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News

Arctic Social Indicators II   (07.05.2013)
The ASI-II report will be launched at the Arctic Council Swedish Ministerial Meeting on 15 May 2013 in Kiruna, Sweden. The volume will be available in final format and layout by approx. 10 June 2013 (print and downloadable from web). The ASI Secretariat is situated with the Stefansson Arctic Institute and Dr. Joan Nymand Larsen is the project manager and co-editor of the report.

SDWG Highlights  (07.05.2013)
The Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG) has published the hightlights of April 2013.

2013 Arctic Energy Summit: Call for Papers (18.04.2013)
The deadline to submit an abstract for the 2013 Arctic Energy Summit has been extended to April 30th 2013. Submissions can include proposals for papers, workshops, and panels. The 2013 Arctic Energy Summit is a multi-disciplinary event that will bring up to five hundred industry officials, scientists, academics, policy makers, energy professionals, and community leaders together to collaborate and share leading approaches on Arctic energy issues. The 2013 Arctic Energy Summit is October 8-10 in Akureyri, Iceland.  

More information is available here and the Summit's website or by emailing aen@institutenorth.org.

Seminar: Health and Well Being in Arctic Regions (10.04.2013)
Seminar on health and well being in Arctic regions will be held on 30^th April 2013 at the University of Akureyri, in room M-101, from 13:00  to 17:45. The seminar is open to all. See more information here.

Postdoctoral Fellow in Arctic Governance and Indigenous Innovation (02.04.2013)
The University of Tromsø, Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education, has a vacant Postdoctoral Research Fellow position in Arctic Governance and Indigenous Innovation. The position is attached to the Centre for Sami Studies. See more here. 

This is a fixed  term position for a period of three years. The main objective of the appointment as a post-doctoral research fellow is to qualify for work in senior academic positions. No one may be appointed to more than one fixed term period as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the same institution.

Further information about the position is available by contacting academic director, Else Grete Broderstad, tel. +47 7764 6908, e-mail else.g.broderstad@uit.no or head of administration Hildegunn Bruland, tel. +47 7764 5535, e-mail hildegunn.bruland@uit.no .

Conference: Marine and Coastal Culture Tourism in Northern Territories (20.03.2013)
A conference that will focus on the fishing environment in northern territories will take place in the University of Akureyri, 18-19 June 2013. The conference is organised by the Stefansson Arctic Institute in collaboration with  the University of Akureyri Research Centre, NORA, the Icelandic Tourism Research Centre, Norwegian Seafood Centre and the Icelandic Lighthouse Society.

Marine and coastal culture tourism is growing in popularity in various ways. Some tourists want to learn about life in coastal villages, experience nature and tranquility as well as the wilderness. Others want to experience the excitement of driving charter boats, diving, surfing, go speedboating or hiring a boat and try their luck at fishing. Then there are those who want to sail from port to port and country to country on board gigantic cruise ships.

How does this fit in with cultural heritage, everyday life, social development, self sufficiency, fishing quotas and environmental policies of the Nordic nations? How can the Nordic nations collaborate in this area? Do these diverse aspects of tourism have collaborative opportunities? These challenges will be discussed at the conference where further questions will be pondered through group work and perhaps more answers and collaborative possibilites found. 

The main workshop themes will be how we meet the challenges of:
•  The development of marine and coastal culture tourism in Norway, Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands.
•   Opportunities and threats, self sufficiency and environment – the effect of marine and coastal culture tourism and the image of the Northern Territories.
•   In what areas can we collaborate?

There will also be excursions where tourism related businesses and museums will be visited.

See the conference program.
The conference is open to all but registration is needed for planning purposes.
Registration deadline: 10 May 2013
Conference fee: ISK 12000 / DKK 545
Registration & hotel bookings (limited vacancy): conference@aktravel.is, tel. +354 4600600
For further information contact Sigurbjörg Árnadóttir: sibba@svs.is. 

Social Science Forum: On Northern Storytelling (12.03.2013)
Lecture by author and travel writer Dr. Lawrence Millman, Wednesday March 13^th at 12:00-13:00.
Room M102, Sólborg, University of Akureyri.

The vitality of the spoken word is (or was) essential to preliterate northern cultures, especially in the form of storytelling. For storytelling is a complex stew that purveys in varying degrees entertainment, historical knowledge, and even morality. Thus it's not surprising that the storyteller in certain cultures was also the person who determined if someone had violated a taboo.

