A conversation with Kassahun Weldemariam

Pedagogical Innovations Between Ethiopia and Sweden

In this episode, Kassahun Weldemariam—senior lecturer at the University of Gothenburg and originally from Ethiopia—shares his cross-continental journey through education, from teaching in Ethiopia to researching sustainability in Sweden. His path across the Global South and North has given him a unique vantage point on what it means to reimagine pedagogy in diverse contexts.

For Kassahun, pedagogical innovations are not simply about shiny new methods or technologies. Instead, he frames it as something much deeper:

“For me, pedagogical innovation refers to intentional, reflective and transformative change in teaching and learning that responds to evolving societal, cultural, ecological and epistemic realities within the field of education. It is not merely about adopting new methods or technologies, but about reimagining the purpose and the process of education itself.”

Drawing from both Sweden’s well-resourced, child rights–oriented early childhood system and Ethiopia’s resource-constrained but community-rich practices, Kassahun emphasizes that innovation must always be context-sensitive. In Sweden, innovation might mean embedding children’s rights and sustainability into everyday practice. In Ethiopia, it might emerge through community-based care or multilingual education, despite structural challenges.

Across both settings, Kassahun highlights the crucial role of professional agency, collaboration, and leadership. Innovation, he argues, flourishes when educators are trusted as reflective, creative, and ethical agents—able to take risks, reclaim forgotten wisdoms, and co-construct knowledge with children, families, and colleagues.

His reflections invite us to see pedagogical innovation not as a universal formula, but as a dynamic, context-driven practice—always responsive to the realities, challenges, and possibilities of the communities it serves.

Happy listening!