Tampere University’s Post

We are making transformative policies for a thriving planet and equitable wellbeing! This June we launched a major international project of which I am one of the leading researchers! The MAPS (Models, Assessment, and Policies for Sustainability) is a four-year interdisciplinary research project funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe programme. The project is dedicated to developing and assessing a new set of policies to deliver wellbeing for all within planetary boundaries. By providing research-backed policy scenarios and modelling tools, the MAPS project aims to facilitate an actionable shift towards a societal paradigm and narrative beyond growth. We are looking forward to sharing our results with you in the future! You can read the longer introduction of the project at the end of this post. #postgrowth #sustainability #wellbeing #policies #models #assessments #IPCC #IPBES #participation #cocreation #transformation #sustainablewelfare #degrowth #beyondgrowth #beyondGDP #doughnuteconomics #policymaking #future MAPS stands for Models, Assessment, and Policies for Sustainability. The project’s core mission is to map transformative policy pathways to ensure equitable human wellbeing while respecting Earth’s environmental limits. Employing participatory approaches, MAPS explores various post-growth policy options that prioritise peoples’ wellbeing and ecological sustainability and can secure welfare state provisioning in a postgrowth transition. Building on co-creation and active engagement with stakeholders in the policy and research communities, the project develops an innovative simulation model designed to inform real-world decision-making. Considering a holistic set of carefully selected environmental, social, and economic indicators, the model is used to assess resource requirements and policy options for a good life for all. By providing research-backed policy scenarios and modelling tools, the MAPS project aims to facilitate an actionable shift towards a societal paradigm and narrative beyond growth. The project identifies post-growth policies that are not only politically feasible and socio-economically sound but also enjoy public support. MAPS strives to provide people and decision-makers with the knowledge and tools to build a better future, where a good life for all is achieved within the environmental limits of our planet. MAPS is a four-year interdisciplinary research project funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe programme. It is coordinated by the University of Barcelona and brings together leading universities and research. The partner institutions include the University of Pisa, University of Surrey, ZOE Institute for Future-fit Economies, IST-ID – Association of Instituto Superior Técnico for Research and Development, University of Leeds, Corvinus University of Budapest, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Tampere University, and the Vienna University of Economics and Business.

Check out Session 14 Researching more-than-human worlds Session Chairs: Malin Bäckman, University of Helsinki; Susanna Barrineau, University of the Sunshine Coast and Uppsala University #YHYS2024 Fall Colloquium YHYS (The Finnish Society for Environmental Social Science) 27-29.11.24 in LUT University, Lappeenranta, Finland CFA DL 16.09.24 https://lnkd.in/dZWC8kQM “This planet is not ours; we have borrowed it from our grandchildren” is an outworn slogan implying human exceptionalism. From such a perspective, humans are centre stage and what we tend to call “the environment” is there for humans to exploit, protect or use for recreational activities. Another slogan coined by the environmental justice movement refers to environment as “where we live, work and play” and seeks to challenge the notion of environment being a distant place. Rather, humans are entangled with the environment through their everyday lives. This entanglement and the impossibility of separating human and nonhuman worlds have in recent years increasingly been brought to attention by scholars engaging with more-than-human perspectives. Such perspectives are opposing human exceptionalism by acknowledging others, such as animals, plants, organic and inorganic matter in the agentic sphere. While human entanglement with non-human others as well as attributing agency to non-human actants are relatively new within western thinking, these perspectives have a long history across various indigenous knowledges. A core argument within more-than-human perspectives, is how thinking-with those usually being ‘othered’ supports a move towards more just and caring relationships with human and non-human others.   While theoretical and conceptual papers on more-than-human perspectives and nonhuman agency abound, this session turns to the how of engaging with, including and/or exploring more-than-humans through empirical research. This session invites both work-in progress and recent experiences of more-than-human research endeavours. The session invites both empirical and methodological reflections, and is particularly interested in papers exploring questions such as:   How can more-than-human agencies be considered throughout a research project? What methodologies and methods are suitable when engaging with more-than-human perspectives? How can social scientists educated in researching with and about human worlds shift their perspectives towards more-than-human actants and agencies?

Join us in November for detailed training in systematic review and mapping methods AND networking and collaboration opportunities in all aspects of sustainable transitions/social transformations. The training course is ideal for PhD students and early career researchers, but people of all career stages are welcome! There's something here for everyone :) #AcademicTraining #Teaching #PhDLife #EarlyCareerResearchers #Academia #ResearchTraining #TransferableSkills

Register for this 5-day workshop on evidence synthesis methods taking place in Almería in November! This workshop is for you if you're interested in learning how to conduct systematic reviews and work in any topic that broadly connects to improving our societies and environment - whether you focus on which policies work the best, what are the impacts of certain human practices, or how our societies and the wider world may be changing. Come along and be inspired by others - learn cutting-edge evidence synthesis methodology - network with collaborators from across disciplines - experience the socio-cultural melting pot of the Almerían industrial agricultural complex. See you there! https://lnkd.in/eGUSRNf6 #EvidenceSynthesis #SystematicReviews #LiteratureReviews #AcademicTraining #EarlyCareerResearchers #PhDTraining #PhDLife #SocialTransformations #EnvironmentalResearch #SocialScience #NaturalScience #PublicPolicy #Agriculture #FoodSystems #ClimateChange #Immigration #Economics

Just one week left to begin your registration for this exciting 5-day evidence synthesis workshop in Spain. If you work in any field related to transforming social and ecological systems then come along to learn how to conduct robust literature reviews and network with other like-minded researchers! #EvidenceSynthesis #SystematicReviews #PhDTraining #EarlyCareerResearchers #ResearchSkills #LiteratureReviews #SocialTransformations #Degrowth #Postgrowth #ClimateCrisis #PlanetaryCrises #BiodiversityCrisis #PlasticsCrisis #AMR #IndustrialFarming #FoodSystems

