I am a first-year doctoral researcher in Development studies. My project is on the title " Civil societies strategies for the governance of just energy transition : Views from Africa

Applying foresight methods and tools in a range of topics, in particular to anticipate the energy transition in the Global South. Research interests: anticipatory governance, innovation ecosystems, off-grid solar photovoltaics, pioneer analysis, science-communication, startups. Co-author of "Electrification in Peer-to-Peer Society - a New Narrative for Sustainable Futures" (2019) and "La Electrificación en la Sociedad Entre Pares – Una Nueva Narrativa para Futuros Sostenibles" (2020).

Projects

Neo-Carbon Enabling Neo-Growth Society – Transformative Energy Futures 2050

Thu is a researcher in public policy, currently pursuing a PhD in Spatial Planning and Transport Policy at Aalto University. Her research interests include policy design and governance, urban sustainable development and sustainability transition. She is doing research on policy mixes for the decarbonization of transportation in Finland as part of her doctoral studies.

With my doctoral dissertation, I find out what kind of challenges the "green" energy transition means for the Sámi: How the industrial land use plans accelerated by the energy transition take into account the Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) of the Indigenous Peoples, and what the neglect of the FPIC reveals about assimilating social structures in Finland from the perspective of settler colonialism.

The overarching aim of my research is to develop new, sustainable forest management practices and policies that can pave the way for energy transition, climate change mitigation and adaptation, without compromising ecosystem services or the implementation of biodiversity targets. I have expertise in dynamic forest carbon cycle modeling, systems analysis, climate impact assessment, ecosystem service and biodiversity modeling as well as in policies related to climate change mitigation and the sustainability of bioenergy.

Happy Mathew Tirivangasi is a political and environmental sociologist whose Afrocentric research lens explores how societies perceive, evaluate, and manage risks in the context of climate change and socio-political change. He holds PhD in Development Studies (JYU), Master of Governance and Development (Uantwerpen, IOB), and Master of Arts in Sociology (University of Limpopo, South Africa). His work spans climate adaptation, health, indigenous knowledge systems, decolonizing climate change, gender, mobility, food security, and resilience always centering African experiences while engaging global policy debates. He also conducts research in political sociology, examining violence, protest, migration, xenophobia, transitional justice, and elections. A prolific scholar, Happy has published over 60 peer-reviewed articles in leading journals including Climate Policy (Taylor & Francis), Sustainable Development (Wiley), International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management (Emerald), Development Southern Africa (Taylor & Francis), Scientific African (Elsevier), Management of Environmental Quality (Emerald), and the International Journal of Heritage Studies (Taylor & Francis). His book chapters appear with major publishers such as Springer Nature, Palgrave Macmillan, and Rowman & Littlefield. Happy thrives in collaborative, interdisciplinary research environments. He is currently editing multiple book projects with Palgrave Macmillan, Springer, and Routledge, bringing together a large network of scholars from Africa and Europe. These projects collectively include more than 100 contributing researchers. As part of his commitment to academic capacity building, he is mentoring a cohort of early-career African scholars who serve as Associate Editors supporting their growth in research leadership, editorial practice, and scholarly development. Across all his work, Happy is committed to bridging academic evidence with actionable policy insights, advancing sustainable development, governance, and resilience within and beyond the African continent.

Professor Tuija Turunen holds a position of Dean at the Faculty of Education, University of Lapland, Finland. She is a leader of the teacher education programme. Turunen holds the UArctic Chair in Education for Social Justice and Diversity and leads the UArctic and the UNESCO/UNITWIN networks on Teacher Education for Social Justice and Diversity. Professor Turunen is an internationally recognized expert in these fields and has given invited addresses throughout the globe both in scientific and popular arenas, e.g. UNESCO Teacher Task Force in Jamaica, Arctic Forum in Russia, IICBA in Ethiopia and various forums in Europe. She has published widely and leads several national and international projects. Professor Turunen’s current research interests focus on teacher education, indigenous education, professional development in higher education, educational transitions (especially starting school), multi-professional work in schools, and preventative school welfare work.