Stefansson Arctic Institute Borgir, Norðurslóð, IS-600 Akureyri, ICELAND Tel.:+354 460 8980    Fax: +354 460 8989  Contact us by e-mail

News

APECS Seeks a New Director (09.02.2012)
The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) is seeking a new director to lead the organization to new heights. In its 5+ years, APECS has evolved into the pre-eminent international and interdisciplinary organization for polar early career researchers, now comprising over 3000 members from 75 countries including students, postdoctoral researchers, early faculty members, educators and others with interests in Polar Regions and the cryosphere. In collaboration with international organizations, leading polar researchers, educators, and funding agencies, APECS aims to enhance career development opportunities, stimulate research collaborations, and develop effective future leaders in polar research, education and outreach to provide a continuum of knowledge for generations to come.

The APECS Directorate is based at the University of Tromsø, Norway in a vibrant environment with other secretariats and lots of polar researchers. The initial appointment will be for nine months, with the option to renew for three years based on successful performance. As the full-time employee of APECS, the Director is tasked with guiding the development and administration of the organisation, along with overseeing and managing all APECS activities, finances and events. For more information on APECS please visit the website and read the past reports and publications.

See a detailed description of the position.

Deadline for applications is 27 February 2012, and must be submitted online.

ICASS VII: Interviews   (16.01.2012)
The secretariat of IASSA which has been located at the Stefansson Arctic Institute for the last three years has now been transferred to the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) in Prince George where ICASS VIII will be held in 2014.

Below are six video links with interviews taken at the ICASS VII conference in Akureyri, Iceland  in June 2011.

1) Students
2) Martin Lougheed, Inuit Knowledge Center
3) Sven Hakaanson, Alutiiq Museum
4) Salmon Source of Life
5) Yefimenko, Arctic Council IPS
6) Joan Nymand Larsen, ICASS VII

 ICASS VII featured on National Geographic (01.07.2011)
David Braun from National Geographic News attended the ICASS VII conference in Akureyri, Iceland where he interviewed scientists and reported from the event.  Here he interviews Joan Nymand Larsen, the President of  IASSA.

Welcoming address at ICASS VII in Akureyri, Iceland was given by Svandís Svavarsdóttir, Minister for the Environment in Iceland.

ICASS VII, Akureyri, Iceland, 22-26 June 2011 - Registration has opened
For conference information and registration click here.

Fishing People of the North: Cultures, Economies, and Management Responding to Change
27^th  Lowell Wakefield Fisheries Symposium. September 14-17, 2011, Anchorage, Alaska.
Second call for abstracts, for individual papers and posters: Deadline April 4, 2011.

This international symposium will provide a forum for scholars, fishery managers, fishing families, and others to explore the human dimensions of fishery systems and the growing need to include social science research in policy processes.

Themes: 

Human-Environment Relationships

Fishing Communities in Transition

Indigenous and Rural Knowledge and Communities

Governance and Management Issues in the North 

Celebrating the Lives of Fishing Peoples

For more information on the symposium, including invited speakers, panels, steering committee members, and online registration, see here.

Job Opportunities
As a part of the University of Oulu recruiting funding programme Thule Institute is offering outstanding researchers with PhD’s Investigator Start-up Packages for five years. The Deadline of applications is 30th of December 2010.

Description of Recruiting Packages:

Research Fellow in River Basin Research 
The main duty of the research fellow is to carry out high-level research on climate change and land use impacts on river basins with special emphasis on research questions linking water resources, hydrology and ecology. Read more.

Research Fellow in Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Research in Environmental Sciences
The main duty of the Research Fellow is to carry out high-level research on interdisciplinary and/or transdisciplinary issues and methodologies in environment-related sciences and to publish the results in academic journals and volumes. The work includes the development of new research, and research-based teaching and graduate supervision activities. Read more.

