Teachers in the educational ecosystems – professional development in changing conditions

Teachers in the Educational Ecosystems – Professional Development in Changing Conditions (HEA Conference, December 2024) examines the implications of societal, technological and ecological transformation for higher education teaching and academic professional development. Professor Hannele Niemi analyses changes in work, artificial intelligence, social media, knowledge production, and global sustainability challenges, arguing that higher education must prepare students for both predictable and unpredictable futures. The keynote conceptualises universities as educational ecosystems operating across micro (individual), meso (institutional) and macro (system) levels, and emphasises competencies for sustainability, systems thinking, anticipatory thinking, collaboration, and integrated problem-solving. It highlights the central role of teachers as agents within communities of practice and argues that professional development must be holistic, research-informed, collaborative, and supported by pedagogical infrastructures to enable meaningful learning, student agency, and alignment with global goals such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals.