dahl Madsen, Nanna Jordt Jørgensen, Tejs Møller, Sustainability at the university college: Challenges, dilemmas and openings, Researcher and Associate Professors, University College Copenhagen, Denmark. (B13)
Lesley Brook, Evaluation of art research for sustainable development, Otago Polytechnic, New Zealand. (B7)
Machiko Niimi, Mary Butler, Designing education that makes a difference: the spectacles story, Teacher and Researcher, Design department at Otago Polytechnic, New Zealand. (B8)
Marianne Leth, Michael Vogt, Sustainability – Local investigation – Global awareness. ‘Bildung’-making for the Anthropocene in an inter-disciplinary teacher education course (nature and technology/history)?, Senior Lecturers, Department of Teacher Education at VIA University College, Denmark. (A3)
Megan Brasell-Jones, It takes a Village: Communicating a campus compost project as a local case study of sustainability education, Researcher, Otago Polytechnic, New Zealand. (B3)
Niels Larsen, Teacher Education addressing Sustainable Development in the Anthropocene time – Partnerships and Co-learning, Ph.d. and Private Consultant, RCE Denmark, Denmark. (A7)
Rune Thorbjørn Clausen, Kasper Trolle Elmholdt, To count or not to count, that is the question? Evaluative practices in Higher Education, Head of research-program and Associate Professor, Center for Creative Industries and Professions at VIA University College, Denmark. (B6)
Sara Denise Narciso, Project Based Learning in Communication Design: Creating value for learners and communities, Lecturer Otago Polytechnic, New Zealand. (C6)
Torben Albertsen, Strange animals and what to do with them, Postdoc, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Chile. (A8)
Tsewang Lhundup, Gross Local Happiness – Future of the Past!, Tsewan is an influencer, leader, changemaker, leading social innovator in Bhutan, extensively involved in international humanitarian innovation focusing on partnerships and empowerment (A10)

Special sessions

Special sessions on futures of education in relation to social transformation, international and faculty-student collaboration, ESD/SDG through MTS

Poul Erik Christoffersen: A little less conversation, a little more action (C13)

National coordinator for UNESCO ASP network, Ungdomsbyen, Denmark.

Students from Humber College: Map the System to Crack the System: Student Systems Thinking Research on Issues Related to the SDGs (C8)

Humber College, Canada.

Students: Emily Akerman, Spencer Brigham, Paige Chapman, Jada Francis, Marley, Jarvis, Natsuki Kyokane, Shannon O’Connor, Ariane Oelkrug, Lorreinne Pelipel, Maggie Pyke, Patty Yanes, Khantulga Zalaa-Uul

[Presenting Humber students’ participation in the global research-based competition ‘Map the System’ organized by the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, Oxford University. MTS aims at training participants to think and act differently about social change concerning social and environmental issues].

NB! You can prepare beforehand, or after the session, by checking out the posters and the videos the students have produced for this session by following this link: https://cut.ly/UXjSu1U

Faculty and Students, GPA: International Collaboration for a Sustainable Future: Faculty and Student Reflections from a Virtual Polytechnic Classroom (C9)

GPA FACULTY: Elinor Bray-Collins, Jeppe Kiel Christensen, Caroline McCaw, Birgitte Neilson, Machiko Niimi, Isabel Sousa.

GPA Students: Valeria Contreras Garcia, Samantha Groover, Jonas Hoffmann, Kristian Iversen, Chartsiri Klinpibul, Angus Lewry, Toni Linington, Emily Mackenzie, Anne Mogensen, Madavi Nandalall, Evan Reid

[GPA, Global Polytechnic Alliance, is a collaboration between polytechnic HEIs, initiated by Humber College, Canada; Otago Polytechnic, New Zealand; and VIA University Denmark]

NB! You can prepare beforehand, or after the session, by checking out the posters and the videos produced for this session by following this link: https://cut.ly/0PrVVHV