Northern Governance Policy Research Conference
The Northern Governance Policy Research Conference will be in Yellowknife, NT, Canada, 3-5 November 2009. This conference will be the first of its kind in the NWT. It will bring together an emerging resource of Northern community-based researchers to discuss how to connect effective research with policy development in Indigenous and community organizations. Specifically, it will:

• Empower and encourage resident northern researchers who serve as researchers to nascent Indigenous and community organizations;
• Network researchers, decision makers, and negotiators from across the NWT who have responsibility for making decisions based on information generated by community-based research;
• Discuss how research projects and their results contribute to building the knowledge and capacity necessary to assist in community, program and service development, and for negotiating rights-based agreements; and,
• Make recommendations to governments and funders about what is needed to support and promote community-based research that responds to the needs and priorities of communities rather than priorities of governments, universities or funding bodies.

See the conference website here.

12^th North Atlantic Fisheries History Conference
The 12^th North Atlantic Fisheries History Conference will be held in Norfolk, Virginia,USA, 19-22 August 2009. Conferences of the North Atlantic Fisheries History Association (NAFHA) are held every two years. This meeting is designed to stimulate scholarly exchange between researchers at all levels (from graduate students to senior scientists) and all disciplines which relate to the long-term development of fishing activity and its impact on the marine environment. The focus of the conference will be on: Fisheries Management in a Historical Perspective. See invitation letter and registration form.

For further information please contact Dr. Ingo Heidbrink, Associate Professor Dept. of History, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, USA, tel.: 757-683-3656 or -3949, fax: 757-683-5644, mail: iheidbri@odu.edu.

Visit from Nunavut Sivuniksavut
On Tuesday 28 April the Institute had a visit from a group of college students and their instructors from Nunavut and Nunavik. They come from Nunavut Sivuniksavut (NS), an Inuit education program in Ottawa, and started their study tour to Nuuk, Greenland, with a few days stopover in Iceland. In Akureyri they visited the Stefansson Arctic Institute, the CAFF and PAME offices, and received information on the Polar Law Program offered by the University of Akureyri.
In the NS programme students also develop the cultural skills of throat singing and drum dancing, and before leaving they gave us examples of throat singing.

David Serkoak, instructor
Jón Haukur Ingimundarson, SVS
Anne-Marie Aitchison from Kuujjuaq
Lára Ólafsdóttir, SVS
Kiah Hachey from Baker Lake
Karen Flaherty from Iqaluit
Níels Einarsson, SVS
Janice Grey-Scott from Aupaluk
Morley Hanson, instructor

 

14^th International Congress on Circumpolar Health -  Registration Deadline: June 15, 2009
The health and wellness of northern peoples are the focus of the International Congress on Circumpolar Health (ICCH), the world's premier circumpolar health event. Hosted every three years by the International Union for Circumpolar Health, the 14^th  ICCH will take place in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada from July 11 to 16, 2009. It will follow the conclusion of International Polar Year (IPY) making it an ideal vehicle for sharing IPY findings as well as health-related research throughout the circumpolar regions.

The exciting scientific programme is expected to bring 750 health care leaders, decision-makers, and researchers from all over the world to Yellowknife. Hundreds of papers and posters will be presented in a variety of topic areas. Dynamic keynote speakers, poster sessions, and networking events will round out the programme.

ICCH14 will be co-hosted and organized by the Canadian Society for Circumpolar Health in association with the Arctic Health Research Network – NT. This event was last held in Canada in 1990 and in Yellowknife in 1974.

IPY 2007-2008 and Social Sciences
Igor Krupnik,curator at the Arctic Studies Center, Smithsonian Institution, has written a report on IPY 2007–2008 and Social Sciences: A Challenge of Fifty Years.

The Nordic Institute of Greenland/NAPA is looking for a manager
The Nordic Institute of Greenland/NAPA is looking for a manager from 1^st March 2010. Application deadline: 3 May 2009. See more here and on www.napa.gl og www.norden.org .

