Arctic Politics and Development
Research Programme
Our research focuses on political, economic, social and legal relations in the Arctic and their multiple connections to developments outside the region. The Arctic is viewed as a site for multilevel governance with interconnected local, regional, national and international dimensions.
We study complex developments in the Arctic region and beyond, from multidisciplinary, critically oriented perspectives based on international relations and law, gender and indigenous studies, political science, sociology, geography, future studies and administrative science.
We coordinate the UArctic Thematic Network on Critical Arctic Studies, which was established in 2021 to strengthen and promote multidisciplinary, critical studies of the Arctic.
Research Teams
We study the nexus between global heating, security and Arctic geopolitics from the perspective of various theories of International Relations and related fields. We analyse complex political, economic and legal relations within and connected to the Arctic and pay particular attention to the role of great powers (especially China) in making and shaping regional orders.
Moreover, we seek to develop fresh posthuman alternatives to traditional state-centric and anthropocentric approaches to Arctic politics and governance and highlight their academic and societal relevance beyond the Arctic context as well.
The research team is led by Research Professor Sanna Kopra.
Projects- Climate Responsibility as a Cornerstone of Multilateral Cooperation?
- Rethinking International Relations in an Era of the Planetocene: Case Arctic Ocean Up to 2050
- Transboundary governance models of biodiversity protection: case studies for an enhanced protection of natural resources in Europe (TRANSNATURE)
We examine and problematize Arctic social, political, legal and economic developments. We foster a multidisciplinary and ethically aware research environment that benefits the study of complex Arctic phenomena.
We aim to develop the emergent field of critical Arctic research by utilizing a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches that allow us to improve our understanding of the Arctic and the region’s links with larger global processes.
Research team and networks
The research team is lead by Research Professor Monica Tennberg.
Projects:
- POST-Bothnia: Post-anthropocentric water relations in the Bothnian Bay
- Politics and Power of Resilience
We coordinate the UArctic Thematic Network on Critical Arctic studies, which was established in 2021 to strengthen and promote multidisciplinary, critical studies of the Arctic.