Programme – Geography Days 2026

(Preliminary programme, minor changes still possible)

9.00 Starting on campus

14.30 Departing Vaasa-Umeå, Aurora Botnia ferry

17.30 Docking to Umeå (Swedish time)

19.00 Undocking from Umeå (Swedish time)

00.00 Arrival back to Vaasa

8.45 Registration starts

9.45 Opening Geography Days 2026, Adam Smale, Dean, School of Management
The Power of Place 2.0

9.55 Ville Savoranta, the president, Geographical Society of Finland

10.05 Helka Kalliomäki, professor, regional studies

10.15 Keynote, Louise Kempton, and commentary
The Regional Role of Universities: from aspiration to effective action (additional info)

11.15 Lunch

12.15 Working group sessions I

13.45 Coffee, refreshments & snack

14.15 Keynote, Rikard Eiksson, and commentary (Fennia Lecture)

15.30 Working group sessions II

18.00 Conference dinner at Bacchus

9.00 Working group sessions III

10.30 Coffee, refreshments & snacks

11.00 Panel discussion, Antti Mäenpää, Johanna Leino, Sami Moisio ja Hanna Smith.
Kriittiset mineraalit, kriittiset ajat (in Finnish)

12.00 Closing words

12.15 Lunch

13.15 Project meetings / City excursion & walk to the train station