Info
Main building (C)
Seminaarinkatu 15
Jyväskylä 40100
Finland
Supported by:
Theme: Sustainability transformations
As the world faces escalating climate crises, biodiversity loss, and growing social inequalities, research on sustainability transformations has become more urgent and relevant than ever. Sustainability transformations refer to profound, systemic changes in societal structures, technologies, values and behaviors aimed at achieving long-term coexistence between humans and nonhumans, that supports their flourishing in ecological, social, and economic terms.
These transformations require shifts in governance, innovation, and cultural paradigms. Thus the Wisdom Days research conference on sustainability transformations invites together multi- and interdisciplinary scholarship that seeks to create knowledge, understanding, or solutions related to these challenges.
Read more about the conference sub-themes on the Call for Papers tab.
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Call for papers
The call for papers was open from 1 September until 28 November 2025 (extended from the original deadline of 14 November). The conference accepted proposals for talks, speed-talks, posters, and workshops.
Authors will be notified in January 2026.
Conference themes
Main theme: Sustainability transformations
As the world faces escalating climate crises, biodiversity loss, and growing social inequalities, research on sustainability transformations has become more urgent and relevant than ever. Sustainability transformations refer to profound, systemic changes in societal structures, technologies, values and behaviors aimed at achieving long-term coexistence between humans and nonhumans, that supports their flourishing in ecological, social, and economic terms.
These transformations require shifts in governance, innovation, and cultural paradigms. Thus the Wisdom Days research conference on sustainability transformations invites together multi- and interdisciplinary scholarship that seeks to create knowledge, understanding, or solutions related to these challenges.
Please read more about the six sub-themes below.
Programme
Conference agenda
The preliminary agenda for Wisdom Days 2026 is available below. Please note that the programme will be updated regularly and the local organizing committee reserves the right to make changes to the programme.
During the parallel sessions, presentations will take place simultaneously in different rooms. Detailed information about the schedules and parallel sessions will be added closer to the conference.
Note: The participation fee covers coffee breaks, welcome reception, workshops, and entrance to the conference party. Lunches and the conference dinner on Thursday are NOT included. Dinner tickets can be purchased separately when registering.
In addition to the main programme, Wisdom Days offers a selection of engaging pre-conference workshops and a post-conference campus tour. These sessions are designed to provide participants with practical tools, new perspectives, and opportunities for personal and professional development in the context of sustainability transformations. Whether you're interested in hands-on skills, nature-based practices, or simply connecting with peers, there's something for everyone! You can sign up for the pre-conference workshops and post-conference campus tour when registering to the conference.
Speakers
Rauna Kuokkanen
Sustainability transitions and Indigenous futures
Rauna Kuokkanen is Research Professor of Arctic Indigenous Politics at the University of Lapland (Finland) and Adjunct Professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto. Her research focuses on comparative Indigenous politics and law, Indigenous feminism and gender, Arctic governance, and settler colonialism in the Nordic countries. Her Sámi name is Jovnna Jon Anne Kirstte Rávdná or Fierranjot Kirstte Rávdná. She’s from the Deatnu River, Ohcejohka/Utsjoki.
Sustainability transitions are not only technical shifts but structural and political transformations. Indigenous participation in these processes cannot be reduced to consultation or tokenism; it requires rethinking relations—between states and Indigenous nations, human and non-human communities, and present and future generations. This keynote explores how sustainability transitions framed in technocratic or policy-driven terms risk sidelining the futures, knowledges, and relations of Indigenous communities. By centering Indigenous conceptions of environmental justice, the talk highlights how Indigenous peoples’ struggles for land, sovereignty, and self-determination are not marginal but foundational to just transitions. The keynote asks: What would it mean to design sustainability transformations that begin from Indigenous futures, rather than fit Indigenous peoples, their ways of knowing, governing, and relating into pre-existing models?
Keynote session: Thursday, 7th May 2026
Christian A. Klöckner
Success and failure stories of sustainability-related behavior change, and the role of democratic innovations in enabling rapid transitions
Christian A. Klöckner is professor in social psychology specialized in environmental psychology. He leads the research group for Citizens, Environment and Safety at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, several large, interdisciplinary research projects, and is the author of more than 150 scientific papers and books in the area. His work is highly cited in scientific papers, but also in the policy making domain.
