Symposium: Sociocultural Psychology and Education in the Era of the Anthropocene

Date: September 10, 2025

Location: University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland; Hybrid/Online participation is available.

The ongoing climate and ecological crises necessitate profound changes in human activities and societies. Earth is no longer within a safe operating space for humanity, as six of the nine planetary boundaries have been transgressed—including those concerning biodiversity and climate change. Societies are struggling to fulfill the promises of international agreements and to achieve a just transition to a sustainable future.

This symposium brings together international senior and early-career researchers to create and strengthen a research agenda and network for sociocultural psychology and education in this critical geological era when human activity profoundly impacts Earth’s systems. Sociocultural perspectives are uniquely positioned to illuminate and support the sociocultural transformations needed for ecological sustainability. Yet, research in this area remains emergent and underdeveloped.

We invite proposals for round table presentations that address the question:

How can sociocultural perspectives and empirical approaches in psychology and education support sociocultural change for sustainability?

For example, we are interested in contributions that explore:

• Schools and educational institutions as drivers of transformations for sustainability

• Cultural adaptations to climate change and biodiversity loss

• Human–nonhuman relations and interspecies cohabitation

• Theoretical and methodological innovations for studying sustainability in sociocultural contexts

By fostering international and intergenerational dialogue across disciplines, the symposium aims to connect research communities that have so far remained loosely linked.

Invited keynote speakers

The symposum is intended to be a forum for exchange, comparison of theories, and debate. It also serves an educational purpose as it offers Master and PhD students, as well as researchers, a series of keynote addresses given by renowned experts on the topic of sociocultural psychology and education in the era of Anthropocene. The invited keynote speakers include:

1) UNESCO Professor Ditte Winther-Lindqvist from University of Aarhus (Denmark)

2) Dr. Alfredo Jornet from University of Girona (Spain)

3) Associate Professor Larike Bronkhorst from University of Utrecht (Netherlands)

4) Professor Luca Tateo from University of Oslo (Norway)

5) Professor Laure Kloetzer from University of Neuchâtel (Switzerland)

6) Associate Professor Niklas Chimirri from Roskilde University (Denmark)

Submission Guidelines

We welcome proposals for individual papers, panels, or other creative formats (e.g., dialogues, workshops). Submissions should include:

• Title

• Abstract (250–300 words)

• Author(s) name(s), affiliation(s), and contact information

Please send your proposal by the Submission Deadline: July 15, 2025 by using this link

tinyurl.com/SYMPCENE

We are applying funding to offer scholarships for the travel expenses of 5 early career researchers. If you are interested in applying for a scholarship, please apply by June 25, and include your cv as an attachment to your submission.

We especially encourage submissions from early-career researchers and scholars from underrepresented regions. However, all submissions are more than welcome.

For further information, please contact Antti Rajala <antti.rajala@unine.ch> and Laure Kloetzer <laure.kloetzer@unine.ch>.