Research Fellow in Sustainable Resource Management and Material Efficiency 
The main duty of the appointed person is to carry out high-level research on interdisciplinary issues and methodologies in material flows and resource efficiency and to publish the results in academic journals and volumes. The work includes development of new research, research-based teaching and supervision activities. Read more.

For more information please contact the Director of the Thule Institute, Professor Kari Laine and visit http://thule.oulu.fi/rcry/index.html and http://www.oulu.fi/english/jobs/index.html.
 

ICASS VII: Call for Paper and Poster Abstracts
The Seventh International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS VII) with the title Circumpolar Perspectives in Global Dialogue: Social Sciences Beyond the IPY will be held in Akureyri, Iceland, June 22-26, 2011 hereby calls for individual paper and poster proposals.

A special paper and poster abstract submittal form together with a more complete list of sessions and themes can be found at the IASSA website. Submission deadline: December 20, 2010

Paper and poster proposals should contain:
Title
Name and full contact details of the author(s)
Abstract: A 250 words (max) summary
An indication of which session the paper should ideally be presented in (see list of themes and preliminary list of sessions here). If the paper is already invited by a session leader, please indicate this. We strongly suggest that you provide more than one preferred placement for your presentation.

ICASS is held every three years and is a congress of the International Arctic Social Sciences put on by IASSA (International Arctic Social Sciences Association). The Congress will be hosted by the University of Akureyri, the town of Akureyri and the Stefansson Arctic Institute.

For further information on IASSA or ICASS VII, please contact:
Lara Olafsdottir, IASSA Secretary, Stefansson Arctic Institute
e-mail larao@svs.is, tel: 460 8980 
Dr. Jon Haukur Ingimundarson, ICASS VII Congress Convener, Stefansson Arctic Institute & University of Akureyri
e-mail: jhi@unak.is, tel: 460 8982; GSM: 862 0477 
Dr. Joan Nymand Larsen, IASSA President and ICASS VII co-convener, Stefansson Arctic Institute & University of Akureyri
e-mail: jnl@unak.is Tel: 460 8984; GSM: 893 0488

The IASSA Secretariat is located at the Stefansson Arctic Institute (Stofnun Vilhjálms Stefánssonar) www.svs.is, Borgir, Nordurslod, Akureyri.

The 7^th ICASS Host Organizing Committee consists of members representing the University of Akureyri, Stefansson Arctic Institute, Town of Akureyri, Arctic Portal, Akureyri Travel, and the Icelandic Centre for Research.

PhD workshop - Young Scientist Forum / APECS 2011: Arctic Tipping Points: Research as a Driver for Northern Development
Parallel to the Arctic Frontiers Conference 2011, the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) and the ARCTOS PhD School will organize an international workshop for PhD students and postdoctoral researchers interested in research and development in the pan-arctic region. The workshop will be held from 23 January through 2 February 2011 in Tromsø, on the coastal steamer Hurtigruten and in Svolaer, Lofoten, Norway. Application deadline: Monday, 1 November 2010.

Click here for further information or send e-mail to Matias Langgaard Madsen.

Travelling Exhibition to Galicia
The Friendly Arctic, SAI's travelling exhibition, was opened in Museo do Pobo Galego in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain on September 24, 2010. The museum shows the exhibition as a part of an EU project on fishing culture called FISHERNET.

Lecture: Global warming, glaciers and rising of the sea level
Dr. Richard S. Williams, Jr., an emeritus senior research geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) gave a lecture in the University of Akureyri on 22 September 2010. The lecture was a collaboration of the Stefansson Arctic Institute, the Icelandic Institute of Natural History (Akureyri brach) and the University of Akureyri.

Dr. Williams specializes in using airborne and satellite remote sensing technology to carry out investigations of dynamic geologic, glaciologic, and geomorphologic processes.  Iceland is a special interest, where he and his Icelandic colleagues have been studying changes associated with volcanic activity and glacier fluctuations for four decades. Dr. Williams lectures frequently on a wide range of topics including geologic hazards, geology and geography of Iceland, global environmental change, planetary exploration, sea level and natural and human history of the Earth (especially human impact on the Earth System).

