Marit Kannelmäe-Geerts

Marit Kannelmäe-Geerts is Head of Education at Peaasi.ee, an Estonian mental health organisation, and a lecturer at Tallinn University. With nearly two decades of experience in international youth work, adult learning, social inclusion and competence development, she now focuses on social-emotional competencies as a foundation for mental health, learning, collaboration and resilience.
She holds a BA in Social Work from Tallinn University and an MSc in Social Policy and Social Interventions from Utrecht University, The Netherlands. Alongside her main role, she has contributed to teaching at both Tallinn University and the University of Tartu, working with future youth workers, adult educators and education leaders. Her work connects research, education and practice, exploring how social-emotional skills can help us navigate complex and changing futures.

„The future is human: rethinking the value of social-emotional skills“

How do we prepare for a future we cannot fully predict?
As rapid technological development and societal change reshape the way we work, learn and live, expertise and knowledge alone is no longer enough. Our ability to understand, manage and value ourselves, build meaningful relationships, collaborate across differences, navigate uncertainty and remain open to learning is gaining increasing importance.
In this talk, Marit Kannelmäe-Geerts explores why social-emotional competencies should no longer be viewed simply as “soft skills”, but as essential skills for the future. For young researchers in particular, these competencies matter in very practical ways: dealing with uncertainty and failure, giving and receiving feedback, collaborating, maintaining curiosity and resilience, and creating environments where both people and ideas can thrive. Drawing on her experience in mental health, education, youth work and higher education, Marit connects research and practice and invites us to rethink what it really means to be well equipped for the future.