Tiia Hartikainen completed her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology at the University of Eastern Finland in 2022, focusing on vulnerabilities related to climate change and climate migration. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Welfare in Society, specializing in sustainable development, social inequalities, and youth involvement in global challenges. The article, Gardening School to Support Youth Inclusion and Environmental Sustainability in Morocco, is part of her Master's thesis.Tiia participated in exchange studies, studying business at Université Catholique de Lyon in 2020 and international development at the University of New Brunswick in 2023. In 2024, she completed an internship at the Embassy of Finland in Dar es Salaam, contributing to development cooperation, political relations, and communications. She has also founded a project empowering young people to engage in climate action and promote a sustainable future.
Sofia Laine is a Research Professor at the Finnish Youth Research Society in Finland. She was honored as the Academic of the Year 2024 by the Finnish Union of University Researchers and Teachers, in recognition of her active work in highlighting the importance of youth involvement in decision making and research on the future. Laine holds a PhD in Development Studies and has extensively contributed to
(more) global youth research, youth engagement, and, more recently, the emerging concept of planetary youth research. She also holds the title of Docent in Youth Research at the University of Tampere. In addition to her academic achievements, Laine is a Dance Movement Therapist (DMT), leveraging artistic and creative embodied techniques to innovate youth research methodologies. With over 140 publications to her name, she is the author and editor of numerous academic books and anthologies.
