Research Interests

Michael Paulsen is Associate Professor of Pedagogy and Head of CUHRE (Centre for Understanding Human Relationships with the Environment) at the University of Southern Denmark. He also leads the research group responsible for general didactics in the Danish Gymnasium teacher education.

He holds a Ph.D. in Social Philosophy and has published widely within the field of Environmental and Sustainability Education (ESE), contributing — together with others — new concepts, methodologies, and empirical insights related to life-friendly education, ecoliteracy, and pedagogy in the Anthropocene.

His research develops a practice-oriented philosophy of life-friendly education in the Anthropocene, integrating conceptual work with the creation of experimental educational practices.

Recent publications include Pedagogy in the Anthropocene: Re-Wilding Education for a New Earth (2022) and the special issue Wilding Pedagogies (Australian Journal of Environmental Education, 2025).

He is currently involved in several research projects: Playing With Disaster (co-led with Sara Mosberg Iversen), which explores climate fiction roleplaying as ecoliteracy practice; Digging for Climate (co-led with Julie Emontspool), focused on regenerative gardening; and Voices of Nature (co-developed with Mathilda Brückner), which explores teaching in, with and for Nature in Danish schools. 

Selected Publications

• Paulsen, M., Illeris, H., & Reato, T. (2025). Wilding Pedagogy With Nature Writings, Propositions and Minor Experiences: Twisting With More-Than-Humans Towards Life-Friendly Education. Australian Journal of Environmental Education, 41, 338–352. https://doi.org/10.1017/aee.2025.15
• Paulsen, M. (2023). Outdoor Environmental Education in the Anthropocene: Beyond in/out. In J. Činčera (Ed.), Outdoor Environmental Education in the Contemporary World (pp. 95–108). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-29257-6_6
• Paulsen, M. (2022). Cautiousness as a New Pedagogical Ideal in the Anthropocene. In K. B. Petersen et al. (Eds.), Rethinking Education in Light of Global Challenges (pp. 220–233). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003217213-17
• Paulsen, M. (2022). From Onto-sympathy and Ecological Awareness to Ethico-sympathy and Zoëlogical Interaction. Futures of Education, Culture and Nature – Learning to Become, 1, 224–239. https://doi.org/10.7146/fecun.v1i.130567
• Paulsen, M. (2022). Oceanic and Tethysian Being-in-the-world: An Essay on the Human Self and World Understanding in the Anthropocene. Visions for Sustainability, 18, 107–123. https://doi.org/10.13135/2384-8677/7010
• Paulsen, M. (2022). The Plateau of Learning in the Anthropocene: How to Relate Differently to the Earth. In D. Kergel (Ed.), Learning in the Digital Age (pp. 66–90). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-35536-4_5
• Nørreklit, L., & Paulsen, M. (2022). To Love and Be Loved in Return: Toward a Post-Anthropocene Pedagogy and Humanity. In M. Paulsen, J. Jagodzinski, & S. Hawke (Eds.), Pedagogy in the Anthropocene (pp. 217–240). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-90980-2_11

Selected Publications in Danish

• Paulsen, M., & Tække, J. (Eds.) (2024). Antropocæn: Menneske, samfund og dannelse i en ny tidsalder. Unge Pædagoger. https://u-p.dk/vare/antropocaen/
• Illeris, H., & Paulsen, M. (2024). At blive menneske i Stige Ø: kunstfagdidaktiske tilgange til dannelse i det antropocæne. In T. P. Østern, H. Illeris, K. Knudsen, S. Jusslin, & K. Holdhus (Eds.), Kunstfagdidaktikk: som kunstnerisk, forskende og oppmerksom undervisningspraksis (pp. 176–192). Universitetsforlaget.
• Paulsen, M., & Ziethen, M. (2024). Dannelse i en antropocæn tid: Livsvenligt tilstedevær. In M. Paulsen & J. Tække (Eds.), Antropocæn: Menneske, samfund og dannelse i en ny tidsalder. Unge Pædagoger.
• Paulsen, M., & Ziethen, M. (2023). Livsvenlig uddannelse. In M. Strarup (Ed.), Fodspor i evigheden: bæredygtighed, pædagogik og dannelse (pp. 20–28). Systime.
• Paulsen, M. (2021). Antropocæn dannelse: Bæredygtighedspædagogik i gymnasiet. EMU – Danmarks læringsportal. https://emu.dk/stx/paedagogik-og-didaktik/dannelse/antropocaen-dannelse-og-baeredygtighed-i-gymnasiet

Research Interests

Pedagogy in the Anthropocene and Bildung theory