Public lecture on education and polarisation

Bengaluru: Azim Premji University will host a public lecture on February 2 titled “Education in an Age of Polarisation: A Perspective on Cultivating Values, Resilience and Belonging in Childhood and Youth.” The lecture will be delivered by Arniika Kuusisto, Professor of Early Childhood Education at the University of Helsinki, Finland.

The lecture will explore the role of education in addressing the challenges posed by growing social and ideological polarisation across societies. Drawing on empirical research conducted in Finland, Prof. Kuusisto will examine how educational practices can help children and young people engage meaningfully with diversity, build resilience, and develop a strong sense of belonging. The session will also highlight how schools and learning environments can strengthen social connectedness and support learners in contributing positively to pluralistic and democratic societies.

Prof. Kuusisto is a leading international scholar in 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 the development of values, belonging, and existential resilience among children and youth in diverse and unequal contexts.

She is currently the Principal Investigator of the Research Council of Finland-funded project Child in Time: Existential Resilience in Early Childhood and serves as Guest Professor at Karlstad University in Sweden.

She has previously held senior academic roles at Stockholm University and is an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Oxford.

Prof. Kuusisto has authored over 180 scholarly publications and is co-editor of The Oxford Handbook of Religion and Education. The lecture will be held on February 2, 2026, from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm at the Bangalore International Centre (BIC).