Seminar at the end of the International Polar Year
Joan Nymand Larsen, scientist at Stefansson Arctic Institute, will talk at a seminar held by the Swedish Parliament (Riksdagen) in Stockholm, Wednesday 11 March 2009. The seminar is called: The Arctic needs an appartent space on the map! – How will we continue after the International Polar Year? See more here.

The 39^th Annual International Arctic Workshop
Organizers of the 39^th Annual International Arctic Workshop announce a call for abstracts. The workshop will be held 21-24 April 2009, at Bates College, in Lewiston, Maine, USA. The deadline for both submission of abstracts and early registration is Wednesday, 26 March 2009.

The meeting is open to all interested in the Arctic and will consist of a series of talks and poster sessions covering all aspects of high-latitude environments, past and present. Previous Arctic Workshops have included presentations on arctic and Antarctic climate, archeology, environmental geochemistry, geomorphology, hydrology, glaciology, soils, ecology, oceanography, quaternary history, and more. See further information here.

International Polar Field School Announcement
The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) announces the International and Interdisciplinary IPY Polar Field School. The field school, organized in collaboration with UNIS, UArctic, and IPY Norway, will be held 15 June through 3 July 2009, at the University Centre, in Svalbard, Norway.

In celebration of IPY (the International Polar Year 2007-09), this 3-week course will focus on environmental change in the Arctic and Antarctic through a series of lectures and field excursions in Svalbard, Norway. The course will cover topics on glaciology, geology, meteorology, oceanography, marine/terrestrial biology, and the human dimension in the polar regions.

Applicants should be undergraduates or Masters students, with a minimum of one year in physical, technical, and/or natural sciences. The application deadline is Friday, 27 March 2009. Applicants will need to complete the online application where they will be required to upload a one-page CV and a copy of their university transcripts. A letter of recommendation from an academic referee (tutor, advisor or lecturer who you have worked closely with) is also required.

Further information here or contact Liz Thomas.

Vacancies at GRID-Arendal
GRID-Arendal is seeking a Head of the Polar Programme to take the lead in further developing GRID-Arendal as UNEP’s key Polar centre to identify, develop and implement projects related to climate change, environmental governance, ecosystems management and environmental information and networking, with a specific focus on the Polar region. He or she will be managing a small, highly motivated international team. Application deadline 20 February 2009. Read more.

GRID-Arendal is also seeking a Research Assistant to support and assist with development and implementation of the Polar and Marine Programme projects. The enthusiastic candidate will be working with a small, highly motivated international team. This position is under the supervision of the Polar Programme Manager. The position is based at GRID-Arendal headquarters in Arendal, Norway. Application deadline 13 February 2009. Read more.

IPY Educational Posters available for download
UNEP/GRID-Arendal, with financial support from the Research Council of Norway (Forskningsrådet), have released a set of five free downloadable educational posters for the International Polar Year (IPY), aimed at high school students. This project supports the education, outreach, and communications efforts of IPY. The five posters are available for download in high resolution and accessible formats, in English and Norwegian texts, and are free to use.

The posters address the question: "Why, and how, are the polar regions and polar research important to all people on Earth?" These posters present and illustrate a broad sample of polar issues and facts -- they are a "textbook" for your wall.

1. The Polar Regions
2. Climate Change and the Poles
3. Polar People
4. Research in the Polar Regions
5. Biodiversity and the Poles

Fellowships Available
The Dickey Center for International Understanding at Dartmouth College, Hanover, USA, has fellowships available for recent doctoral graduates and established scholars to spend a minimum of one term and up to a year in residence researching and writing about international issues related to one of the Center's research areas: conflict and conflict resolution, human dimensions of environmental change at the earths high latitudes, and global health.
The Institute of Arctic Studies is focused on climate change and its social and political consequences for Arctic residents. It is home to Dartmouth's NSF IGERT graduate training program in polar environmental change and partnerships with Greenland. Fellows who add to these initiatives are especially encouraged to apply. Areas of interest include: Arctic change and traditional knowledge; polar politics and institutions; climate change and ecosystem services; environmental change and language loss. While at Dartmouth, fellows are expected to participate in seminars and colloquia relevant to their area of interest, and to work towards the completion of a scholarly monograph or similar project.
For more information about the Institute of Arctic Studies and the IGERT Program and to apply, visit the Dickey Center website.

Review of applications begins February 1, 2009, and will remain open until all Dickey Fellows have been appointed. For additional information, contact arctic@Dartmouth.edu .

Dartmouth College is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and has a strong commitment to diversity. They welcome applications from a broad spectrum of people, including women, persons of color, persons with disabilities, and veterans.
 

BOREAS Conference
An international, interdisciplinary conference entitled: Boreal Histories, Environments, and Narratives: The Making and Uses of Knowledge, sponsored by the Stefansson Arctic Institute, was held at Reykholt in the west of Iceland during 21-26 October. The presentations took place mainly in the former district school, while the 50 participants (from Iceland, USA, Canada, UK, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Greenland, Russia, Belgium and Holland) were accommodated at the local Fosshotel. The conference showcased two research projects which are funded by various agencies including: RANNÍS (Iceland); the National Science Foundation (USA); Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada; the Research Council of Norway; and the Danish Agency for Science. These two projects, entitled “Northern Narratives: Social and Geographical Accounts from Norway, Iceland and Canada (NORSAGA)” and “Colony, Empire, Environment: A Comparative International History of Twentieth Century Arctic Science (CEE)” have their basis in a European Science Foundation programme entitled BOREAS. This has an emphasis on histories, environments, movements and narratives from the North. The conference was convened by Astrid Ogilvie (University of Colorado, Boulder/Stefansson Arctic Institute); Ronald Doel (University of Tallahassee, Florida); Níels Einarsson (Stefansson Arctic Institute); and Ingibjörg Jónsdóttir (University of Iceland). The Principal Investigators on NORSAGA are Astrid Ogilvie, Níels Einarsson, Ingibjörg Jónsdóttir and William Patterson.

Social Science Forum
Lee Huskey, Professor of Economics from University of Alaska, Anchorage will give a lecture on Wednesday 5th November, at 12:00 in room L201 at Sólborg, University of Akureyri. The lecture's title is Understanding Migration in the Circumpolar North.

Migration is a major influence on the size and demographic structure of the population in Arctic regions. The patterns of migration differ significantly across countries and between indigenous and non-indigenous people. Migration patterns also differ across demographic groups in the North; rates of migration differ by gender, age, and education level. Migration involves long-term social and cultural consequences for communities in the north as well as for the migrants themselves.

Material necessity is a major determinant of population movement, so the creation or loss of income earning opportunities in the north will affect migration decisions. Migration decisions will also reflect more general estimates of the quality of life offered by different communities. The pursuit of jobs, education, family, and bright lights will each influence migration in the north.

Public policy will also affect migration. While migration in most Arctic nations is a decision made by households or individuals, in some past periods migration decisions have been a matter of public policy. Public choices about transfer payments and the provision of services and infrastructure influence migration decisions today.

This talk discusses research being done around the circumpolar north and draws general lessons from the different experiences of northern migration in the Arctic nations. Similarities and interesting differences among patterns and determinants of migration will be discussed.

Lee Huskey is a Professor of Economics at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA). He holds a Ph.D. in economics from Washington University in St. Louis.  At the UAA Lee has served as Chairman of the Department of Economics, Director of the Center for Economic Education, and Director of the Experimental Economics program. He was elected President of the Western Regional Science Association in 2005. He has been active in a number of northern pursuits including the Arctic Social Indicators project, the University of the Arctic, and the Northern Research Forum.

Lee’s current research examines the patterns and determinants of rural-urban migration in Alaska. He is currently the principal investigator for two projects on northern migration funded by the US National Research Foundation and the European Science Foundation which involve social scientists from a number of countries and disciplines. More generally his research has examined economic development in rural regions and particularly the influence of institutions on this development.

The Friendly Arctic - Exhibition
To celebrate Stefansson Arctic Institute's 10^th anniversary a web version of the Friendly Arctic Exhibition has been made in English, Danish and Icelandic.

Photographs from Vilhjalmur Stefansson's excursions and extracts from his diary are also to be seen at Borgir (first floor), Nordurslod, Akureyri. 

Stefansson Memorial Lecture 2008
The Stefansson Memorial Lecture of this year is sponsored by the Stefansson Arctic Institute in collaboration with the University of Akureyri and the Centre of Gender Equality. This event is in celebration of the Stefansson Arctic Institute’s tenth anniversary. Dr Gunhild Hoogensen, associate professor of political science at the University of Tromsø, Norway, will give this year's lecture which she calls Drill baby, Drill: from Energy to Human Security in the Circumpolar North. See abstract. The lecture is open to the public.

Day: Wednesday, 29^th October 2008
Time: 12:00 -13:00
Place: University of Akureyri, Sólborg, room L201

AHDR in Finnish and Russian
The Arctic Human Development Report (AHDR) which was published in 2004 has now been translated and published in Finnish and Russian. You can read and print out the reports here.

Conference Announcement
On October 8-10, 2008 the conference Human Dimensions in the Circumpolar Arctic: An Interdisciplinary Conference under the Auspices of the International Polar Year will take place at Umeå University, Sweden.

Lecture on Antarctic Tourism
On Thursday 13 March 2008 Professor Mark Nuttall from University of Alberta, Canada, gives a lecture called 'An intolerable tempest': cultivating adventure in Antarctic tourism in Oddi (University of Iceland), room 101, from 12:00 to 13:00.

This presentation draws on anthropological work carried out while working as a lecturer and field guide on an 'expedition' style cruise ship on trips to Antarctica. It looks at the narratives about, and the representations and interpretations of Antarctic landscapes, history and adventure of both the travel company and the 'expedition' team on board the ship, as they convey them to the tourists, and considers the anticipations, expectations, perspectives and narratives of the tourists themselves. Experiences and understandings of human-environment relations are influenced by popular and literary accounts of Antarctica and the polar regions more generally.
Central to the narratives of both the expedition team and the passengers is an emphasis on the difficulty of traveling to and in Antarctica, reinforced on ship and during shore landings by the re-telling of stories, tales and histories of the heroic age of exploration, which lend themselves variously to cultural mythmaking about starvation, privation, the race to the South Pole, and death on the ice. To travel in this landscape is to evoke and attribute symbolic meaning to the spirit of great Antarctic explorers such as Scott, Shackleton, Nordenskjold and Amundsen. Tourists are taught to read Antarctica as a multilayered landscape, infused with the history of ecological impact (by sealers and whalers), of imperial hopes and ambitions, as a harsh environment to be endured and tested by, and as a continent for science and environmental protection. Furthermore, the theme of environmental change, and the representation of Antarctica as a fragile environment and region at risk from an ever-widening ozone hole and climate change, is emphasized to deepen the experience and heighten the encounter between expeditioner/tourist and landscape.

Dr. Mark Nuttall is the author of Arctic Homeland: kinship, community and development in northwest Greenland (University of Toronto Press, 1992), White Settlers: the impact of rural repopulation in Scotland (Routledge,1996) and Protecting the Arctic: indigenous peoples and cultural survival (Routledge, 1998), editor of Encyclopedia of the Arctic (Routledge, 2005), and co-editor of The Arctic: environment, people, policy (Taylor and Francis, 2000), Cultivating Arctic Landscapes: knowing and managing animals in the circumpolar North (Berghahn, 2004), The Russian North in Circumpolar Context (2003), and Arctic Oil and Gas Development (2006, a thematic issue of the journal Indigenous Affairs). Upcoming books are Pipeline Politics og Anthropology and Climate Change.

