YHYS Fall Colloquium 2026

Åbo Akademi University (ÅAU) and University of Turku (UTU) invite you to join the annual colloquium of the Finnish Society for Environmental Social Science (YHYS) 19–20 November in Turku, Finland.

The theme of the YHYS Fall Colloquium 2026 is Facts, Fictions and Sustainable Futures. The colloquium explores how facts, narratives and imaginaries shape environmental action in a time when environmental crises coexist with policy backlash, political contestation and uneven trust in institutions. While environmental knowledge remains widely acknowledged, it is also strategically challenged, reframed or mobilized to serve competing interests, making the interplay between “facts” and “fictions” central to understanding issues such as policy backsliding, climate obstruction and disinformation.

Alongside working group sessions, we will hear four keynote talks by esteemed guests:

Catriona McKinnon (University of Exeter)
Malcolm Fairbrother (Uppsala University)
Tero Toivanen (University of Helsinki)
Johanna Kaakinen (University of Turku)

More information are to be announced on these web-pages. Pages containing details about the Programme, Keynotes, PhD Event and Sessions will be opened throughout the summer 2026. Please be in touch via yhys2026@abo.fi if you have any queries.

Åbo Akademi University campus, Astra (Porthaninkatu 3) & Arken (Tehtaankatu 2)

Administration email: yhys2026@abo.fi