Punctuating his presentation with stories he collected and translated himself, Lawrence Millman will take you on a journey that's at once personal, cultural, and geographical. He'll begin with the West of Ireland and discuss storytelling and its traditional significance there, then he'll talk about his work in Greenland and the Canadian Arctic, where he spent several years collecting tales and myths from Inuit elders, and then he'll talk about the Kwakwadjec stories he collected in Labrador. Kwakwadjec, or Wolverine, is the trickster figure among the Labrador Innu and a sort of paradigm for storytelling in the North: by his antics, he helps reconcile the listener to a hard life in a cold place. Dr. Millman will also discuss how our minds have been shaped by stories as well as the degree to which stories and storytelling survive in our own literature cultures.

Lawrence Millman has a Ph.D. in Literature from Rutgers University. He has taught at Haskoli Islands, Tufts University, the University of New Hampshire, Goddard College, and Harvard University. His 15 books include such titles as Our Like Will Not Be There Again, Last Places, A Kayak Full of Ghosts, Wolverine Creates the World, Lost in the Arctic, and -- most recently -- Hiking to Siberia. His next book, to be published in the fall, will be a collection of his essays about fungi. He is currently a Visiting Scholar at the Stefansson Arctic Institute. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.

Available Positions at the Arctic Council Secretariat in Tromsø  (07.03.2013)
There are currently four positions available at the Arctic Council Secretariat in Tromsø, Norway. Applications  must be submitted before 20 March 2013. See more information here.

Community Adaptation to Climate Change in the North (01.02.2013)
Umeå University announces a PhD course in Community Adaptation to Climate Change in the North. The course will take place outside Umeå, Sweden, 10-14 June 2013. Application deadline: 1 March 2013. Further information here.n-th
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Cooperation in the Field of Arctic Studies between Iceland and Norway (01.02.2013)
Below are next application deadlines for mobility grants between Iceland and Norway – Arctic Studies.

Science Cooperation Fund

Application deadline: 2 May 2013

Staff mobility: Individual or group mobility. Student mobility: Short term mobility at masters and doctoral level, up to 12 students in a group.

Exchange Scholarship fund

Application deadline: 15 March 2013

Student mobility from 1-12 months (study, research, placement).

See further information here.

Climate Change in Northern Territories: second call for abstracts (25.01.2013)
Climate Change in Northern Territories - Sharing Experiences, Exploring New Methods and Assessing Socio-Economic Impacts.
Conference in Akureyri, Iceland, 22 - 23 August 2013.
Abstract submission by 28 February 2013 to nrf@unak.  
See more information: ENECON and NRF.

Exchange Scholarships for Icelandic and Norwegian Students in Arctic Studies (23.01.2013)

The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Iceland and Norway signed a three year Memorandum of Understanding in Akureyri on September 29, 2011, concerning co-operation in the field of Arctic scientific research. Exchange scholarships for Icelandic and Norwegian students in Arctic Studies are one of the key activities in this co-operation.

The scholarships in 2013/2014 will be 520€ per month for subsistence and a maximum 1.200 € travel grant. Minimum duration is one month and the maximum duration is 12 months and can include study, research and work placement.  

The eligibility criteria are the same as for Nordplus Higher Education grants for studies or work placements, with the addition that doctoral students are also eligible for support.

Priority will be given to Master and Ph.D. students and students wishing to study at Norwegian and Icelandic universities that are members of the University of the Arctic network.

Application process

Students should hand in their applications to the International Office of their home institution.

Following documents need to be part of the application:

·         - Statement of purpose (500-1000 words) explaining the relevance of his or her planned studies or placement abroad for arctic research and education.

·         - Scanned copy of approved learning agreement, at least by the home institution and preferably also by the host institution.

·         - Transcript of records

Application deadline: 15^th March 2013, for the academic year 2013-2014 (applications are accepted after the deadline and go on reserve list).

For further information and application see: www.arcticstudies.is.

The Icelandic Centre for Research (Rannís) in Iceland is responsible for the overall financial administration of the scholarship programme. The Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Education (SIU) will administer the process on the Norwegian side.

Icelandic Greenlandic Arctic Science Days in Greenland (17.09.2012)
The Icelandic Greenlandic Arctic Science Days  will be held in Ilimmarfik, University of Greenland’s campus building in Nuuk,  21-22 September 2012. Proposed by The Icelandic Joint Committee on Arctic Affairs (under the auspices of the Icelandic Ministry for the Environment and Natural Resources) and organized in collaboration with University of Greenland (Ilisimatusarfik) and Greenland Climate Research Centre (Silap Pissusianik Ilisimatusarfik), these inaugural Icelandic-Greenlandic Arctic Science Days will be an opportunity for the sharing of knowledge and research results from the two scientific milieus of Iceland and Greenland, a venue for presentation of projects and building of partnerships for future collaboration.

