• What kinds of knowledge empower individuals and communities to act with purpose and impact?
  How do academic, experiential, cultural, and relational forms of knowledge contribute to agency?

• How is empowering knowledge cultivated, shared, and sustained across contexts?
  What pedagogical, institutional, and collaborative practices support its development and circulation?

• How can knowledge be translated into capacity for action?
  What models and mechanisms enable people to move from understanding to implementation?

• How do governance structures and lived experience shape what knowledge is considered empowering?
  In what ways do power, participation, and context influence whose knowledge is valued and how it is mobilized?

• What frameworks support the co-creation of empowering knowledge across domains of expertise and practice?
  How can institutions, communities, and networks collaborate to unlock the transformative potential of knowledge?

Keynote title: Knowledge at work – how knowledge works, better and worse

Professor Søren Harnow Klausen is a leading Danish philosopher whose research spans philosophy of mind, metaphysics, aesthetics, and the philosophy of culture. As Professor at the Department of Culture Studies, University of Southern Denmark, he has contributed extensively to understanding how human cognition, meaning, and value arise within cultural and existential contexts. His work is known for bridging classical philosophical questions with contemporary issues concerning agency, creativity, and the structures that shape human knowledge. More information about his work can be found on his SDU profile: https://portal.findresearcher.sdu.dk/en/persons/Harnow/ 
Professor Klausen has published widely in international journals and authored several influential books, including contributions that explore the nature of consciousness, personal identity, and the conditions for human flourishing. His research is characterized by conceptual clarity, interdisciplinary openness, and a commitment to addressing how philosophical perspectives can illuminate practical and societal challenges.

Introduction to keynote by speaker: “Knowledge is universally acknowledged as perhaps the most potent of all human tools. But how it works, and its more precise impact on innovation and action, remains unclear and has rarely been studied in depth. Cognition is an essential basis for both knowledge and societal progress. But cognitive capacity does not necessarily foster either of these. The material, social and cultural conditions can boost, but also significantly reduce the impact of the available cognitive resources. The presentation sketches and exemplifies some of the ways in which knowledge can lead to innovation, action and societal change, as well as some typical ways in which its impact is curbed. It focuses particularly on the role of social dynamics and collaboration, with an eye to designing environments and processes that support the translation of cognition and knowledge into agency.”

Keynote title: (preliminary) Capabilities cultivation

Dr. J.C. (Coyan) Tromp is a curriculum developer and Assistant Professor at the Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Amsterdam, where she plays a central role in shaping interdisciplinary education with a particular focus on sustainability, reflective practice, and innovative pedagogy. She co-designed the bachelor Future Planet Studies, which integrates scientific and societal perspectives to tackle large scale and inherently wicked problems such as climate change, global resource challenges, and the energy transition. Based on her involvement in UvA’s Research Priority Area on the Energy Transition through the lens of the Sustainable Development Goals, she also developed an interdisciplinary elective which incorporates the latest research insights on that issue. In her book Wicked Philosophy (2018) she sketches a potential overarching framework for a philosophy of science and vision development for such complex problems. 
Her teaching and research span philosophy of science, project based learning, futures thinking, and systems thinking. She has designed numerous educational innovations, including blended learning formats in flipped and global classrooms. As assessment expert, she actively explores the implications of AI for academic education. In her recently developed honors course AIducation - The Future of Education? she challenges students to design academic courses that are fit for the future.
More information about her publications can be found at: https://www.uva.nl/en/profile/t/r/j.c.tromp/j.c.tromp.html

Introduction to keynote by speaker: At Its21 Conference #8, Dr. Tromp will bring her interdisciplinary expertise to the theme From Cognition to Capacity, exploring how educational and organizational contexts can cultivate the capabilities needed to respond to complex, systemic challenges.

Keynote title: (preliminary) Change starts from within

More information about Lars Kolind can be found at: http://larskolind.dk/

Preliminary programme

Wednesday 27 May 2026  

•  09.00-09.30 Welcome and introduction by Steffen Kjær Johansen, Associate Professor  SDU Global Sustainable Production
  Opening speach by Jens Ringsmose, Rector at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU)
• 09.30-10.15 Keynote Speaker Søren Harnow Klausen, Professor at Department of Design, Media and Educational Science, and SDU Climate Cluster
  Keynote title: "Knowledge at work – how knowledge works, better and worse"

• 10.15-10.30 Coffee break 
• 10.30-12:00 Block 1 
• 12.00-13.15 Lunch – followed by Walk in the Vild-med-Vilje area at SDU 
• 13.15-15.15 Block 2 
• 15.150-15.30 Coffee break
• 15.30-16.15 Keynote Speaker Lars Kolind is a serial entrepreneur
  Keynote title: preliminary "Change starts within" 
• 16.20-17.05 Invited speaker Bjørn Sortland, Associate Professor Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management, NTNU
  Presentation title: "" will follow
• 17.05-17.15 Closing remarks 
• 19.30 Conference Dinner at Restaurant H.C. by Meyers, Odeons Kvarter 11, 5000 Odense C  

