In Reykjavik in the middle of October every year, scientists, businesspeople, politicians and various stakeholders gather in Reykjavik for the Arctic Circle Assembly. This year’s conference drew over 2000 participants, including members of Svalbard Social Science Initiative (SSSI).
Tiril Vold Hansen, PhD fellow at Nord University, Norway, was one of them. Drawing on her PhD study about power and interests in Norway’s Svalbard policies, she contributed to two sessions: “Svalbard as a geopolitical hotspot?” and “Political participation in Arctic politics: Who is heard when?” The first panel, which included scholars from various disciplines and nationalities, discussed geopolitical issues and misperceptions concerning Svalbard. The second panel (see photo on left) focused on challenges and opportunities for political participation in Arctic politics, drawing on experiences from a variety of scholars and practitioners across the Arctic. “It is paramount that we create spaces to openly discuss Svalbard geopolitical issues as well as the barriers for political participation in Svalbard politics and elsewhere in the Arctic,” Vold Hansen states, “the crowded rooms in both sessions indicated that the interest in such topics is great.”
Alexandra Middleton, Postdoctoral Researcher at Oulu Business School was also at the Arctic Circle Assembly. She presented her research on transformative resilience in the Arctic, using Oulu as a case study for innovation. Her research explores how Arctic communities and industries can adapt to rapid changes driven by climate, economic, and geopolitical factors. Middleton also co-chaired a session titled “The ‘Bear’ in the Room: How Do We Prepare for the Future with Russia?” alongside Nicholas Parlato (see photo on right), organized by the UArctic Thematic Network on Science Diplomacy. This session explored the future of scientific cooperation in the Arctic amidst current geopolitical tensions, with discussions on the Agreement on Enhancing Scientific Cooperation and the challenges of achieving IPY5 objectives. As part of the Arctic Yearbook session, Middleton presented her research on youth retention strategies, focusing on the relationship between demographic changes and retention
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