Nordic Bildung Week will be celebrated in October 2026, during week 41. As the main event of the week, our foundation will organize a major Nordic discussion on bildung and civic engagement.
Nordic Bildung Week will be celebrated in October 2026, during week 41. As the main event of the week, our foundation will organize a major Nordic discussion on bildung and civic engagement.
Panel Discussion on Bildung, Civic Engagement and Lifelong Learning
What does Bildung (sivistys) mean in today’s Nordic societies, and why is it more important than ever?
Join us for an engaging hybrid panel discussion exploring the role of Nordic Bildung in strengthening democracy, participation, well-being, and social cohesion. The discussion brings together experts from across the Nordic countries to reflect on how the Nordic tradition of Bildung can help individuals and communities navigate complex societal challenges.
A panel discussion on Nordic bildung and active citizenship will take place on Thursday, 8 October 2026, from 14:00 to 16:00 (Finnish time). The discussion will be held at Science Center Soppi, operated by the Kvs Foundation, and will be organized as a hybrid event, allowing participation both on-site and online.
The panel will examine the connections between active citizenship, resilience, lifelong learning, and inclusion, while exploring ways to ensure that everyone has opportunities to participate and thrive throughout their lives. The event is organized as a participatory hybrid panel discussion with speakers joining both on site and online. Participants are encouraged to contribute to the conversation by submitting questions and comments through the Teams chat. Facilitators will curate audience contributions and bring them into the discussion throughout the session.
Whether you are an educator, researcher, policymaker, civil society actor, student, or simply interested in the future of democratic participation and learning, this event offers an opportunity to exchange perspectives and learn from Nordic experiences.
The event is hybrid: the Teams link
Organizer: The Finnish Lifelong Learning Foundation (Kvs Foundation)
Facilitators
CEO Lauri Tuomi and RDI-manager Heidi Kinnunen (Kvs Foundation)
Panelists
Norway: Ludvig Claeson, Secretary general, Norwegian Association for Music Education
Denmark: Lene Anderssen, President of Nordic Bildung
Sweden: Gustav Fridolin, folk high school teacher, former minister of education in Sweden
Finland: Olli-Pekka Heinonen, International IBO, former ministry of education in Finland
Iceland: Hildur Betty Kristjánsdóttir, The manager of The Education and Training Service Center (ETSC)
Commentator: Björn Wallén, Chair, Finnish Adult Education Association FAEA
Nordic Bildung Week
Nordic Bildung Week will replace the national Finnish Sivistysviikko event. Your organisation can take part in Nordic Bildung Week, either as an event organizer or as a participant. If you wish to submit an event for the Nordic Bildung Week, please use this link.
The Finnish Sivistysviikko was first organized in 2022 as part of the Sitra Sivistys+ project. In 2024, Sivistysviikko was celebrated as part of the Finnish Year of Sivistys.
Responsibility for coordinating the event week has rotated annually among participating organizations. The organizing network behind Sivistysviikko has included the Kvs Foundation, Fingo, Kansalaisfoorumi (Citizen’s Forum), Study Centre Sivis, Association of Finnish Study Centres, Svenska Folkskolans Vänner, and Vapaa Sivistystyö ry.
