Globally disproportionate overconsumption of natural resources threatens the life supporting systems of our societies. The alarming rate of biodiversity loss and progression of climate change are man-made disasters that most evidently impact our future.
Thus, Finland Futures Research Centre works for enabling alternative, more sustainable futures. Our research, education, and development projects are interdisciplinary and international. Sustainable energy systems, climate change mitigation and adaptation, resource efficiency and sustainable and just bioeconomy are some of our key topics.
We aim to find novel approaches to complex eco-social issues through e.g. capacity building in higher education in the Global South, by developing new tools for modelling sustainability and analysing its indicators, by working for transnational futures literacy, and by supporting crosscutting climate education in Finnish universities.
Ongoing Research and Development Projects:
BIODIFUL is an interdisciplinary research project funded by the Strategic Research Council within the Academy of Finland. It aims at creating a network of change agents who want to seed the urgently needed environmental transformation, and to equip them with knowhow, courage and faith – biodiversity respectful leadership.
Research team at Finland Futures Research Centre is working on the fifth work package that takes a deep look at the institutional structures that hinder or support the necessary sustainability transformation. Law, regulations and the political and economic guidance methods constitute the frames within which the individuals and organizations function: it is essential to understand the structural barriers of environmentally friendly action. It is even more important to find such means of overcoming them that support the radical change towards making our societies genuinely sustainable.
The project is carried out during 2021-2027.
Further information: Sari Puustinen, FFRC
Access to modern energy services has direct implications on every aspect of sustainable development. Lesotho is one of the world's Least Developed Countries (LDC) where many households do not have access to electricity (less than 50% have access to electricity, roughly 10% in rural areas 2019). In the electrified areas, the demand for electricity is growing at a fast pace, but the supply has not been able to catch up. Lesotho has an abundance of techno- economically exploitable renewable energy resources such as hydro, solar and wind.
Application of renewable energy resources and adoption of energy efficiency measures can provide sustainable energy solutions and reduce the effect of increasing energy demand on greenhouse gas emissions. One of the major barriers hindering sustainable energy use and production in Lesotho is a shortage of knowledgeable and skillful human resources.
PROPEL is a collaboration project between the National University of Lesotho (NUL), University of Turku (UTU) and Aalto University (AU). The main objectives of PROPEL are to enhance internationalization activities between partner universities and to engage in capacity building at NUL to develop the quality of futures-resilient sustainable energy education through the training of trainers-approach. The project enhances the skills and competences of HEI staff in sustainable energy production and consumption by focusing on problem-based learning, online learning, and blended learning methodologies. The project supports the NUL’s MSc in Sustainable Energy programme and competences of NUL teaching staff to deliver high quality learning outcomes to students in both classroom and online environments.
Project activities focus on
- developing sustainable energy study content from a holistic perspective that incorporates supply and demand side considerations with a systemic lens;
- improving pedagogical expertise for the provision of high-quality, problem-based and digital sustainable energy education; and
- enhancing internationalization activities, enabling the formation of long-term partnerships between NUL, UTU and AU through student and staff mobilities, research collaboration and networking.
The project also aims to disseminate and promote thematic knowledge on sustainable energy to industry, public sector, and to civil society, building a foundation for long-lasting collaboration between all major stakeholders.
An overarching challenge that PROPEL addresses is the existential risk imposed by climate change. By promoting futures-resilient sustainable energy education in Lesotho and the internationalization between universities focusing on sustainable energy issues, the project addresses local educational needs, in influences growth of green jobs in the sustainable energy sector and promotes mitigation responses to climate change.
PROPEL is funded by Team Finland Knowledge programme and will be carried out by 31.12.2024.
Further information: Osku Haapasaari
UNESCO Chair in Learning Society and Futures of Education project is part of the global Futures Literacy network coordinated by UNESCO. The project develops futures education contents and methods for informal and formal education that can be utilized worldwide.
Further information: Markku Wilenius & Laura Pouru
