PANELS & WORKSHOPS

[PANEL] Teaching Climate Change Beyond Facts: Pioneering Pedagogies, Mental Health and Science-Policy Interfaces

Sertaç Arabacıoğlu, Sanae Okamoto, Nidhi Nagabhatla, Elif Ülker Demirel

This multidisciplinary session investigates the intertwined challenges of climate change impacts, tourism pressure, community well-being, pro-environmental behavior change and science-policy interfaces. The session features four expert panelists sharing their insights that move from on-the-ground impacts to practical solutions across multiple sectors. The session starts by examining the lived impacts of climate-induced stressors and overcrowding on community well-being, sense of belonging, and quality of life in places struggling to cope. This grounds the discussion in the tangible consequences for vulnerable populations.

Next, perspectives from behavioural science are introduced, focusing on the effects of climate change on individual and societal psychology. This segment outlines behavioural science strategies to enhance mental health and resilience in the face of escalating environmental uncertainty. The third presentation shifts to the educational perspective, highlighting the transformative role of science education in climate change awareness and resilience building. Specifically, it explores the Green STEM approach for empowering students and teachers. The session concludes with a look at science and policy interfaces, emphasizing the need for strengthening the mental health component within climate resilience policies. This segment will share concrete examples of good practices at the policy level.

In sum, this session offers a comprehensive framework for understanding and addressing the complex crisis of climate resilience and mental well-being, integrating insights from community studies, psychology, education, and public policy.

Note: This study is based on a panel session organized within the 16th International Balkan Education and Science Congress, held in Edirne, Türkiye. The panel was conducted in line with the core outputs of COST Action CA23113 – CliMent (Climate change impacts on mental health in Europe), Working Group 4 (WG4).

Short bios of the panelists:

Name	Institution / Country	Expertise / Background
Dr. Sertaç Arabacıoğlu	Trakya University - Türkiye	Associate Professor at Trakya University, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Education and Director of the Project Coordination Application and Research Center. Focuses on science education, teacher professional development, and integrating innovative technologies such as augmented reality, 3D printing, and mixed reality into STEM teaching. Has a multidisciplinary background in Science Education and Educational Technologies, collaborates with European partners on projects related to Green STEM education, sustainability, and digital transformation in education. Actively contributes to international networks and COST actions, bridging research, practice, and policy. Holds a PhD in Science Education and has led numerous outreach and training initiatives to support teachers and students in adopting inquiry-based and technology-enhanced learning approaches.
Dr. Sanae Okamoto	United Nations University - MERIT / Netherlands	Senior Researcher at the United Nations University – MERIT and the School of Business and Economics, Maastricht University. Psychologist and behavioural scientist with a multidisciplinary background in Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, and Behavioural Economics. Applies psychology/behavioural science insights to global objectives including Sustainability, Climate Resilience, Digitalisation, and Mental Health from multiple perspectives such as Youth, Water, Health, Disasters, Plastics, and Business. Active in addressing the mental health impacts of global challenges such as climate change and emerging technologies like AI. Holds a PhD in Psychology from Maastricht University, Netherlands. Earlier research on social group dynamics was conducted at Kyoto University, University of Louisiana, USA, and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany.
Dr. Nidhi Nagabhatla	Belgium (University of Ghent and UNU CRIS)	Specializes in the intersections of sustainable development, environmental governance, and human security. Has more than two decades of experience working across United Nations agencies, academia, and collaborative research networks, advancing work in climate resilience, water security, nexus research contexts, and climate migration studies. Currently at UNU-CRIS Belgium, leads the Nature, Climate and Health program and coordinates numerous projects on environmental stress, mental well-being, and public participation in climate policy. Also serves as a Research Professor at U Ghent, Belgium. Scholarly track record includes peer-reviewed publications, technical reports, conference presentations, and commissioned policy briefs. Bridges theory and practice by guiding early-career researchers, shaping multi-stakeholder dialogues, and mentoring doctoral candidates. Known for interdisciplinary and inclusive approaches, designs research methodologies grounded in robust evidence and local realities. Recent research has explored the mental health impacts of climate change and advocates for integrating psychosocial perspectives into climate education and resilience planning.
Dr. Elif Ülker-Demirel	Trakya University - Türkiye	Dr. Elif Ülker Demirel is an Associate Professor of Marketing in the Department of Tourism Management at Trakya University, Türkiye. Her academic background integrates consumer psychology, behavioral sciences, and tourism studies, with a research focus on the emotional and social impacts of overtourism, and quality of life in tourism-dependent communities. She recently completed a TÜBİTAK (the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey) funded postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she conducted qualitative and quantitative field research on climate-induced pressures in fragile coastal regions such as Cape Cod, USA. Her work explores how environmental stressors and tourism-related overcrowding affect residents’ lived experiences and well-being. Dr. Ülker-Demirel is an active member of the COST Action CA23113 – CliMent, contributing to Working Group 4 on long-term strategies of community of practice.

24.10.2025 / 1279 times read.