The 4th World Congress of Environmental History, WCEH2024, was held in Oulu in August 2024. The congress offered an opportunity for scholars of environmental history, environmental humanities and related fields across the social, human and natural sciences to come together. The massive congress - which is only organized once every five years - was held in the Nordic countries for the first time this year. It was not only the largest event ever held at the University of Oulu, but one of the most significant conferences in the field of environmental science globally. The congress was organized as a hybrid event. 973 delegates participated in the congress, 753 of which were in person and 220 participated online via Zoom. 

The theme of the event was Transition, Transformations and Transdisciplinarity: Histories Beyond Histories. The core aim of the event was to emphasize the arc of time in studying diverse approaches to contemporary problems across multiple fields and communities. The 2024 congress also served to illuminate the value of cross-boundary and cross-cultural understandings of the environment, approaches that go beyond any one discipline or focus of study.

The programming of the global congress was inspired by the uniqueness of Oulu and its natural diversity. The name of the city is believed to originate from a Sámi term for melted snow or floodwater. This link between cultures inspired the congress to discuss the challenges and questions of difference and co-existence, and our place in scholarly and social landscapes. The largest city in northern Finland served as a very special location to discuss environmental topics. The University of Oulu is considered a gateway to the north, giving it a unique responsibility to address pressing Arctic environmental and societal issues. 

The congress brought its questions to the source as the University of Oulu’s Linnanmaa Campus served as the event’s primary venue. This hub of scientific excellence was a superb venue for discussion on the effects and the histories of environmental science. The environment itself was also an important venue as the event included multiple excursions and field trips to nature sites in and around the city.

For example, participants had the opportunity to hop into the Oulujoki River after warming up in a sauna, and to participate in the very Finnish pasttime of church boat rowing.

On top of nature excursions, the congress program included many keynote and plenary talks and discussions, poster sessions and engaged workshops. A welcome reception held at the Oulu City Theater in the city center kicked off the entire event, welcoming congress participants to the city of Oulu.

Oulu is located on the shore of the Bothnian bay. The city is the hub of Northern Finnish science, business and culture and the fastest-growing urban region in arctic Europe. It is also a city with a warm heart in the middle of magnificent northern nature. 

Oulu has pleasant and functional conference venues for small happenings and sizable conferences. A compact city centre, short distances and versatile accommodation options make Oulu a great conference city. 

Read more about Oulu as a host city for international business events on the Visit Oulu website. Oulu Convention Bureau helps organizers in finding the suitable venues and partners for their events. 

You can watch the video from the congress in YouTube. 

The event was organized in cooperation with the International Consortium of Environmental History Organizations (ICEHO), the University of Oulu’s Faculty of Humanities and Biodiverse Anthropocenes Research Programme. ICEHO appointed a 16-member Programme Committee to support the event’s organization. 

Photos from the event: Local organizing committee.
Main photo: Screaming Men's Choir performing in the opening ceremony of the congress.