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The 12th Nordic Youth Research Symposium (NYRIS) takes place at Tallinn University from 12-14 June. The symposium will focus on youth-related social and cultural changes of the digital age.

The symposium will address a wide variety of topics, including participation and communities, cross-generational relations, sub-cultures, education, migration and mobility. Special attention will be given to the gradual deterioration of the younger generation and the resulting exponential worldwide waves of protest.

“Figuratively speaking, if young people in the 1960s were rebellious because they wanted to live a different lifestyle to their parents, then young people today are rebellious because they are unable to live the same lifestyle as their parents”, says Airi-Aliina Allaste, the main organizer of the symposium. “It is impossible for the majority of the younger generation to continue living the lifestyle of the past few decades. Youth unemployment is a global issue today and in southern Europe for example, we hear reports that almost half of the younger generation do not have jobs.“

Allaste says that youth researchers have a great responsibility because today’s youth is no longer defined by their country or culture; instead, young people from many countries and states are all inter-connected via the Internet. “Under such circumstances, the international discourse in youth research becomes progressively more vital. Youth-related topics need to be acknowledged and analysed globally and resolutions to the problems diligently pursued.“

NYRIS, which is taking place outside of the Nordic region for the first time, is extraordinary in many ways. Dating back to 1987, it has been the leading youth research conference in the Nordic region. The NYRIS conferences have played a key role in the establishment of the multi-disciplinary youth research field, as well as in its methodological and theoretical development. Today, the conference includes global issues that extend beyond the Nordic region and Europe, and the number of participants grows with each successive year.

This year, more than 200 researchers from more than 30 countries and 6 continents, will meet in the symposium to be held in Tallinn University.

Education and Research Minister, Jaak Aaviksoo, will open the symposium in the Auditorium Maximum in the Astra building (A-002) on Wednesday, 12 June at 11:30am. Everyone is also welcome to participate in the film presentations on the same evening. The films, “The Awakening of the Squares” (Ll. Güell & J. Oriola) and “Erhal: a diary of Tahrir Square” (Marc Almodóvar) will be screened at the VIRU Rooftop Cinema at 10.00 pm. The movie night will be introduced by Professor Carles Feixa, who has studied youth movements in southern Europe, Arab countries, South America and the USA.

The conference theme, topics, timetable and participant list can be viewed online

For more information, contact: Airi-Alina Allaste
airi-alina.allaste@tlu.ee