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Consortium Meeting Sparked New Ideas in Educational Research and Stakeholder Collaboration

The third consortium meeting of the EDUCA Flagship brought together researchers, supervisors, and stakeholder representatives in Turku to engage in vibrant discussions on educational research and cross-sector collaboration. The event coincided with the joint Open Science & Impact Festival, hosted by the University of Turku’s flagships, which sparked dynamic dialogue around the openness and impact of science.

Flagship director Marja-Kristiina Lerkkanen and coordinator Johanna Johansson welcomed EDUCA community to Turku.

The two-day event kicked off with keynotes and panel discussions on the significance of open science and societal impact. Highlights included talks by professor Frank Miedema from Utrecht University and senior researcher Ismael Rafols from Leiden University, who also serves as Chair on Diversity and Inclusion in Global Science at UNESCO. Interactive workshops allowed participants to explore these themes in practice.

In the afternoon, EDUCA and EDUCA Doc doctoral researchers focused on developing their networking skills — which were put to the test later that evening in a relaxed Pizza & Get-together social event.

Human capital is central for economic prosperity, emphasised Flagship vice director Matti Sarvimäki in his speech.

On day two, researchers and stakeholders gathered for updates and shared experiences. The day began with an inspiring keynote by vice rector Tapio Salakoski, emphasizing how “The AI revolution is also a revolution in skills and education.”

Key presentations explored the broader impact of education: professor Matti Sarvimäki highlighted its role in economic growth, professor Mikko-Jussi Laakso advocated for research-based development in education, and senior researcher Ville Mankki shared recent insights from research on teachers and teacher education.

Stakeholder perspectives were shared by representatives from the Finnish National Agency for Education, the Association of Finnish Municipalities, Itla Children’s Foundation, OAJ (Teachers’ Union), YLE (Finnish Broadcasting Company), and the Finnish Parents’ League, enriching the conversation around the future of education.

Good practices in supervising doctoral researchers was discussed in supervisors' collegium meeting.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated — your enthusiasm, engagement, and openness to collaboration made the event truly special. We look forward to meeting again at the first EDUCA Summer School in late September!