The visit was integrated into the curriculum of the GHEA21 Network collaborative course “The Laboratory and the City: Critical Approaches in Urban Studies”, taught by Siarhei Liubimau in cooperation with the American University of Beirut.
During his lectures, Pekka Tuominen presented his research on urban transformations in Helsinki, with particular attention to the stigmatization of certain city districts and strategies aimed at overcoming these processes. His sessions provided students with an opportunity to engage with contemporary approaches to urban studies and discuss the social dimensions of city development.
The visit formed part of a three-day intensive programme that also included contributions from researcher-designers Dovilė Gaižauskienė from the Vilnius-based Performative Design Agency and Nicholas S. Stevens from the University of Oslo.
Alongside lectures and workshops, students and guest lecturers participating in “The Laboratory and the City” course also conducted a field visit to the Karoliniškės Landscape Reserve and surrounding Vilnius neighbourhoods, exploring urban spaces through critical and interdisciplinary perspectives.
Pekka Tuominen’s Erasmus+ mobility visit contributed to strengthening international academic cooperation and created valuable opportunities for students to learn directly from international scholars and practitioners.
