Azim Premji University Presents Public Lecture on Feb 2
“Education in an Age of Polarisation: A Perspective on Cultivating Values, Resilience and Belonging in Childhood and Youth”
Bengaluru: Azim Premji University presents a public lecture titled “Education in an Age of Polarisation: A Perspective on Cultivating Values, Resilience and Belonging in Childhood and Youth” by Arniika Kuusisto, Professor of Early Childhood Education at the University of Helsinki.
About the lecture
In an increasingly polarised world, education plays a crucial role in fostering values, resilience, and a sense of belonging among children and young people. Drawing on empirical research from Finland, this lecture examines educational approaches that support learners in engaging with diversity, strengthening social connectedness, and contributing constructively to pluralistic societies.
About the Speaker
Arniika Kuusisto is Professor of Early Childhood Education at the University of Helsinki and a leading scholar in the fields of education, worldviews, religion, and childhood studies. She holds a PhD in Education from the University of Helsinki and the Title of Docent in Education, with part of her doctoral training completed at King’s College London.
Her research focuses on how children and young people develop values, belonging, and existential resilience in diverse and unequal societies. She is the Principal Investigator of the Research Council of Finland–funded project Child in Time: Existential Resilience in Early Childhood and Guest Professor at Karlstad University, Sweden.
Professor Kuusisto has previously held senior academic positions at Stockholm University and is an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Oxford. She has published over 180 scholarly works and is co-editor of The Oxford Handbook of Religion and Education.
Event Details
Date: 2 February 2026
Time: 6:30 – 8:00 PM
Venue: Bangalore International Centre (BIC)