Twentieth Anniversary of IASSA
IASSA (International Arctic Social Sciences Association) was founded on August 23rd 1990 in Farirbanks, Alaska. See IASSA president's address on the occasion here.

Congress: ICASS VII in Akureyri, Iceland, 2011
IASSA (International Arctic Social Sciences Association) organizes the seventh International Congress of the Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS VII) which will be held 22-26 June 2011 in Akureyri, Iceland. The working title for ICASS VII is Circumpolar Perspectives in Global Dialogue: Social Sciences Beyond the IPY. 

IASSA calls for concrete proposals, ideas and thoughts concerning themes of special interest for sessions and workshops at ICASS VII. Please submit your session proposals by September 15, 2010 to IASSA secretary Lara Olafsdottir and IASSA president Joan Nymand Larsen.

The congress provides various venues for the sharing of Arctic social science research and analysis of  outcomes of the International Polar Year in social-, human sciences, and related fields. This includes special project sessions, discussion panels, plenary presentations, and invited talks. A list of proposed ICASS sessions will be announced in October 2010.

Call for ICASS VII abstracts will be circulated by October 1, 2010, with a deadline for submission by December 15, 2010.

Please visit the IASSA webpage for updates on ICASS VII.

Conference: Climate Adaptation in the Nordic Countries: Science, Practice, Policy
Climate Adaptation in the Nordic Countries: Science, Practice, Policy is an international conference held in Stockholm 8-10 November 2010.

Climate change is rapidly becoming a reality to which society has to adapt. Scientists, planners and policymakers have started to address this challenge and the conference sets out to meet a growing demand for knowledge sharing on climate adaptation in the Nordic countries.

Climate Adaptation in the Nordic Countries will explore the links between adaptation science, practice, and policy. Taking an interdisciplinary perspective and involving stakeholders, the aim of the conference is to deliver insights for a socially relevant research agenda that advances the emerging science of adaptation and meets the needs of practitioners and policymakers.

Science, practice, policy: The conference invites scholars interested in climate risk, vulnerability and adaptation in a Nordic setting. Practitioners and policymakers are explicitly invited in order to stimulate discussion and the development of ideas between the realms of science, practice and policy.

The conference is an initiative of the Nordic Climate Change Adaptation Research Network (NORDCLAD-Net), which is funded by the Nordic Top-level research Initiative Effect Studies and Adaptation to Climate Change. It is coordinated and co-funded by the Stockholm Environment Institute and the Swedish research programme Mistra-SWECIA. It is also co-funded by the Swedish research council FORMAS and by the PLAN project, Oslo University.

For more information and updates, look at the conference website.

Dr Joan Nymand Larsen Coordinating Lead Author of Polar Regions chapter in 2014 IPCC Report
Dr Joan Nymand Larsen, Senior Scientist at the Stefansson Arctic Institute in Iceland has been selected to lead, with Dr Oleg Anisimov (Russia) the Polar regions (chapter 28) of the Working Group II (Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability) contribution to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) due in 2014.    

New Report: Arctic Social Indicators
The Arctic Social Indicators (ASI) project is a project following up on the activities of the Arctic Human Development Report (AHDR), initiated by the Stefansson Arctic Institute. The report is now available here.

Visit by EU Working Group on Enlargement
EU Working group on enlargement visited the Stefansson Arctic Institute on 13^th May 2010 (Ascension Day). Presentation and discussion with director Níels Einarsson, Senior Scientist Dr Jón Haukur Ingimundarson and Senior Associate Scientist Dr Astrid Ogilvie on human dimensions of circumpolar issues: international organizations, educational initiatives and other projects with the Institute’s involvement and relevance for European presence and policy in the Arctic.