In his talk, he will reflect on the potential and limits of behaviour science to address the big challenges of our societies (including climate change, biodiversity loss, and resource overuse). Based on his rich knowledge from many international projects, he will present success stories of how people manage to change their behaviour in a more sustainable direction, but also failures to do so. He will also reflect on how democratic innovations are necessary to manage rapid transitions.
Keynote session: Thursday, 7th May 2026
Jörn Fischer
Regenerative dynamics for sustainability
Prof. Jörn Fischer is professor of sustainable landscapes at the Social-Ecological Systems Institute (SESI) of Leuphana University Lüneburg, Germany. His recent work has focused on the intersection of food security and biodiversity conservation in southwestern Ethiopia. His research spans three continents, including Australia, Europe, and Africa. He has authored over 200 journal articles, making significant empirical and conceptual contributions to the field.
In his keynote, Prof. Fischer will explore the emerging concept of regenerative dynamics for sustainability. Notions of regeneration have entered discourses in several fields that are relevant for sustainability, including, among others, ecology, agriculture, economics, management, sociology, psychology and chemistry. A review of existing work shows that there are interesting parallels between these fields. By carefully defining key concepts, such as regenerative dynamics, regenerative practices and regenerative momentum, it is possible to derive generalized insights about what characterizes regenerative systems. Such insights, in turn, promise to spark new insights for sustainability science and practice, and could help to foster new, integrative developments across multiple areas of sustainability practice.
Keynote session: Friday, 8th May 2026
Registration
Participation fees
Note! The local organizing committee reserves the right to make changes to the participation fees and what they include until registration begins.
The participation fee covers the conference program, including coffee breaks, welcome reception, workshops, and entrance to the conference party. Lunches and the conference dinner on Thursday are NOT included in the participation fee.
Dinner tickets can be purchased separately when registering. The cost is 63€ per ticket (dinner 50€ + VAT 25,5%), which includes a buffet dinner and a couple of drinks.
Registration guidelines
Please observe the following:
- Registration is required for all attendees of the conference.
- The conference fee must be paid online at the time of registration. Please read the registration and payment form carefully before filling it in and making the payment.
- In order to secure a presentation slot in the conference program, the abstract author must register for the conference.
Venue
Wisdom Days will be held on-site at the Seminaarinmäki campus in Jyväskylä. Seminaarinmäki is a unique cultural and natural environment that reflects the history of Finnish architecture for over a hundred years. The campus is known worldwide for its numerous buildings designed by Alvar Aalto.
Safer space principles
We are committed to a safe environment. We encourage everyone to contribute, to respect each other's views, and make the conference a safer space - for ourselves and for one another.
We aim to strengthen communication and cooperation: we encourage everyone to ask when something is unclear or when more information is needed. Help others, and ask for help yourself.
We wish for everyone to celebrate curiosity and keep an open, dialogical mind. Trust the power of community.
At the conference, we will follow the University of Jyväskylä house rules for appropriate behaviour. Harassment and discrimination will not be tolerated in any encounter.
Getting to Jyväskylä
The Wisdom Days conference supports green travel and encourages attendees to prefer sustainable ways of travelling. Jyväskylä is easily accessible from across Finland by train or bus. For example, the trip from Helsinki to Jyväskylä takes approximately 3.5 hours.
Navigating the campus
The conference events take place in two buildings, which are located next to each other: the University Main building Capitolium (C) and the Seminarium building (S).
The JYU campus navigation site helps you locate the venues on campus. Browse the map or search for a specific building or room by typing the name in the search bar.
Restaurants and cafés
There are many restaurants and cafés on the Seminaarinmäki campus. Campus restaurants offer a variety of meals including daily vegan options and meals for special diets. Take a look at the restaurant webpages via the links below for further information and daily menus.
Accessibility
Please note that some of the conference venues might be partly inaccessible. More details about the main locations are available below. More details about campus accessibility are available here.
Accommodation
Hotel Alba in Mattilanniemi and Hotel Verso in downtown Jyväskylä offer special prices for Wisdom Days participants. These hotels are located conveniently within a walking distance of the Seminaarinmäki campus.
Please note that accommodation is not included in the conference fee and each participant is responsible for procuring their accommodation directly with the hotels. The special prices have limited availability and the offers are only valid for a limited time.
Other accommodation options
In addition to these two hotels, there is a variety of alternatives in and around Jyväskylä. Find more information via the link below.
