Social Innovations for Sustainable Urban Development: Socially Innovative Children’s Books
- Time: Monday 9 September, at 14.00-15.30
- Venue: Tampere University Main Building, lecture room C113/C5 (Kalevantie 4, Tampere)
- Free entrance, no registration required.
In this TURNS seed event*, we delve into the questions of social innovations, literature and storytelling in the quest for more sustainable societies, cities and communities. The event is organized in collaboration with TURNS and Narrare, the Centre for Interdisciplinary Narrative Studies at Tampere University.
During the event, Dr. Hamoon Tahmassebi (Sharif Sustainable Development School, Iran) will make a presentation entitled: Social Innovations for Sustainable Development: Utilizing Children’s Literature to Foster a Sustainability Mindset in Iran’s Underprivileged Cities. Narrare’s vice director Dr. Aura Lounasmaa acts as a discussant and commentator for the presentation.
In case you are not able to join the event in person, you can watch Hamoon’s presentation on Zoom at 14.15-15.00 via this link: https://tuni.zoom.us/j/68782781245.
The event is part of the TURNS seed funded initiative Social Innovation for Sustainable Development in Small Cities. TURNS will provide some snacks and refreshments during the event. Welcome!
About the Presentation
In this presentation, Hamoon Tahmassebi will discuss his current joint project with Mohammad Moshtari (Associate Professor, Faculty of Management and Business, Tampere University), funded by TURNS seed funding. He hypothesizes that sustainability perspectives in large cities differ fundamentally from those in small, underprivileged cities. This distinction should inform social innovation ideas and solutions.
Hamoon will highlight his previous practical and academic experiences at the Sharif Sustainable Development School, focusing on leveraging social innovation initiatives to address sustainable development challenges in small and underprivileged cities. Specifically, he will present a social innovation campaign titled “My Eternal Land”, aimed at utilizing children’s literature to foster a sustainability mindset among next generations in Iran’s underprivileged cities.
About the Presenter
Hamoon Tahmassebi holds a PhD in Management and is the Founder and CEO of the Sharif Sustainable Development School, the first university-based center dedicated to promoting sustainable development in Iran. He possesses field experience in sustainable local development projects in small cities and has recently been nominated for several prestigious social innovation awards in the Middle East. His main research interests include Education for Sustainable Development, Responsible Management Education, Social Innovation, Corporate Sustainability, and Local Sustainable Development. Hamoon is currently visiting Tampere and has recently received seed funding for his joint proposal with Mohammad Moshtari from the TURNS research platform at Tampere University.
About the Commentator
Aura Lounasmaa is a postdoctoral researcher in the Space and Political Agency Research Group (SPARG) where she researches embodied encounters in asylum seeking. She is the vice chair of Narrare and co-director of Association for Narrative Research and Practice (ANRP). Aura has published books and articles on storytelling by marginalised communities and written collaboratively with refugee students.
* TURNS supports innovative and transdisciplinary research activities with annual seed funding. Specific TURNS seed events are organized by some of the funded initiatives. These events are open to the whole TURNS community.