Seminar: Geopolitical and Legal Aspects of Canada’s and Europe’s Northern Dimensions
A seminar on Geopolitical and Legal Aspects of Canada’s and Europe’s Northern Dimensions will be held at the University of Alberta, Canada, May 27-28, 2010. See more here.

The seminar is jointly organized by the Canadian Circumpolar Institute (Canada), the Thule Institute (Finland), the Stefansson Arctic Institute (Iceland) and the Northern Research Forum.

With common concerns over circumpolar issues, international security, environmental protection, and sustainable development, Canada and the Nordic states display a strong sense of shared values and outlook. The aim of the seminar series (Biennial International Seminar Series: Canada’s and Europe’s Northern Dimensions) is to bring together policy-makers and researchers to explore common perspectives and future challenges of Canada's and Europe's northern regions. 

The seminar, the second in the series, will cover the following topics:
• The geopolitics of continental shelf claims
• Boundaries, borders and cooperation in the Barents Euro-Arctic Region
• The Northern North Atlantic: Greenland, Iceland and new political horizons
• Rethinking polar law: resource development and its consequences
• History of Northern development: lessons for the future
• Resource futures and Northern passages: energy, shipping and environment
• Roundtable Discussion

 There is an impressive line up of speakers for what promises to be an important event. The seminar has support from a number of Nordic embassies in Canada and will include speakers from Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Greenland, the Netherlands and the USA. Keynote speakers include H.E Mr Erik Vilstrup Lorenzen, the  Danish Ambassador to Canada, the Hon. Palle Christiansen, Minister of Finance and Nordic Cooperation in the Government of Greenland, and Dr. Ken Coates, Dean of Arts at the University of Waterloo.
Registration fee: $150 CDN (includes lunches and Reception). Registration deadline: May 25, 2010.
 

Conference: The Wealth of Sea and Coast: Initiatives, Innovation and the use of Cultural Heritage
The conference The Wealth of Sea and Coast: Initiatives, Innovation and the use of Cultural Heritage  will be held in Ketilshús in Akureyri, Friday the 7th of May 2010 as part of the European Union Project Fishernet – Fishing Cultural Heritage Network. See conference programme.

The Stefansson Arctic Institute is involved in the European Project Fishernet, a three year collaborative effort of fishing nations in Europe. The Fishernet Project was launched in September of 2008 with the objective of preserving, disseminating and utilising cultural heritage connected with sea-farers, environmental knowledge and the unique culture of fishing communities. For further information we invite you to visit the Fishernet website.  

The Stefansson Arctic Institute is a forum for co-operation with regards to multi-disciplinary research. The primary objectives are to promote sustainable development in northern areas and strengthen Icelandic participation in international endeavours in this field. Further to facilitate and coordinate Arctic research, gather and disseminate information regarding northern issues and provide advise for the Government.

Lecture: Fires from Beneath and Smoke from Above
Dr Astrid E.J.Ogilvie from the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR) University of Colorado gives a lecture called Fires from Beneath and Smoke from Above: Environmental, Climatic, and Social Impacts of Volcanic Eruptions in Iceland in Historical Times in the Borgir foyer, University of Akureyri Campus, Wednesday May 12th at 12:10. The lecture is open to the public.

 

Health and Wellbeing in the Circumpolar Area: Master's Programme
The Master's Degree Programme in Health and Wellbeing in the Circumpolar Area (MCH) is an international two-year Master's Degree programme of 120 ECTS (60 North American credit hours) concentrating on the special features, questions, and challenges related to health and wellbeing in the circumpolar area. MCH graduates will be awarded a Master of Health Sciences from the University of Oulu, Finland. The MCH graduates can work in administrative and managerial positions within health care services and in health promotion, education, development, planning, and research.

Application Deadline is Wednesday, 31 March 2010
For further information, please visit the MCH website, and the University of Oulu Master's Degrees website.