Link between SDG research quality and policy questioned wagdy sawahel  15 October 2024 The study of 16 million articles related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) reveals a modest link between traditional research quality indicators and their citation in policy documents, with a striking 90% of SDG papers never being cited in policy. This indicates that high-quality research does not inherently lead to policy impact, as a small fraction of papers account for most citations. The research highlights the need for both researchers and policymakers to expand their strategies for promoting and utilizing research to ensure better alignment with policy needs. Notably, social sciences research is more frequently cited than technical fields, suggesting variations in citation rates among different SDGs. These findings underscore the importance of bridging the gap between academic research and policy to enhance the influence of research on policy-making. #SDGresearch #university #sustainability #education #educapartners https://lnkd.in/d84QZXYY

How do we mainstream social science expertise into UK environmental policy? As a social scientist who has previously worked within Global Health alongside biomedical colleagues, I understand the challenges of navigating knowledge hierarchies. It is crucial to recognise the value that social sciences bring to addressing many societal challenges including global environmental crises. I found this study, "Mainstreaming Social Sciences Expertise in UK Environment Policy and Practice Organisations," provides important highlights both the benefits and the challenges of integrating social sciences within Environmental Policy and Practice (EPP) organisations. Key Benefits of Mainstreaming Social Sciences: 1.  Enhanced Policy and Practice: Social sciences provide a comprehensive understanding of societal behaviours and their impact on the environment. 2.  Improved Outcomes: By integrating social sciences, EPP organisations can achieve more legitimate, salient, and robust environmental governance. This approach ensures that policies are not only scientifically sound but also socially equitable. 3.  Greater Innovation: Social scientists often bring innovative methodologies and perspectives that challenge conventional approaches, leading to more effective solutions. Proposed Integration Indicators: To assess and enhance the integration of social sciences in EPP organisations, the study proposes a set of indicators: 1.     Social Sciences Capacity: Assessing the number and roles of social scientists within organisations, their disciplinary backgrounds, and available resources. 2.     Range of Roles: Evaluating the diversity of roles social scientists play, from diagnostic to disruptive functions. 3.     Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Measuring the extent and effectiveness of collaboration between social scientists and natural scientists. 4.     Professional Regard: Understanding how social sciences are perceived within organisational knowledge hierarchies and addressing any biases. 5.     Reach and Influence: Analyzing the impact of social sciences on policy and practice within EPP organisations. 6.     Impact: Evaluating the effectiveness of social sciences in contributing to successful environmental outcomes. Despite these benefits, integrating social sciences remains challenging. Many EPP organisations still face barriers, such as limited resources, entrenched knowledge hierarchies, and a preference for quantitative over qualitative methods. As social scientists, it is vital to advocate for our expertise and demonstrate its critical role in shaping a sustainable future. Mainstreaming of social sciences within environmental policy and practice is not just beneficial but essential. By leveraging the proposed integration indicators, EPP organisations can better incorporate social sciences, leading to more effective and equitable environmental solutions. #SocialScience #EnvironmentalPolicy #InterdisciplinaryResearch #PolicyMaking

Mikko Weckroth (LUKE), Jonathan Hopkins (James Hutton Institute) and I (Thuenen-Institute) are organising a special session on "Recent Advances in Geography of Subjective Wellbeing Research and Policy Contributions" (SS35) at the next Regional Studies Association conference 6-9th May in Porto. Abstract submission deadline: 19th December, https://lnkd.in/eQqF89Vd! The special session aims to explore the spatial dimensions of SWB and identify emerging empirical insights which might inform improved policy-making processes and development approaches which could address urban, rural, and regional disparities in wellbeing across European contexts. We invite abstracts that address the following questions: 1. What are the spatial determinants of SWB, and how do these vary between urban and rural settings? Studies examining the spatial factors that drive wellbeing differences between city and rural landscapes and the spaces where urban and rural areas intersect. 2. How can SWB data inform policies for sustainable urban and rural development? We are interested in contributions that outline how new insights on multidimensional SWB can support policy objectives for more equitable and inclusive growth, a just transition, improving access to services, and enhancing quality of life across diverse spatial contexts. Especially welcome are studies that empirically explore the dynamics between parallel geographies of institutional discontent and subjective wellbeing as well policy formulations derived from new emerging economic paradigms (e.g. foundational economy and wellbeing economy) which could contribute levelling out the spatial disparities. 3. What role do national and EU-level policies play in influencing SWB across regions? We welcome abstracts that address the interactions between local/regional policies and overarching EU strategies, shedding light on best practices, potential gaps, and pathways for multilevel governance to improve SWB outcomes. 4. How can interdisciplinary methodologies enhance our understanding of SWB and its policy implications? We encourage submissions that employ mixed and novel methods, cross-sectoral insights, add new value to secondary datasets, or which examine the processes by which SWB data can be effectively translated into policy action. This session aims to foster a robust dialogue among geographers, regional studies scholars, policymakers, and practitioners, promoting collaboration across disciplines to advance the practical application of spatially tuned SWB research. By bridging academic and policy perspectives, we hope to contribute to more cohesive and impactful approaches to addressing geographical wellbeing inequalities and supporting resilient communities across Europe. Hope to see you in Porto!

I've set aside today to read research papers, something that feels like an indulgence to many academics including myself, but is actually a vital part of our job. This paper was really interesting and some of the concepts within reminded me of the Future Generations Act in Wales. The idea that sustainability goes beyond the economic and the environmental but also tries to balance the economic development and cultural preservation, whilst also expanding what that culture is. Have a read for yourself and let me know what you think in the comments here. https://lnkd.in/eaqjQnvj