The program is composed of seminar presentations, plenary sessions, keynote lecture and discussions that will provide an overview of current scientific activities and engagement in the Arctic and inform practitioners in the research community, policy makers and the concerned general public of the condition and prospects of Arctic research-related issues in the respective countries.

Mobility Grants between Iceland and Norway – Arctic Studies (30.08.2012)
The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Iceland and Norway signed a three year Memorandum of Understanding in Akureyri on September 29, 2011, concerning co-operation in the field of Arctic scientific research. Mobility grants for student and scientists have now been annouced.

STUDENTS
Application deadline: 1 October 2012
Individual mobility from 1-12 months.
Travel grant: 1200 EUR
Subsistence per month: 520 EUR

SCIENTISTS
Application deadline: 15 October 2012
Individual or group mobility, 1-8 mobilities can be applied for.
Travel grant: 500 – 1100 EUR
Daily subsistence in Norway: 260 EUR
Daily subsistence in Iceland: 180 EUR
Maximum 6 days for subsistence. The beneficiary could stay longer but without additional funding.

See further information here. http://arcticstudies.is

A Visiting Professorship in Arctic Studies at the University of Akureyri, Iceland  (20.06.2012)
The University of Akureyri (Háskólinn á Akureyri) was founded in 1987 and is located in the capital of North Iceland, Akureyri. The University is presently divided into three Schools; School of Business and Science, School of Humanities and Social Sciences and School of Health Sciences. The number of students is around 1600 and permanent staff members are close to 180. The University has a well-established system for flexible studies, from distance, on-line or through a net of local learning centers throughout Iceland. The University is also prominent in many research areas such as, biotechnical-, marine- and social sciences and has for many years been active in research and education in the Arctic.

Akureyri is the location of various Arctic institutions and initiatives such as: the Stefansson Arctic Institute; the Polar Law Institute; Secretariats of the Arctic Council Working Groups PAME (Protection of Arctic Marine Environment) and CAFF (Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna); the Northern Research Forum; the University of Akureyri Research Centre; and the Arctic Portal.

The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Iceland and Norway signed a three year Memorandum of Understanding in Akureyri on September 29, 2011, concerning co-operation in the field of Arctic scientific research, including the establishment of a Nansen Professorship in Arctic Studies at the University of Akureyri. The Professorship is named after the famous Norwegian polar scientist and humanist Fridtjof Nansen and is awarded each year for twelve months period to a leading scientist working with issues that bear on the legal, economic, social and natural circumstances in the Arctic.

The successful candidate should have a PhD (or equivalent experience) with a strong academic background in Arctic studies relevant to legal issues as well as sustainable human development in the Arctic regions. The Candidate should be experienced in working across disciplines with complex human-environmental-social issues and should have strong communicative and social/interpersonal skills. Research experience relating to the Arctic and a track of participation in international research networks will be necessary as well as a proven ability to obtain research grants.

Primary responsibilities will be: (I) To contribute to the research, teaching and further development of relevant programs at the University of Akureyri, (II) to work closely with other researchers in furthering the Northern research and teaching milieu at the University of Akureyri and contribute to the development of the University of the Arctic, (III) to give public lectures on Arctic Issues in local, national and international forum and to participate in the contemporary debate on changes in the arctic.

The level of compensation will be in line with prevailing salaries for professors at Icelandic state universities. A special fund will be available to facilitate the candidate’s participation in relevant domestic and international networks and conferences. A housing and relocation grant will also be available for candidates with permanent residence outside Akureyri.

Application deadline is 15^th of August 2012. Formal period of employment starts from the 1^st of October 2012; exact time subject to negotiations.  

Applications should be sent in digital form to nansen@unak.is. There is no standard form used for the application but attached should be a detailed account of education and experience, research and teaching activities. Applicants should also submit what they consider to be their foremost academic publications (upto ten publications). This can be achieved either by sending the publication documents attached to the application, or through a link to where they can be accessed in digital form. Applications and relevant documentation that are not submitted digitally should be sent to the office of the Rector of the University of Akureyri, Sólborg v/Norðurslóð, 600 Akureyri, Iceland. All applications will be answered when a decision concerning the successful candidate has been made. Insufficient applications will not be considered.

Further information about the post and the application process can be obtained from the University of Akureyri website. Enquiries concerning the post should be sent to nansen@unak.is.

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.

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