The Second FISHERNET Newsletter Is out
The second issue of the newsletter of the European project FISHERNET: Fishing Cultural Heritage Network in which the Stefansson Arctic Institute is a partner, has now been published. This is a three year project funded by the European Union Culture Programme. Key participants in addition to Iceland are Galicia (Spain), Norway, Bulgaria, Cyprus, and the Orkneys (Great Britain). The object of the project is the preservation, dissemination and utilisation of cultural heritage connected with fisheries, seafaring peoples and the unique cultural of coastal fishing communities. The Stefansson Arctic Institute contributes to the project in various ways but with a special focus on fishing cultural heritage in Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. The Icelandic component is called Trossan and can in part be observed through the website www.fishernet.is.

The FISHERNET newsletter provides stories and news from the various project partners, including an item on the Foldal fishfactory in Finnmark, Norway which is today used as a cultural centre with an arena for concerts and festivals, a living museum, a gallery and accommodation for tourists. There is a story concerning adaptive capacity in the Orkneys and information on the  meeting of the project partners in Iceland May 2010. During that time the group will we traveling to Reykjavík, Siglufjörður, Húsavík and Akureyri where an international seminar called The wealth of sea and coast: Initiatives, innovation and use of cultural heritage will be held on May 7^th 2010.

The newsletter can be downloaded at www.fishernet.is where you can also find a variety of material useful for research or general interest, such as articles and essays related to fisheries and coastal culture in Iceland and the northern North Atlantic.

Evelyn Stefansson Nef has died
Writer, psychotherapist and philanthropist Evelyn Stefansson Nef died peacefully at her home in Washington, D.C. on the 10^th of December. She was 96 years old, born in New York City 24^th July. Evelyn was the widow of Arctic explorer and anthropologist Vilhjalmur Stefansson and a good friend of the Stefansson Arctic Institute. She will be sorely missed.

Photo: Evelyn and Vilhjalmur Stefansson
 

2010 State of the Arctic Conference: Second Call for Abstracts and Conference Updates
For further information, please go to http://soa.arcus.org

The State of the Arctic Conference will be held 16-19 March 2010 at the Hyatt Regency Miami in Miami, Florida, USA. The main goal of the
conference is to review our understanding of the arctic system in a time of rapid environmental change.

ABSTRACT SUBMISSION
Abstracts are now being accepted for oral parallel sessions and posters.There are 18 session topics, which have been structured to facilitate cross-disciplinary exchange and discussion. Each session is designed to incorporate abstracts from the social, physical, natural, and political sciences. There is no fee for abstract submission. Abstract submission deadline is next Monday, 14 December 2009. To submit an abstract, please go to: http://soa.arcus.org/abstracts.

PROGRAM UPDATES
Many updates have been made to the conference program, including confirmed keynote and plenary speakers, and the program for Day 4 on "International Coordination." The tentative conference program can be found at: http://soa.arcus.org/program.

STUDENT TRAVEL AWARDS
A student travel awards program, which will provide funding for selected students and recent graduates, will be launched shortly and announced via ArcticInfo.

WEBCASTING
Some portions of the conference will be webcast live via the State of the Arctic website to allow "virtual" participation for those unable to travel to Miami. More details will be announced soon.

LOGISTICS INFORMATION
For meeting logistics information, including details on lodging and travel, please go to: http://soa.arcus.org/logistics.

REGISTRATION
The early-bird registration deadline is Sunday, 31 January 2010. To register for the conference, please go to http://soa.arcus.org/register.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
For further information, including an outreach video, please go to http://soa.arcus.org. Be sure to check the website regularly for updates and new features.

For questions regarding abstract submission, please contact Judy Fahnestock, ARCUS .
For questions regarding registration, please email soa_registration@arcus.org.
For questions about the conference program, please contact Helen Wiggins, ARCUS .

New Director of the Nordic Institute in Greenland/NAPA
Leise Johnsen has been employed as a director of the Nordic Institute in Greenland/NAPA from 15 February 2010.
See press releases in Danish and Greenlandic.

