Sustainability Transformations Doctoral Education Pilot
Sustainability Transformations Doctoral Education Pilot (SusTra), coordinated by University of Eastern Finland, produces information about social, cultural, organizational and individual-level change processes when targeting a sustainable and just society without exceeding the planetary boundaries. Complex social-ecological challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss and global social inequality require in-depth sustainability transformations, across all sectors, scales and actors.
SusTra brings together the best minds in 11 Finnish institutions with expertise in different types of socio-cultural, ecological and techno-economic couplings. SusTra is designed to bridge a significant gap in current doctoral education curriculums. Unlike existing doctoral schools, SusTra will comprehensively bring together perspectives related to a) future skills and competencies, b) sustainable business and working life, c) leadership and management in societal change, d) cultural transformation and social imagination, e) policies, legal systems and means of regulation, f) planetary health and well-being, and g) civil society and democratic development.
SusTra recruits 40 doctoral researchers. Of these, a total of six doctoral researchers will be recruited in the University of Turku. SusTra doctoral researchers will start their studies on 1 January 2025. Two doctoral researchers recruited to the Finland Futures Research Centre are expected to apply the right to study a doctoral degree at the Doctoral Programme of Turku School of Economics. Two doctoral researchers recruited to the Biodiversity Unit and two in Department of Geography and Geology are expected to apply the right to study a doctoral degree at the Doctoral Programme in Biology, Geography and Geology (BGG).
For more details, see the list of contact persons below.
| Research theme | University, department and contact person |
| Systems orientation, goals of education and futures competencies | · Finnish Institute for Educational Research (JYU), Hannu L.T. Heikkinen · Faculty of Education (UL), Ilkka Ratinen · Sustainability Science (LUT), Lassi Linnanen and Jarkko Levänen |
| Sustainable business and working life | · School of Business (Aalto), Minna Halme and Tiina Ritvala · Faculty of Management and Business (TAU), Leena Aarikka-Stenroos and Johanna Kujala |
| Leadership and management in societal change | · Business School (UEF), Hanna Lehtimäki · School of Management (VU), Harri Jalonen |
| Human-nature interconnectedness, social imagination and cultural transformations | · Finland Futures Research Centre (UTU), Katriina Siivonen, Petri Tapio · Department of Geography and Geology (UTU), Nora Fagerholm · Faculty of Arts (HU), Reetta Toivanen · Faculty of Art and Design, University of Lapland, Maria Huhmarniemi |
| Policies, legal systems and means of regulation | · Department of Geographical and Historical Studies (UEF), Irmeli Mustalahti · Law School (UEF), Niko Soininen and Seita Vesa |
| Ecosystems, planetary health and planetary wellbeing | · Faculty of Medicine (OU), Jouni Jaakkola, Timo Hugg · School of Resource Wisdom (JYU), Janne Kotiaho and Mikko Mönkkönen · Biodiversity Unit (UTU), Ilari Sääksjärvi · Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences (UH), Christopher Raymond · Water and Environmental Engineering (Aalto), Marko Keskinen |
| Sustainable living, civil society and democratic development | · Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy (JYU), Tiina Kontinen · Department of Social Sciences (UEF), Arto O. Salonen |
- Aalto = Aalto University
- HU = Helsinki University
- JYU = University of Jyväskylä
- LUT = LUT University
- OU = Oulu University
- TAU = Tampere University
- UEF = University of Eastern Finland
- UL = University of Lapland
- UTU = University of Turku
- VU = Vaasa University