Thursday, May 23rd
Workshop 1: European doctoral training in service of sustainability transitions (hosts: Aila-Leena Matthies, Vesna Leskošek)
Training of early-stage researchers can be seen as one of the core instruments to promote sustainability transitions. This workshop is an opportunity for those who have experience in or are interested in creating and developing joint European doctoral training and strengthening European Higher Education at this level. Especially, we would like to discuss doctoral training which is related to the challenges of sustainability transitions and aiming to do this from a transdisciplinary basis. We as responsible people of ASTRA training and research supervision would like to share our experiences and critical reflections. The workshop is also an opportunity for networking for new collaborations. The workshop will be organised in a form of open discussion with short inputs from prof. Vesna Leskosek, University of Ljubjana and Leader of the WP Training of ASTRA, and prof. Aila-Leena Matthies, Ģֱ and Principal Investigator of the ASTRA project
Workshop 2: Sustainability challenges in academia: Discussing slower alternatives for the health of people and the planet. (hosts: Rebecca Conway, Svenja Fischbach, Eileen Lauster, Athina Moroglou)
In this workshop, participants will learn about PhD students' experiences regarding travel and mental health challenges in academia. We will discuss how university policies and traditions lead to unsustainable practices that can negatively affect people’s mental well-being and increase carbon footprints. In small group discussions, we will explore alternatives and how participants can advocate for changes in their situations.
Workshop 3: ASTRA research results (continuing the discussion in the plenum before) (hosts: Kati Turtiainen, Anne Tolvanen)
The workshop aims to build upon the presentations discussed in the plenary session. Participants are encouraged to share their thoughts and address current issues, fostering transdisciplinary approaches. This collaborative effort seeks to promote comprehensive understanding and solution-focused research and practices among academics, civil servants, policymakers, and representatives from civil society organizations.
Friday, May 24th
Workshop 1: Community-Based Participatory Action Research Global Initiatives: Where do we start? (hosts: Eileen Lauster and Jeany Rose Teguihanon)
In this immersive workshop, participants will learn the knowledge and tools necessary to effectively initiate and contribute globally to Participatory Action Research (PAR) and ask, "Where can we as researchers and practitioners start?". Participants will be introduced to two pivotal case studies from the ASTRA Project, showcasing real-world applications of PAR/PR in Germany and England. These examples will highlight the challenges encountered and the innovative solutions employed in design and methodology. The workshop aims to inspire and challenge participants, encouraging them to integrate the principles of PAR into their practices and research. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of the transformative power of community collaboration in research and a roadmap for embarking on their PAR journeys, both locally and globally.
Workshop 2: The Migration Paradox: Balancing Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Development (hosts: Areen Nassar and Mattia Mansueto)
Migration is a multifaceted phenomenon with profound implications for societies worldwide. Through the lens of sustainability, this workshop aims to explore the complexities of global migration and its impacts on both origin and destination countries. The main goal of the workshop is to understand how migration dynamics interact with the social, economic, and environmental facets of sustainability. We will address the following query through participatory discussions: What are the potential social, economic, and environmental impacts of migration movements on societies of both origin and destination? A wide range of people with a strong interest in sustainability and migration issues, including academics, researchers, policymakers, and representatives from non-governmental organizations (NGOs), are expected to participate in the workshop. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in discussions, share thoughts, and brainstorm potential solutions to address the challenges posed by migration while promoting sustainability in both origin and destination societies.
Workshop 3: From Economy to Social-Ecological Provisioning. About Economic Democratization and Social Work (hosts: Jef Peeters and Kang Liu)
The capitalist market economy is fundamentally ‘extractive’, both environmentally and socially. It has no sustainable answers to the current ecological and social problems. A sustainability transition, thus, is impossible without fundamentally changing this economic regime towards a ‘generative’ one. In this workshop, we first present three different approaches to this challenge. First, a reframing of economy to social-ecological provisioning for livelihoods fits well with a change-oriented social work. Then criteria for socially embedded democratic economic practices such as commons and cooperatives come into focus, as well as a different relationship between government and civil society (Jef Peeters). Second, the prevailing view of circular economy appears to be socially inadequate while also fostering an ecomodernist illusion. This underscores the need for a more profound social-ecological reflection on how circularity should be comprehended and pursued (Kang Liu). Third, change-oriented research in social policy includes universal basic services, job guarantee and maximum income (Alessia Greselin, Alisa Vänttinen and Jing Ding, University Tampere). After three short presentations, we foresee ample time for exchange and discussion.
Workshop 4: Advancing Ecosocial Work: Contributions to the Development of Social Work Theory (hosts: Atefeh Safarabadi Farahani and Ingo Stamm)
In the workshop, our objective is to discuss and further develop the concept of ecosocial work. We will begin with an icebreaker activity to foster a productive work atmosphere, followed by introductions where participants share their experiences and prior knowledge related to ecosocial work. The focus of the workshop will be on two crucial aspects of social work theories: the subject matter or scope of social work (such as social problems and well-being) and the theory-practice-relation. Both aspects are essential elements of every social work theory. Participants will be divided into two small groups, each discussing both aspects in two rounds of discussion. We will explore how ecosocial work influences or changes our view on both of these aspects. The workshop will conclude with an overall summary on the development of ecosocial work as part of social work theory in the future.
