International PhD Workshop on Sustainable Innovation in Business and Society

The 1st international PhD workshop on Sustainable Innovation in Business and Society will be held at the University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu campus on Wednesday, October 30, 2024. The multidisciplinary PhD workshop is organized in collaboration between UEF Research Center for Sustainable Circular Economy (CECE), Social Scientific Biosociety Research Network (SOBIO), and Sustainability Transformations doctoral education pilot (SuSTra).

Submit your application here. The deadline has been extended, and notifications of acceptance will be sent by October 4, 2024. Those accepted will be requested to submit a full paper or a research plan.

The workshop is free of charge. We have a limited number of bursaries to cover part of the costs for PhD students who are conducting their research at institutions outside Finland. More information will be provided upon acceptance of your application.

The workshop is intended 1) to create a special space in which PhD students can develop academically, 2) learn from other like-minded students and 3) build an international network of fellow PhD students and faculty. This interdisciplinary PhD workshop is targeted to PhD students whose research topics are related to sustainability, circular economy and innovation. Participating students will have the opportunity to present their research, which will be discussed by their colleagues and senior faculty.

Thematically, the PhD workshop focuses on ways to advance sustainability transition through practices, processes and people involved in sustainable innovation and renewal. The workshop explores solutions for sustainable futures including operating models for economic growth and increased well-being without over-consumption of fossil fuels and natural resource.

In the one-day PhD workshop the participants mainly work in small groups. Each group consists of 1-2 professors or senior faculty. Each PhD student will be assigned a professor or a senior faculty, who will discuss and comment on their paper in particular, but also other papers in the group. Furthermore, each PhD student will discuss and comment the work of others, hereby, also learning reviewing skills.

Additionally, the workshop includes an expert speaker presentation: an inspirational and motivational speech on sustainability given by the sustainability professor Arto O. Salonen from the University of Eastern Finland, Finland. The workshop will be held entirely in English.

The PhD workshop will be organized in connection with the 4th International Conference for Sustainable Resource Society – ICS24 at the University of Eastern Finland in Joensuu campus, Finland. The International Conference for Sustainable Resource Society is a multidisciplinary conference focused on challenges of sustainability transitions in society, environmental change, and sustainable use of natural resources. The PhD workshop participants will be encouraged to take part in the conference as well.

Preliminary program of the PhD workshop

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

8.30 Coffee and registration

9.00 Opening

9.15 Keynote, prof. Arto O. Salonen, University of Eastern Finland & Commentary, prof. Bernadeta Killian, University of Dar es Salaam

10.00 Parallel sessions I

11.00 Lunch

12.00 Parallel sessions II

14.00 Break

14.30 Parallel sessions III

15.45 Closing

18.00 Evening program