Bridging the Divide: Toward a World System Science for the Anthropocene

Welcome to a public event featuring Professor Mathias Albert from the University of Bielefeld, organised by HELSUS and the Faculty of Social Sciences.

Time: 27 February 2025, from 16 to 18 pm

Venue: Hall F3017 at the main building of the University of Helsinki & Zoom

This public event examines the critical intersection of natural and social sciences in addressing the profound questions of the Anthropocene. 

A leading scholar in World Politics, Professor Mathias Albert will deliver a lecture titled “The Challenges of ‘Planetary’ Science: World Social Sciences, Natural Earth System Sciences — and a View from the North Pole”. Drawing on insights from Arctic research and global environmental challenges, Professor Albert will examine the need for a coordinated response from the social sciences to complement the Earth System Science (ESS) movement in tackling planetary-scale issues.

Following the lecture, two distinguished scholars will provide interdisciplinary perspectives:

  • Professor Leena Järvi (Natural Sciences) will discuss the integration of scientific criteria for planetary boundaries with human impacts.
  • Professor Heikki Patomäki (Social Sciences) will explore the dynamics of the anthroposphere and the role of social systems in shaping a sustainable future.

Key themes include the radical distinction between natural and social systems, their interconnectedness, and the potential for a World System Social Science (WSSS) to complement ESS. This event offers an opportunity to reflect on the possibilities and limits of interdisciplinary cooperation in understanding and responding to the Anthropocene.

Please register for the event by 24 February. 

Welcome!