YHYS 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. We are happy to announce over 200 registered participants!

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:

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.

Registration closed on Saturday 31.10. The colloquium is at full capacity and unfortunately we cannot accommodate more participants. Thank you to all registered for interest in the YHYS Fall Colloquium, we are pleased to announce that we have over 250 registered participants!

SOS is a Centre of Excellence at Åbo Akademi University, funded by the Åbo Akademi University Foundation during 2024–2028.