Prøveforelesning og disptuas Master in Peace and Conflict Transformation Sara Lupini

Later, at 12.15 she will defend her thesis entitled: "Action Research as a meta-methodology for tourism Pluralism, participation, and play in sustainability transformations".

Vice-Dean for Innovation, Industry Collaboration, and PhD Petter Gullmark will lead the disputation.

Popular Science Summary

This dissertation examines how tourism can move toward stronger sustainability by changing practices from within. The research was carried out in Tromsø, where tourism workers, policymakers, students, and researchers took part in workshops and game-based activities designed to encourage reflection, dialogue, and experimentation. The study shows that meaningful change emerges when people are able to question established routines and explore alternatives together, rather than relying only on top-down rules. Through four cycles of action research, the project developed and tested practical tools – including an educational board game – that make sustainability more tangible and actionable. The findings highlight how collaborative processes can foster learning, adaptability, and responsibility in tourism. By bridging research and practice, the dissertation demonstrates pathways for transforming tourism into a more sustainable and future-oriented field.

Evaluation Committee

• Associate Professor Ioanna Farsari, Dalarna University, Sweden (1. opponent)
• Professor Dag Husebø, University of Stavanger (2. opponent)
• Associate Professor Siril Alm, HHA (internal member and leader of the committee)

Supervisors

• Professor Giovanna Bertella, HHA
• Professor Xavier Font, University of Surrey, UK

Streaming

Both the trial lecture and defense and will be streamed and recorded:

• Trial lecture
• Defense

Thesis

 The thesis is available in Vitenarkivet