 Arctic Governance Project
Stefansson Arctic Institute  participates in an international project on Arctic governance. The project is a collaboration with Centre for Sámi Studies  at the University of Tromsø, Norway;  Heinz Centre, USA;  Arctic Centre in Rovaniemi, Finland, and Stefansson Arctic Institute, Akureyri, Iceland.
The project's purpose is to join scientists and policiy makers in defining the most urgent problems of Arctic governance in times of rapid change in nature and communities, and looking for creative  solutions  for a sustainable future in the Arctic. Níels Einarsson, director of Stefansson Arctic Institute is in a group of advisers for the project.
More information on the project's website:  www.arcticgovernance.org.

FISHERNET Newsletter
See the first newsletter of the FISHERNET project; a European network of fishing cultural heritage in which the Stefansson Arctic Institute participates.

Lecture and an opening of an exhibit in Honningsvåg, Norway
On Thursday 24^th September 2009 Dr Jón Haukur Ingimundarson, Stefansson Arctic Institute, will give a lecture on Iceland, Climate Change and the Friendly Arctic, during the Norwegian Science Week  in Honningsvåg, Norway.

This is also the day of the opening of an exhibit of photographs from Vilhjálmur Stefánsson's expeditions in the Arctic and texts from his diaries which the travelling exhibit The Friendly Arctic is based on. The photographs and diary texts are also available on the web.
 

New Website: The Forgotten Story of Inuit Whalers
Qikiqtani Inuit Association has announced the completion of The Forgotten Story of Inuit Whalers project, funded through Heritage Canada Partnerships Fund Program. As a result, a new educational multimedia web site on the historical interactions between inuit and European and American whalers has been launched.

Conference: Environments, Movements, Narratives in the Circumpolar North
Organizers of a conference entitled Environments, Movements, Narratives in the Circumpolar North, announce a call for student participants. The conference will be held 28-31 October 2009 in Rovaniemi, Finland, at the Arctic Centre of the University of Lapland. More information here.

Students from the circumpolar north, and those interested in northern humanities and social sciences, are invited to apply for funding. Travel, meals, and lodging will be covered by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Applicants must submit the following:
- Cover letter, including an introduction and contact information;
- One-page essay describing how participation in the conference will further the applicant's academic and career goals in arctic humanities and science;
- CV or resume; and
- Short letter of recommendation from a professor or other professional with whom the applicant has worked closely.
All materials must be submitted no later than 14 September 2009.
To apply, or for further information, please contact Karl Mertens, Boise State University, Department of Anthropology.

The Second Akureyri Polar Law Symposium 2009, 10-12 September 2009
Polar Law Program, University of Akureyri, Iceland in collaboration with Polar Law Institute; Yearbook on Polar Law; The Stefansson Arctic Institute; The Northern Research Forum; and the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists  announce The Second Akureyri Polar Law Symposium, September 10-12, 2009. The symposium is open to the public. Location: Room L 201, Sólborg, University of Akureyri Campus. Contact: Dr. Natalia Loukacheva natalial@unak.is

Day 1: September 10 (Thursday)
15:30                Opening address
Dr. Stefán B. Sigurðsson, Rector, University of Akureyri, Iceland
The President of the Republic of Iceland, His Excellency Dr. Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson
Moderator: Dr. Guðmundur S. Alfreðsson, University of Akureyri, Iceland
16:10 -16:15      Break

Theme I: New Shipping Routes and Environmental Implications for the Polar Regions 

Panel: Jurisdictional Questions on Land and at Sea; Management of Risks to the Environment Posed by Shipping in the Polar Regions  
16:15 -17:55
Mr. Ragnar Baldursson, Senior Official for Arctic and Energy Affairs, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs, Reykjavik, Iceland
Topic: Trans-Arctic Shipping-New Opportunities and Emerging Challenges
Dr. Timo Koivurova, Research Professor, Northern Institute for Environmental and Minority Law, Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland
Topic: What has the Arctic Council done in terms of Shipping?  
Dr. R. Douglas Brubaker, Senior Research Fellow, Fridtjof Nansen Institute, Norway
Topic: Jurisdictional matters of shipping in the Arctic
Mr. Mead Treadwell, Chair, U.S. Arctic Research Commission and Senior Fellow of the Institute of the North, Anchorage, Alaska, USA
Topic: How should we respond to an accessible Arctic ocean? Ideas for research, cooperation and administration
Discussion
17:55 -18:05      Break

