Maantieteen päivät 2024

The next 100 years

Geography at the University of Turku is celebrating its 100^th anniversary and welcomes Finnish Geography Days 2024 to join the jubilee.

History takes us to the future. The next 100 years form a crucial period as we are facing major global challenges. Climate change and species extinction are taking place at an unprecedented speed. Geopolitical, economic, and social instabilities are evolving. The consequences and opportunities to cope with these challenges are unevenly distributed. Building the future depends on what we can learn from the past, and what we teach our children about the world we live in.

Research in geography has the potential to integrate diverse perspectives on societies and nature. Geography can play a key role in helping us to find more sustainable and just futures in a comprehensive manner. Despite the perhaps gloomy state of the world, envisioning the future can be an empowering exercise and an opportunity to imagine even radical alternatives. Therefore, we invite the whole geography community to courageously envision what the future can hold for us and what opportunities geographical research can offer.

Geography can bridge understanding of space and time, of human and natural sciences. Thus, we hope to see integrative discussions across (sub-)disciplinary boundaries. This will be promoted by integrative parallel sessions culminating on a collective cheers & beers session with poster presentations. Hopefully such an approach will provide the participants new opportunities for networking and getting familiar with the great setting of geographical research and activities in Finland and to promote new initiatives and collaboration.