Thursday 28 May 2026 

• 09.00-09.15 Introduction to today’s programme by Steffen Kjær Johansen, Associate Professor  SDU Global Sustainable Production 
  Opening speach by Henrik Bindslev, Dean at Faculty of Engineering, SDU 
• 09.15-10.00 Keynote Speaker Dr. Coyan Tromp, Assistant Professor at Institute voor Interdisciplinaire Studies, University of Amsterdam
  Keynote title: preliminary "Capabilities cultivation"

• 10.00-11.00 Block 3
• 11.00-11.15 Coffee break
• 11.15-12.00 KEYNOTE 4
• 12.00-12.45 Lunch sandwich
• 12.45-14.10 Block 4
• 14.10-14.25 Coffee break 
  14.25-15.30 Takeaways from the conference and closing remarks 

We expect to have the final programme available by 21 April.

We invite submissions of abstracts that engage with the conference theme and core conceptual areas.

Contributions may include:
• Theoretical explorations
• Empirical research
• Case studies
• Interdisciplinary approaches

Preferred mode of presentation:
Please indicate whether you would like to present your work as a talk, poster, or workshop.

You must submit your conference abstract according to the instructions in the template. 

Download Template for Abstract 

Deadline for abstract submission is extended to 08 April, 2026

You hand-in by e-mailing your contribution to its21@sdu.dk in Word or PDF format no later than 08 April, 2026. 

On 14 April, 2026 you will receive a notification about accept or not of your abstract. 

A number of students will be invited to present their contribution at the conference, and will be offered free participation.

If you are a student sending in a contribution, you should wait until 15 April to register, as the selection will be finalised on 14 April, and the selected students will receive an e-mail with a special link for free participation.

The registration fee includes access to the conference scientific program, lunch and refreshments during the two days. 
In addition we have a Conference Dinner on 27 May at 19.30
Seats at the Conference dinner is limited to 90 persons.
The Students Fee includes a seat at the Conference Dinner.
For all others, the conference dinner is optional but we encourage all registrants to participate in this part of the event as well.

Early Bird registration deadline is 26 April, 2026

Early Bird Student Fee (includes Conference Dinner) – 900 DKK
Early Bird Fee – 1,200 DKK
Early Bird Fee with Conference Dinner – 1,500 DKK
Early Bird Partner members (up to 5 per partner) – 0 DKK
Early Bird Partner members (up to 5 per partner) with Conference Dinner – 800 DKK

Registration deadline is 10 May, 2026

Regular Student Fee (includes Conference Dinner) – 1,800 DKK
Regular Fee – 2,000 DKK
Regular Fee with Conference Dinner – 2,800 DKK
Partner members (up to 5 per partner) – 0 DKK
Partner members (up to 5 per partner) with Conference Dinner – 800 DKK

All fees will have added 25 percent VAT. Danish institutions under UFM will be automatically be exempt of VAT.

Please pay by credit card or (for Danes) by EAN invoice.

Note
Invoices will be not be issued until 27 April, 2026, if you order before this date.
You will receive a reminder e-mail, when the invoice is issued.

Go to registration site

Venue

The conference takes place at the University of Southern Denmark in Odense. The lectures will take place in Auditorium O100 located at the SDU main entrance.
Posters, exhibitions, and catering will be situated at The Campus Square.  

Use the SDU Map app SDU Indoor-Map and search for O100

Accommodation

Travel Guide

By plane:  
Fly to Copenhagen Airport (CPH) that has convenient direct train connections to Odense.  
Fly to Billund Airport (BLL) that has a bus shuttle connection to Vejle, from where you can reach Odense via regular train connections. 

By train:  
Go by train to Odense station (Odense St.)  
Take the tram directly from Odense Station to SDU Campus (direction Hjallese St.) 

Tram connection (direction: Hjallese Station).  
Scan the QR code at platform or download and use the app RejseBillet to buy ticket.  
Get off at the stop Campus Odense and enter the main entrance to your left, and you will find the conference venue at the top of the stairs, look for Auditorium O100. 

Find public transport in Denmark:  
Journey planner (Rejseplanen for local buses and trains) 
 
Arrive by car or taxi:  
From West or Odense City, the address is Fioniavej 32, 5230 Odense M: Use SDU entrance Vangene V.  
From East, the address is Moseskovvej 47, 5230 Odense M: Use SDU entrance Agrene Ø. 

TAXI services in Odense:    
Taxi fare from Odense train station to SDU costs approx. DKK 250 (€35) 

Dantaxi tel. +45 48484848   

TaxaSyd tel. +45 66154415 

Odense Taxi tel. +45 66122712 

Associate Professor 
Steffen Kjær Johansen
SDU Global Sustainable Production
Department of Technology and Innovation
skjo@iti.sdu.dk   

Conference mail: its21@sdu.dk