From June 29 to July 2, a delegation from People&Planet Lab traveled to Roskilde, Denmark, to take part in the 2026 CESE Conference, Worlds of Learning, hosted by Roskilde University. The conference brought together researchers from around the world to explore how learning is shaped by political, social, and educational systems across diverse global contexts. Representing the lab were researcher Tatiana Khavenson, postdoc Martyna Elerian, former STUDACT postdoc Vanessa Sperduti, and PhD students Amos Lagziel, Mania Borzenko, Nadia Iankelevich, and Margarita Kiryushina.

Several members were active in Working Group 6: Learning for Political Engagement (co-chaired by Tatiana Khavenson), presenting research on youth civic voice and activism. Vanessa Sperduti explored how young people in Washington, DC engage with global issues, while Martyna Elerian, together with colleagues, examined students’ engagement with controversial global topics across different national contexts. Nadia Iankelevich and Martyna Elerian presented work on civic voice among Russian youth, and Mania Borzenko contributed research on how international organizations frame youth activism in policy narratives. Tatiana Khavenson and Martyna Elerian also shared findings on the educational potential of youth-led environmental activism on social media.

In other sections Margarita Kiryushina presented research on STEM education policy securitization, while Amos Lagziel discussed questions of excellence and equity in science education programs.

It was a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with old friends and make new ones across the field. We are grateful to the organizers for putting together such an inspiring and thought-provoking conference!