8.30-9.00 Registration (Main Building Lobby)
9.00-9.15 Welcome to UniverCities 2026 (Main Building Small Hall F4050)
Organizing committee & vice rector of societal interaction Hanna Snellman
9.15-10.00 Keynote 1: Can Scientific Research Shape Urban Futures? – The Role of Scientific Capabilities to Define Diversification Opportunities of Regions (Main Building Small Hall F4050)
Ron Boschma, Professor in Regional Economics (Utrecht University) and Adjunct Professor in Innovation Studies (University of Stavanger)
10.00-11.30 Sessions 1 (The whole session programme below)
11.30-12.30 Lunch and Coffee (In front of the Main Building Small Hall F4050)
12.30-14.00 Sessions 2 (The whole session programme below)
14.00-14.30 Coffee (In front of the Main Building Small Hall F4050)
14.30-16.00 Helsinki Walks and sights
Further Details below.
18.00-19.30 Panel Discussion: Universities and Cities – Towards Shared Dreams Through Better Collaboration (Main Building Small Hall F4050)
Daniel Sazonov, the Mayor of Helsinki
Ron Boschma, Professor in Regional Economics (Utrecht University) and Adjunct Professor in Innovation Studies (University of Stavanger)
Mari Vaattovaara, Professor in Urban Geography and Founder of Helsinki Institute of Urban and Regional Studies (University of Helsinki)
Pia Dolivo, Head of Public Affairs (University of Helsinki)
19.30-21.30 Dinner at the Main Building of University of Helsinki (Flora)
08.30-09.00 Morning coffee (In front of the Main Building Small Hall F4050)
09.00-09.40 Keynote 2: Beyond Town and Gown: What Roles for Universities in Urban Transformation? (Main Building Small Hall F4050)
Ben Derudder, Professor of Urban Studies at KU Leuven Public Governance Institute and Director of the KU Leuven Urban Studies Institute (LUSI)
09.40-10.20 Keynote 3: Two-Way Learning in Shared Urban Space: Top-Down & Bottom Up / Local & Global (Main Building Small Hall F4050)
Janice E. Perlman, Former Professor, Founder & President of the Mega-Cities Project
10.30-12.00 Sessions 3 (The whole session programme below)
12.00-13.00 Lunch and coffee (In front of the Main Building Small Hall F4050)
13.00-14.30 Sessions 4 (The whole session programme below)
14.30-14.45 Conference wrap-up (Main Building Small Hall F4050)
Campus walk option 1: University campus in city – city on university campus
During the campus walk, we will explore how the university campus is integrated into the urban city center. What interfaces can we identify?
We will start campus walks from the main building, move through the Tiedekulma (Knowledge Hub, Address: Yliopistonkatu 4), and then proceed to the renovated Aleksandria Learning Center and Kaisa Library in Hirvikortteli area. After that, we will continue along Fabianinkatu to the Forest building.
Guides: Ari Nisonen, Campus Architect, and Suvi Nenonen, Chief Expert
Campus walk option 2: Helsinki city walk: Story of Finland and its young capital Helsinki
In our walking tour, I will provide a summary of Finnish history and Helsinki's urban history. How Helsinki became the capital and the most important city in Finland? Since when Finland is an independent nation state? Is Finland really the happiest country in the world?
The starting point of the tour is the Main building. We will start from the historical centre, Senate Square, make our way through Esplanadi Park towards Railway Station Square, and finish our tour at the Central Library Oodi.
Guide: Emek Ataman, City Planner, Authorized Helsinki Guide
| Small Hall (F4050) |
1A: From Marginalised Social Groups and Vulnerable Neighbourhoods to Shared Urban Futures (Chairs:Mari Vaattovaara, Professor of Urban Geography University of Helsinki & Janice Perlman, Former Professor, Founder & President of the Mega-Cities Project) |
Presenters |
| 10:00-10:20 | Urban Renewal, Displacement and Segregation: The Role of Research in Preventing Homelessness and Supporting Vulnerable Residents | Riikka Perälä, Y-säätiö |
| 10:20-10:40 | Emotional Outbursts or Useful Information? Diversifying Knowledge-Based Planning by Experiential Knowledge | Terhi Ainiala & Pia Olsson, University of Helsinki |
| 10:40-11:00 | In the Workshop: Sustaining Agility and Collaboration over Thirty Years of Community Design | Andrei Harwell, Yale Urban Design Workshop & Alan Plattus, Yale University School of Architecture |
| 11:00-11:30 | Marginalised Groups in Vulnerable Neighbourhoods: Understanding the Dynamics of Urban Disadvantage | Mari Vaattovaara, University of Helsinki |
| Room U3040 |
Parallel Session 1B (Chair: Mikko Rask, Associate Professor of Democratic Innovations University of Helsinki) |
Presenters |
| 10:00–10:20 | Smart Campus from the User Perspective | Jenni Radun, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences |
| 10:20–10:40 | Bridging Research and Urban Mobility: A Readiness-Level Pathway for Commercializing AI-Based Electric Vehicle Technology | Mahmoud Ibrahim & Ekaterina Demiankova & Anton Rassõlkin, Tallinn University of Technology |
| 10:40–11:00 |
Co-creating Socially Sustainable Cities: Developing Collaborative Models for Urban Knowledge Production in Oslo |
Maria Kruse Lien |
| 11:00–11:20 | The University as a Catalyst? Higher Education Institutions and Social Innovation | Mikko Rask, University of Helsinki & Aleksi Neuvonen, Demos Helsinki |
| 11:20–11:30 | Session wrap-up | |
| Room U3041 |
Parallel Session 1C (Chair: Sami Moisio, Professor of Spatial Planning and Policy University of Helsinki) |
Presenters |
| 10:00–10:20 | Co-creating the UniverCity: The example of the Masterplan “Knowledge Campus” in Heidelberg | Michael Hoelscher, German University of Administrative Sciences & Editha Marquardt, Heidelberg University |
| 10:20–10:40 | Super-Silos: The planning problem and the limits of multidisciplinarity | Anssi Joutsiniemi, University of Oulu |
| 10:40–11:00 | Without robust knowledge, application may become a coin toss: fundamental science and its applications in cities | Ian Macgregor-Fors, University of Helsinki |
| 11:00–11:20 | The crisis of human capital: A shift towards sovereigntist geopolitics? | Sami Moisio, University of Helsinki |
| 11:20–11:30 | Session wrap-up | |
| Small Hall (F4050) | 2A: Round Table: Effective science-policy engagements are critical to urban sustainability transformations | |
| 12:30-14:00 | Speakers | |
| Christopher Raymond (Chair of the Session), Professor, Director of the Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science, University of Helsinki | ||
| Tuuli Toivonen, Professor, Director of Urbaria, University of Helsinki | ||
| Heikki Pursiainen, Chief Research Officer, City of Helsinki | ||
| Laura Walin, Head of Unit Environmental Protection, City of Helsinki | ||
| Room Studium 1 (F3020) |
Parallel Session 2B (Chair: Mikko Posti, Liason Manager of Urbaria University of Helsinki) |
Presenters |
| 12:30-12:50 | Between Openness and Control: University Campuses as Urban Interfaces in Finland and Iran | Elham Bacity, University of Helsinki |
| 12:50-13:10 | Al-Quds University as a Frontier UniverCity: Campus-City Relations under Settler Colonial Urban Fragmentation | Mai Alzeer, Birzeit University |
| 13:10-13:30 | Universities as Urban Actors in Turkish Small Cities: Everyday Encounters, Spatial Interfaces, and Urban Thresholds | Melis Oğuz Çevik, Gebze Technical University |
| 13:30-13:50 | University as Urban Habitat: A Comparative Moral Space Analysis of Campus–City Relations in Notre Dame and Catania | Massimo Vittorio, University of Catania |
| 13:50-14:00 | Session wrap-up | |
| Room U3040 |
Parallel Session 2C (Chair: Jani Vuolteenaho, University Lecturer in Urban Studies and Planning University of Helsinki) |
Presenters |
| 12:30–12:50 | Universities and Urban Growth Machines: Prospects and Risks | Jani Vuolteenaho, University of Helsinki |
| 12:50–13:10 | City Factory: A Practitioner Model for Systemic University–City Collaboration in the Triple Transition | Ville Taajamaa, City of Espoo |
| 13:10–13:30 | Universities as catalysts for innovation in disaster risk management and crisis preparedness: Case studies of the Rotterdam region, Southern Estonia, La Réunion, and Malta | Ahmed Rezk, University of Tartu |
| 13:30–14:00 | Session wrap-up | |
| Small Hall (F4050) |
Parallel Session 3A (Chair: Grace Zhou, Doctoral Researcher University of Helsinki) |
Presenters |
| 10:30–10:50 | Urban Institutes as Boundary Organisations: The Operational Work Behind University–City Partnerships | Lee Yeung, Singapore Management University |
| 10:50-11:10 | From research to societal impact: The Lausanne Experience | Cléolia Sabot, University of Lausanne |