Panel: Global, Regional or National Regulation
18:05 -19:00
Dr. Louis W. Pauly, Director, Centre for International Studies, University of Toronto. Canada Research Chair in Globalization and Governance, Toronto, Canada
Topic: The Increasing Complexity of Global and Regional Governance
Prof. Alyson Bailes, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
Topic: Potential Roles of NATO and the EU in Northern Security
Discussion
19:30                Reception (tbc)

Day 2: September 11 (Friday) 
Theme II: Effective Environmental Governance

Panel: Environmental Governance in the Polar Regions – challenges and perspectives (International environmental treaties, pollution, and marine environmental law issues)
9:05 -12:00
Dr. Kees Bastmeijer, Faculty of Law, Tilburg University, The Netherlands.
Topic: Effective Environmental Management of the Polar Regions – Protected Areas in the Arctic and Antarctic
H.E. Victor Tatarintsev, Ambassador of the Russian Federation in Iceland.
Topic: The Russian Strategy in the Arctic –current developments 10:05 -10:15      Break
Dr. Rasmus Ole Rasmussen, Senior Research Fellow, Nordic Centre for Spatial Development, Stockholm, Sweden
Topic: Environmental Governance: Perspectives of the Nordic Council and the EU
Dr. Tavis Potts, Centre for Coastal and Ocean Governance, Scottish Association for Marine Science, Argyll, Scotland
Topic: CCAMLR and Antarctic Fisheries: Can it offer a Solution for an Arctic Fisheries Agreement?
Mr. Níels Einarsson, Director, Stefansson Arctic Institute
Topic: Whaling, whale-watching and adaptation to marine governance and environmental change in Iceland
Discussion
12:00 -12:55      Lunch  

Panel: Climate Change, Harbors and other Infrastructure  
13:00 -13:55
Dr. Trausti Valsson, School of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Environmental Planning Division, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
Topic: Harbors and infrastructure in Iceland: Their role in the advancement of Arctic shipping
Dr. Lassi Heininen, Chair of the Northern Research Assembly, University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland
Topic: Security Implications of Climate Change in the Arctic
13:55 -14:05      Break

Theme III: The Exploration and Exploitation of Resources

Panel: The Continental Shelf in the Arctic Ocean, Minerals, Oil, Gas and Renewable Resources
14:05 -16:10
Mr. Ron Macnab, Geological Survey of Canada
Topic: Nationalizing the Arctic Maritime Commons: UNCLOS Article 76 and the Polar Sea
Dr. Mark Nuttall, Henry Marshall Tory Chair, Department of Anthropology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, and Academy of Finland Distinguished Professor, Thule Institute, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland 
Topic: Resource Frontier or Extractive Periphery?: The Political Ecology of Oil, Gas and Minerals in the North
Mr. Lars Kullerud, President, University of the Arctic, UNEP GRID-Arendal, Norway.
Topic: UNCLOS –Art.76 and its implications for oil and gas resources in the Arctic
Discussion
15:15 -15:25       Break
Ms. Elisa Burchert, Department of Political Science, University of Hildelberg, Germany
Topic: Arctic energy governance: oil and gas security
Dr. Björn Gunnarsson, Rector, RES: The School FOR Renewable Energy Science, Akureyri, Iceland
Topic: Renewable Energy Use in Iceland: Lessons Learned
Discussion
16:10 -16:20      Break  

