SustainERA Public Research Talk #4 by Dr Sanna Ahvenharju
We are pleased to announce SustainERA Public Research Talk #4 by Dr Sanna Ahvenharju, taking place on 2 December 2025.
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Dr Sanna Ahvenharju is a Senior Research Fellow at the Finland Futures Research Centre (FFRC), where she explores how people think about and engage with the future. Her research focuses on Futures Consciousness and future-oriented thinking, particularly how these can be developed through education and other interventions.
She will deliver the talk “Futures Consciousness as an Anticipatory Capacity. What Shapes the Way We Imagine the Future—and How Can We Become Better at It?"
Date and time: Tuesday, 2 December, 13:00-14:00 EET
Format: Zoom, the meeting link will be sent before the talk upon registration.
The talk summary and the speaker's bio can be found below.
Contact
For more information about the SustainERA Research Talks series, please contact Kertu Vuks, SustainERA Junior Research Fellow, kertu.vuks@tlu.ee.
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We look forward to your participation in the SustainERA Research Talks series. Please feel free to share this information with anyone who might be interested.
The Summary
“Futures Consciousness as an Anticipatory Capacity. What Shapes the Way We Imagine the Future—and How Can We Become Better at It?"
Dr Sanna Ahvenharju will share insights from her long-term research on Futures Consciousness, a concept she co-developed to better understand how people relate to the future. The framework includes five dimensions: time perspective, agency beliefs, openness to alternatives, systems perception, and concern for others. These dimensions help us reflect on how we make decisions, set goals, and respond to change. To support this reflection, Sanna and her colleagues have developed the Futures Consciousness Scale, a psychometric test that allows individuals to assess their own future-oriented thinking. By becoming more aware of our futures consciousness, we can better navigate uncertainty and contribute meaningfully to shaping the future—both individually and collectively.
About the speaker
Dr Sanna Ahvenharju is a Senior Research Fellow at the Finland Futures Research Centre (FFRC), where she explores how people think about and engage with the future. Her research focuses on Futures Consciousness and future-oriented thinking, particularly how these can be developed through education and other interventions.
Over the years, Sanna has also studied complex societal challenges—such as overconsumption and biodiversity loss—through the lens of governance, examining how policies and instruments can evolve and gain public support.
Before joining FFRC in 2014, Sanna spent more than two decades working in sustainable development policy and governance. She led complex projects commissioned by the Finnish government, ministries, and state agencies, and has also worked with NGOs on municipal sustainability initiatives in Finland, Germany, and Lithuania.
About SustainERA
Running from 2025–2029, the ERA Chair in Sustainable Futures project (SustainERA) at Tallinn University combines high-level research with innovative solutions to promote sustainable mindsets and practices. The project is funded by the European Commission’s Horizon Europe ERA Chair initiative.