Conference Announcement
The Fifth Northern Research Forum (NRF) Open Meeting will be held in Anchorage, Alaska, 24-27 September 2008.The main theme of the meeting is The Northern Community in the 21^st Century: Seeking Balance in a Changing North. See more information on the NRF website.

New Associate Scientists at the Stefansson Arctic Institute
Dr. Annika Nilsson, Research Fellow, Stockholm Environment Institute, Sweden and Dr. Lassi Heininen, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Lapland in Rovaniemi, Finland, have joined the group of of SAI's Associate Scientists. (Oct 2007)

ArcticStat - New Website
ArcticStat -Circumpolar Database is a permanent, public and independent statistical database dealing with the countries, regions and populations of the Circumpolar Arctic.

Stefansson Memorial Lecture 2007
The 2007 Stefansson Memorial Lecture will be in Akureyri, Iceland, November 7^th. This year the lecture will be delivered by climate historian Astrid Ogilvie. Dr Ogilvie is Research Fellow, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR) University of Colorado (further information here). The title of the lecture is “Interdisciplinary Explorations in the Climate, History and Human Ecology of Northern Iceland.” Co-sponsors with the Stefansson Arctic Institute of this year’s lecture are the University of Akureyri and Rannís – The Icelandic Centre for Research. The event is a joint contribution to the International Polar Year.  The lecture will start at 12:15 at the University of Akureyri main campus, room L201. The lecture is open to the public.
For further information on previous Stefansson Memorial Lectures see here and for lecture abstract here.

New Thesis
New thesis by Annika E. Nilsson: A Changing Arctic Climate: Science and Policy in the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment has been published by Linköping University. The dissertation analyzes the interplay between science and policy at the international regional level based on a study of an assessment of the impacts of climate change in the Arctic (Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, ACIA). See more.

Associate Scientist
Dr. Kristjan Kristjansson, Head of Division for Research and Innovation at The Icelandic Centre for Research - RANNIS, has become one of SAI's Associate Scientists. (June 2007)

Circumpolar Health Bibliographic Database available online
The database (CHBD) is now available online. A project of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Team in Circumpolar Chronic Disease Prevention, the database contains more than 3,100 records describing publications about all aspects of human health in the circumpolar region. All types of publications, both peer-reviewed and grey literature, are included.

Conference announcement: Arctic Discourses 2008
International conference to be held in Tromsø, Norway, 21-23 February 2008. The conference will concentrate on Arctic discourses after Romanticism and up to the present day, using approaches to such discourses developed within literary studies. It will focus both on Arctic discourse in literary texts and literary discourse in non-literary descriptions of the Arctic. It will examine the development of Arctic discourses; the use of narrative, figurative and generic strategies in Arctic discourses; and the effect of changing communication technologies on Arctic discourses. It will also focus on contact zones between the European/American and the Arctic, and cultures which identify themselves as both Arctic and European/American. See more.

Two PhD student positions open
The Thule Institute at the University of Oulu, Finland, invites applications for two PhD student positions funded for four years (starting 1 September 2007) by the Academy of Finland, under the auspices of the Academy’s FiDiPro (Finland Distinguished Professor) Programme. The PhD positions are linked to the wider FiDiPro project Human-environment relations in the North – resource development, climate change and resilience led by Professor Mark Nuttall, University of Alberta, Canada visiting at Thule Institute in 2007-2011. Application dead-line is Friday, 29 June 2007. See more.

Polar Research
Not all journals distributed electronically by Blackwell, Elsevier and Springer are in countrywide access (for users in Iceland), even if most of them are in Synergy, ScienceDirect and SpringerLink. These great publishers distribute some journals from a third party and these journals are not always available for access trough the journal collections that we subscribe to. March 2007 marked the beginning of the International Polar Year and Blackwell has decided to offer us complimentary access to Polar Research.