Theme IV: Human Rights and Polar Regions
16:20 -17:40
Mr. Mininnguaq Kleist, Foreign Affairs Directorate, Greenland Government, Nuuk, Greenland
Topic: Greenland’s  self-governance
Dr. Kári a Rogvi, M.P.  and lecturer of law,  Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
Topic: Faroese Constitutional Developments
Ms. Galina Diatchkova, Ph.D. student in legal anthropology, Anadyr’ Chukotka, the Russian Federation
Topic: Chukotka Indigenous Peoples’ Rights and Prospects
17:40 -17:55      Break
17:55 -18:45      Discussion, Conclusions and Recommendations
19:00                Reception and presentation of the Association of Polar early career scientists (room L 201) 

Day 3: September 12 (Saturday)
9:30 -13:00        Location: University building at Þingvallastræti 23, room 16
A meeting of the Northern Research Forum’s working group on legal and political issues in the Arctic
Chair: Dr. Natalia Loukacheva, Director, Polar Law Program, University of Akureyri, Iceland
Topic: Legal and Political Change in the Arctic.

2010 State of the Arctic Conference - New Website and Call for Community Input
The organizers of the State of the Arctic Conference have launched a conference website.

The Organizing Committee would like your ideas on conference themes, topics, structure, or other suggestions relevant to the conference program. This is not a formal call for sessions, but rather an opportunity for the broader arctic community to provide initial input to the conference planning. A formal call for abstracts will be forthcoming. 

To submit a suggestion, go to the website and click on "submit a suggestion." The deadline for this initial community input is Monday, 14 September 2009. The tentative conference program, registration, and call for abstracts will be available soon. (19 August 2009)

Lecture in Verið, Sauðárkrókur
Tuesday 18 August at 4 pm, Dr. Bruno Tremblay, professor at Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, McGill University, Canada will give a talk: Rapid Sea Ice Decline in Summer Arctic Sea Ice Drift. Everyone welcome!

Pre-announcement within the Top-level Research Initiative
The Top-level Research Initiative is launching a call for Nordic Networks within the subprogramme “Effect studies and adaptation to climate change” in August 2009. The subprogramme aims to create knowledge about the effects of climate change, about the society’s need for adaptation, and about the possibilities that some effects of climate change may provide the Nordic region.

A Nordic Network brings together prominent research groups from at least three Nordic countries in order to strengthen and increase the quality of research and research training at the Nordic, European and international level. Interdisciplinary applications are encouraged. Participants from industry, policy makers and societal actors should be included in the Nordic Network when relevant.  Please find the pre-announcement here.

Arctic Frontiers 2010 – First call for papers
The scientific conference of Arctic Frontiers 2010 (27-29 January 2010 in Tromsø, Norway) consists of three parallel sessions that will focus on the effects of ongoing climatic changes on sea-ice and marine biodiversity as well as social science and health research on economy, self-governance, and well-being in Arctic communities;
 - Session I: Ice and climate, including paleo climate
 - Session II: Sustainable communities in the High North
 - Session III: Marine biodiversity under change
Oral and poster presentations on these topics are welcomed. Deadline for submission of abstracts is 19 October 2009. For full details and instructions on submitting an abstract please see the Arctic Frontiers homepage: www.arcticfrontiers.com

2010 State of the Arctic Conference
The State of the Arctic Conference, to be held 16-19 March 2010 in Miami, Florida, will be an international meeting to present, exchange, and discuss the latest knowledge on the state of the Arctic and future directions of arctic science and policy. The conference will review our understanding of the arctic system in a time of human-induced, rapid environmental change. It will provide an open international forum to discuss future research directions towards a better understanding of the arctic system and its trajectory. It will address topics ranging from basic understanding of the Arctic and system-wide change, to developing response strategies for better adaptation to, and mitigation of, the impacts of change.

Additional information, including registration, abstract submission, and other materials, will be available soon through a State of the Arctic Conference website, which will be announced via the ArcticInfo mailing list and linked through the ARCUS website.

For more information, please contact:Helen V. Wiggins, Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS).

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