| 11:10-11:30 | Universities as boundary organisations? Reconceptualising the role of academia in local collaboration | Tommaso Rossotti, KU Leuven |
| 11:30-11:50 | Boundary Organizations or Ivory Towers? Mapping University-Based Urban Studies Institutes Across Europe | Grace Yixian Zhou, University of Helsinki |
| 11:50-12:00 | Session wrap-up | |
| Room Studium 1 (F3020) |
Parallel Session 3B (Chair: Veikko Eranti, Associate professor of Urban Sociology University of Helsinki) |
Presenters |
| 10:30–10:50 | 15-minute city controversies and paranoid interpretation in urban planning conflicts | Veikko Eranti, University of Helsinki |
| 10:50-11:10 | Functional place attachment – resident experiences in a newly built sub-urban area in Finland | Julia Johansson, University of Helsinki |
| 11:10-11:30 | The selection of Mission Cities and their (non-)participation in Horizon Europe projects funded under the Cities Mission | Gert-Jan Put, KU Leuven & Raj Kharel, University of Stavanger |
| 11:30-11:50 | Campuses as Lighthouses of Sustainability: The Living Lab Model at Azim Premji University, Bengaluru | Anjor Bhaskar, Azim Premji University |
| 11:50-12:00 | Session wrap-up | |
| Room U4072 |
Parallel Session 3C (Chair: Christine Mady, Senior University Lecturer in Archtitecture Aalto University) |
Presenters |
| 10:30–10:50 | International student mobility, university campuses, and youthification: intra-urban residential geographies of young adults in Riga city, Latvia | Maris Berzins, University of Latvia |
| 10:50–11:10 | Student housing and the social function of the university: A comparative analysis across the USA, UK, Italy and India | Lekha Samant, University of Amsterdam |
| 11:10–11:30 | From Aškerčeva to Brdo: Student Mobility, Campus Accessibility and University–City Integration in Ljubljana | Domen Žalac, University of Ljubljana |
| 11:30–11:50 | Campus Streets as Living Infrastructure: Lessons from Aalto University Otaniemi Campus | Dhanush Harish & Christine Mady, Aalto University |
| 11:50–12:00 | Session wrap-up | |
| Room U3041 |
Parallel Session 3D (Chair: Suvi Nenonen, Chief Expert at University of Helsinki) |
Peresenters |
| 10:30-10:50 | Enhancing the viability of the Helsinki city centre – do universities have a role? | Kaisa Vuorio, University of Turku |
| 10:50-11:10 | From Sustainable University to University–City Innovation Hub: A Conceptual Framework and Evidence from the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam | Trinh Tu Anh, University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City |
| 11:10-11:30 | The Spectrum of Research Environments | Suvi Nenonen, University of Helsinki |
| 11:30-12:00 | Smart City Technologies Supporting Participatory Urban Development | Janset Shawash, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences & Anu Soukki, Sitowise & Leo Salomaa, Make A BIM |
| Small Hall (F4050) |
Parallel Session 4A (Sampo Ruoppila, Professor of Practice University of Vaasa) |
Presenters |
| 13:00-13:20 | Boundary Objects and Knowledge Asymmetries in Mobility Hub Planning. A Case Study of Tartu | Michele Donnini, University of Tartu |
| 13:20-13:40 | The interplay of different rationalities in a City-Universities partnership: The case of Turku Urban Research Programme | Hanna Mattila, University of Turku |
| 13:40-14:00 | Building the Vaasa Model: A Collaborative Urban Research Programme for Managing Growth | Sampo Ruoppila, University of Vaasa |
| 14:00-14:20 | From studio to strategy: Building a durable ‘univer city’ partnership through practice-based learning | Christine Mady, Aalto University |
| 14:20-14:30 | Session wrap-up | |
| Room U3041 |
Parallel Session 4B (Chair: Jussi Jännes, Coordinator Urbaria University of Helsinki) |
Presenters |
| 13:00-13:20 | Science-policy dialogues in city-university partnerships: Implementing transformative innovation policy in medium-sized cities | Sonja Niemelä, University of Vaasa |
| 13:20-13:40 | AI-based optimisation tool for sustainable urban planning | Klavdiia Bochenina, University of Helsinki |
| 13:40-14:00 | Testing a New Model of Waste Management: A University-City Partnership in Peri-Urban Karnataka | Anjor Bhaskar, Azim Premji University |
| 14:00-14:20 | Universities and Relevant Goverment and Local Offices Have a Major Role in Future Sea Level Impact Regulation | Tapani Talo |
| 14:20-14:30 | Session wrap-up | |
| Studium 1 (F3020) |
Parallel Session 4C (Chair: Leena Järvi, Professor of Urban Meteorology University of Helsinki) |
Presenters |
| 13:00-13:20 | Co-producing Knowledge for Carbon-Smart Cities: Experiences from the CO-CARBON Project | Leena Järvi, University of Helsinki |
| 13:20-13:40 | From Lecture Halls to City Hall: Scaling Green Infrastructure Through Partnership | Colleen Murphy-Dunning, Yale School of the Environment, Urban Resources Initiative |
| 13:40-14:00 | Co-Creating the Green Transition: Deepening Democracy through University-City Partnerships | Matt York, University College Cork |
| 14:00-14:20 | Rats in my Backyard – a study of multicultural and multispecies waste management | Saiki Lucy Cheah & Maija Kalm-Akubardia, University of Helsinki |
| 14:20-14:30 | Session wrap-up | |