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The Sea Takes Centre Stage as International Symposium Brings Researchers Together in Turku
Over two days, scholars from the humanities, social sciences, and environmental research will discuss interactions between humans, seas, lakes, and other aquatic environments, both historically and in the present day.
The symposium Thinking with the Sea – Interactions and New Perspectives Inspired by the Blue Humanities will take place at Forum Marinum in Turku, Finland, on 30 September to 1 October 2026. The event brings together researchers from a wide range of disciplines to explore relationships between humans and aquatic environments and to examine how humanities research can contribute new perspectives on contemporary and future challenges.
The symposium is inspired by the growing field of the Blue Humanities.
“The Blue Humanities is a relatively new but highly interesting and timely field of research. It views the sea not only as a natural resource or geographic location, but also as a cultural, historical, and philosophical actor that shapes human experiences, societies, and imaginaries,” says Robert Louhimies, Deputy Chief Curator at the Institute of Maritime History at Åbo Akademi University.
International Keynote Speakers
Among the highlights of the symposium are two internationally recognised keynote speakers.
Søren Frank, Professor of Danish and Nordic Literature at the University of Copenhagen, will deliver the keynote lecture Think Blue: How Literary History Can Prepare Us for an Oceanic Future. His presentation examines how literature can help us understand human existence in the Anthropocene and how historical and contemporary narratives of the sea can provide tools for living in a world shaped by climate change, rising sea levels, and environmental uncertainty.
The second keynote speaker is Sabine Höhler, Professor of Science and Technology Studies at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm and Co-Director of the Centre for Anthropocene History. Her internationally acclaimed research explores the relationships between environment, technology, and societal change. At the symposium she will offer perspectives on the significance of the sea in the Anthropocene and in contemporary environmental debates.
A Broad Range of Themes
The programme reflects the interdisciplinary breadth of the Blue Humanities. Presentations address themes including:
- literary and cultural imaginaries of seas and coastlines
- human experiences of islands, coastal life, and marine environments
- climate change and future seascapes
- relationships between humans and other species in marine ecosystems
- migration and displacement across the sea
- colonialism, power and maritime boundaries
- the role of the sea in historical, philosophical, and aesthetic perspectives
- local and global knowledge of sustainable marine futures
By bringing together research from multiple disciplines, the organisers aim to foster new ways of understanding human dependence on and relationships with aquatic environments. The symposium provides a platform for discussing both the cultural significance of the sea and the major social and environmental challenges connected to the world’s oceans and waters.
Practical Information
Thinking with the Sea – Interactions and New Perspectives Inspired by the Blue Humanities
Date: 30 September to 1 October 2026
Venue: Forum Marinum, Linnankatu 72, Turku, Finland
Languages: Swedish and English
Website: https://www.abo.fi/sjohistoriska-institutet/thinking-with-the-sea/
The symposium is organised by the Institute of Maritime History at Åbo Akademi University, the Centre for Sustainable Ocean Science (SOS), and the subject of Comparative Literature at Åbo Akademi University.
Contact:
Institute of Maritime History, Åbo Akademi University
sjohistoriska@abo.fi
The symposium is supported by the Federation of Finnish Learned Societies, the Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland, the Society of Swedish Literature in Finland, the Waldemar von Frenckell Foundation and the William Thuring Foundation.
