Updated 30 April 2026
Future of Knowledge Production
Time: Wednesday, 13 May 2026, at 13.00-17.00
Location: Tampere University, City Centre Campus, Linna Building, Väinö Linna Auditorium
on Tuesday, 5 May 2026, at the latest
Knowledge production stands at a pivotal point. The coming decades will reshape not only what we know but how knowledge is created, circulated, governed, and evaluated. “Future of Knowledge Production” will investigate some of the forces transforming contemporary research systems and explore the possibilities for building resilient, inclusive and socially responsible research systems and cultures.
Across the globe, research communities face intensifying pressures. Freedom to think and express one’s understandings are attacked in numerous ways: constraints on academic freedom range from subtle political influence to overt censorship in a context of geopolitical instability and conflict. Public funding cuts and short-term grant cycles limit the possibilities for long-term, open inquiry. The international circulation of people, data, and technologies is increasingly shaped by national security concerns, economic competition, and fragmented regulatory regimes. These raise questions about who sets priorities, whose knowledge is seen as legitimate, and how research infrastructures can remain open and resilient.
At the same time, profound challenges internal to knowledge production demand attention. Overly competitive incentive structures undermine collaboration and erode integrity. Inequities persist in shaping who can participate and how their contributions are recognized. Yet, movements for open science, epistemic pluralism, and community-engaged research challenge narrow conceptions of expertise and invite more democratic, collective forms of knowledge production. Critical discussions around care and responsible research cultures highlight the need to reimagine research labour as interdependent, relational work. Key conversations focus on how to develop sustainable data infrastructures that support both technological innovation and environmental responsibility.
Programme
Welcome Director Juha Teperi, Tampere IAS
Opening Remarks President Keijo Hämäläinen, Tampere University
Rule of Law as Politics of Expertise: How Are We Ruled?
Professor Martti Koskenniemi, University of Helsinki
Between Scientific Reasoning and Affective Storytelling – Global Knowledge
Flows in the Era of Epistemic Instability
Senior Lecturer Johanna Vuorelma, Tampere University
Denialism, Censorship and ‘Alternative Facts’: Populist Politics and
Knowledge Control in Finland
Professor Tuija Saresma, University of Eastern Finland
Coffee break
Steering and Funding Universities: Different Strategies Leading to Distinct
Challenges
Chancellor Kaarle Hämeri, University of Helsinki
Good Roots and Tender Shoots: Nurturing Academic Knowledge Producers
Professor Rebecca Boden
Epistemology for Hybrid Science: Responsible Knowledge Production in the
Age of AI
Professor Jaakko Kuorikoski, University of Helsinki
Discussion with the audience
Refreshments (5:00 pm)
The event ends (6:30 pm)
Registration is required on Tuesday, 5 May 2026, at the latest,
for catering purposes.
Event registration via an online registration form here
For further information, please contact:
Juha Teperi, Director, Tampere IAS, juha.teperi@tuni.fi