University West professor appointed to prestigious international position

- This is a privilege, a responsibility and an opportunity. It is a privilege because ISCAR is quite unique in its interdisciplinary scope and has been at the forefront of opening transformative possibilities for research in the social sciences and beyond. It is a responsibility because the organization must be able to live and develop with the time yet maintaining a strong sense of its long history. Leading ISCAR is also a wonderful opportunity to work with nine strong members of the Executive Committee coming from different parts of the world, as well as with the numerous scholars representing different generations and fields, Professor Sannino says.

Professor Annalisa Sannino is an internationally acclaimed scholar in education and social science, particularly known for her theoretical and methodological innovations in Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT).

She serves as a full professor at Tampere University, Finland, where she heads the RESET (Research Engagement for Sustainable and Equitable Transformations) research collective. Additionally, she is a Professor of Work-Integrated Learning at University West, where she is a prominent member of the Centre for Activity Theory (CAT), a vibrant hub within the global CHAT research community.

Professor Sannino’s work at CAT connects research and practice, informing policies and collaborative projects on youth homelessness, educational equity, and workplace transformation across various contexts. Her seminal work on transformative agency—how individuals and collectives alter entrenched practices in response to contradictions—enhances the theoretical understanding of change.

Moving beyond disciplinary constraints

Professor Sannino says that the ISCAR Executive Committee will continue to support research that is impactful not only in academia but also within workplaces, educational institutions and communities. The organisation will also aim at strengthening global ties among scholars, students and practitioners who can help develop and contribute to ISCAR as a community.  

- The world needs research which engages with the most acute challenges of our time, and that can foster innovations that stem from analyses conducted with practitioners and communities. This requires going beyond disciplinary constraints, moving toward genuine transdisciplinary perspectives that can impact the flourishing of life on our planet. ISCAR is well positioned to achieve this, she says.

Between June 17-19, University West will host the conference Nordic-Baltic ISCAR 2025. The conference welcomes researchers, students, practitioners and working life and industrial partners internationally to present results of their work, attending workshops, exchanging know-how, as well as building new relationships and strengthening existing networks.

(Photo: Jonne Renvall, Tampere University)