International Researh Seminar: Living together for a sustainable common future

8 - 9 June, 2026 at The Western Norway University of Applied Sciences. How can we live in harmony with nature—and with each other? This seminar takes the concept of conviviality as a starting point to explore new perspectives on sustainability, community, and our fundamental connection to all living beings.

Seminar idea

At the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences there is a strong research interest in perspectives on nature preservation, sustainability, circular economy, ecocriticism, the human - nature/environment and sensing relations, embodied knowledge and the role and consequences of consumption in outdoor life traditions. These are fields that often compete for influence.

At this seminar we will take a step back to basic questions about our future living conditions and take the concept of conviviality, our way of living together, as a starting point and steppingstone. This starting point critically reverses the individualistic search for wellbeing and increases the focus to solidarity and living together. Even if so called green spaces and time spent on outdoor activities are proved beneficial for health, using nature as a remedy and searching for wellbeing in nature have been criticized for being individualistic and related to overconsumption and the risk of destroying parts of the natural world.

In this seminar we will take a new approach to being with oneself and nature, where nature ceases to exist only as a backdrop. This approach, based on knowledge about relations between humans and nature, increasingly emphasizes being and connection among human beings and nature, addressing the fundamental connection between all living beings and the interpretation of life and the environment.

Conviviality refers to a primary connection with the living environment, conveyed through our own sense of aliveness and embodiment. Connection and contact with, and sense of belonging together with living beings form the basis for an attitude of care and commitment towards living beings. The perspectives point to the relational nature of our existence and our life in relationships and in ecological contexts. In this way, the fundamental kinship of our lived bodies with living nature becomes the basis for an ecological ethic. In the ecological discourse on nature and the environment, the natural side of humans, which we experience as our own corporeality, until now, has hardly played any role. To address this deficiency, the seminar brings concepts as conviviality, connection and embodiment into research and practice for a living future.

Information

We invite colleges to submit their ideas in the form of abstracts and suggest both workshops and panel discussions, limited to 400 words. Based on your proposals, we will design a program aligning with the key idea of the seminar: living together and being together. It means that the we aim to facilitate substantial discussions, dialogue, and engagement through an interactive seminar format. We suggest to submit ideas, not limited to, but mainly addressing the following ideas:

Living together as embodied beings

Cultivating conviviality in a digital age

Knowledge forms for realizing conviviality

Living together for a sustainable future

The sorrow of losing nature to destruction of land

Sami and indigenous knowledge forms

Artforms as ways to sustainable future

The pedagogy of sustainability

Being grounded

Deadline for submission 1 of February 2026

Deadline for registration: 15 of May 2026

Registration fee: 900 NKR

For students: 250 NKR

Information regarding hotel will be annouced soon.

Getting to Bergen from the airport

From Bergen Airport the light rail called 'Bybanen', line 1, goes to the city centre. Bybanen stops at the campus on Kronstad. A ticket with Bybanen costs 40 NOK and takes approximately 30 minutes to Kronstad and 45 minutes to the city centre. Bybanen is the best and cheapest alternative for guests arriving by plane. Buy tickets here.

There are airport buses running between the airport and the city centre, called "Flybussen". These do not stop at the campus. A ticket with the airport bus costs approximately 150 NOK.

A taxi from Bergen Airport Flesland takes approximately 20 minutes to the campus at Kronstad, depending on traffic.

Getting to campus from the city centre

If you arrive by train or boat, you will need to go to the campus from the city centre. The easiest way to get to Campus Kronstad is to take the light rail, "Bybanen." Both line 1 and line 2 stops at campus Kronstad, the stop has the name Kronstad. Only line 1 goes by and stops at Danmarksplass.

Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Bergen.
Address: Inndalsveien 28, 5063 Bergen

Mazemap - find your way around campus

At your service in Bergen:

E-mail: arrangement@hvl.no

Phone number: (+47) 55 58 58 00, Opening hours: Monday – Friday 08.00–15.00.

There is restricted parking at campus, and the lightrail is the easiest transport to campus.

Bergen is one of the oldest towns in Norway and has a rich history.
If you want to explore Bergen, you will find some information to start with at Visit Bergen.

Bergen map