Welcome to the website of the action research project Academy of Hope, which aims to explore new pedagogical avenues for navigating uncertain futures amidst the planetary crisis. With Utrecht University as our home base, our key interests lie in theorizing and experimenting with:

1. Pedagogical approaches that work to resist fatalism and naïve optimism with respect to the planetary crisis, by helping communities of inquiry to be with the trouble and act for positive change.
2. Pedagogical approaches and curricular innovations that open up space for a deep engagement with the question of the future good life.
3. Pedagogical approaches and curricular innovations that succeed to establish reciprocal relationships between students and a variety of societal actors (e.g. policy makers, activists, artists).

Leadership

This programme is led by Asst. Prof. Jesse Hoffman and Asst. Prof. Peter Pelzer and hosted by the Urban Futures Studio at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development.

Team

Funding

The Academy of Hope is funded by the Dutch Higher Education Premiums 2021 awarded by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science to the Urban Futures studio’s Mixed Classroom.