Lecture Prof. Godfrey Baldacchino |What does geography beyond geo look like?

We warmly invite you to the lecture by Prof. Godfrey Baldacchino, titled “What Does Geography Beyond Geo Look Like?”, on 19th January 2026 at the House of Connections. 

Registration is required.

Title: What does geography beyond geo look like?

Abstract: If there is something intriguing about 'island studies' is how a distinct, self-inscribed 'unit' separated from its 'mainland' becomes a backdrop for a specific clutch of relational and encrypted geographies. These range from island endemism, tourist island paradise branding, protected natural spaces, distinct cultures, hyper-personal political systems and now 'geographies of hope' in a context of climate change.

'On Earth', sort of, we have airline flights, ocean going vessels, floating ice-sheets, caravan (including Roma) communities, oil rigs, the International Space Station, and other 'strange' places that also deserve scrutiny and focus. A common feature of these is mobility, rendering the jurisdictional responsibility of anything 'going on' complex. We typically become aware / 'awhere' of these sites - all islanded in their own way? - when something goes wrong: a mutiny, a hijacking, a criminal act, an industrial accident.
  
There are other spaces that can be seen to 'operate' in this way. One that beckons through its sheer immensity is 'outer' space - which is increasingly not 'outer' any more. At this historical moment, we can say that the Earth has no 'Other'; but this is about to change. These geographies beckon their own analysis; and, science fiction is instructive.

Who is Prof. Godfrey Baldacchino?

Prof. Godfrey Baldacchino (1960)  is a Maltese-Canadian sociologist specializing in Island Studies. He held the Canada Research Chair (Island Studies) at the University of Prince Edward Island for a decade. Serving as the UNESCO Co-Chair for Island Studies and Sustainability, he played a key role until 2020. In 2014, he was elected as the President of the International Small Islands Studies Association. He also established the open-access Island Studies Journal and Small States & Territories. In 2021, Baldacchino became Malta's first thematic ambassador for islands and small states, emphasizing his commitment to island-related research and advocacy. Additionally, he has practical roles, including consultancy for the Prime Minister of Malta and various ministries.

Baldacchino is also being proposed as an international Rudolf Agricola Fellow: he is well known as one of the driving forces behind the relatively new field of island studies.

‘A significant part of my studies was conducted in The Hague at the  Institute of Social Studies, now part of Erasmus University,  thanks to a scholarship I received from the Dutch government. I am still very grateful for that and have maintained a strong connection with the Netherlands. I am still in touch with many people from that time.’