2017 Breakout Sessions

Saturday, October 14, 11:20 - 12:20

Breakout Sessions are organized by the respective partners of the Arctic Circle, organizations, institutions, companies, think tanks, universities, or other bodies.

Student and staff mobility as an instrument for developing human capital in the North

Organized by University of the Arctic (13. September 2017)

Creating networks for coordinated and cooperative problem-solving is vitally important for further sustainable development of the Arctic. Student and staff mobility between the institutions of higher education constitutes an important opportunity for dissemination and exchange of knowledge, ideas, experience and skills.

Saturday, October 14, 08:00 - 09:00
Location: Akrafjall, Fourth Level

Mobility is a targeted, efficient, and cheap way to secure quality, mutual learning and respect in the circumpolar North. The University of the Arctic, which unites all Northern Higher Education Institutions, has mobility as one of its priorities. There are many institutions and stakeholders that would see mobility as a relevant instrument for achieving their goals. Some of them have Arctic specific ambitions; in other cases the North is a side element of their focus. In the session UArctic invites key actors to discuss how we, through collaborative action, could seek to further develop student, faculty, as well as business to business mobility for the good of developing the region.

Speakers:

Pål Markusson, Vice-President Mobility, University of the Arctic: The role of Uarctic in circumpolar student and staff mobility
Eirik Sivertsen, Chair, Delegation For Arctic Parliamentary Cooperation, Norwegian Parliament “Stortinget”: Student and staff mobility in the North: a Norwegian perspective
Erling Kvadsheim, Vice chair, Arctic Economic Council, Director for international affairs, The Norwegian Oil and Gas Assoc: The North needs northern business leaders
Ditte Nissen Lund, Ministry of Education in Denmark: How institutions in the Kingdom of Denmark utilizes the UArctic North2North mobility programme
Katri Kulmuni, Chair of the Finnish Arctic Parliamentarians group: Finnish chairmanship of the Arctic Council – visions for student and staff mobility

Chair:

Pål Markusson, Vice-President Mobility, University of the Arctic

Bridges to Success - Driving Arctic and Ocean innovation through collaboration in Newfoundland and Labrador

Organized by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Memorial University, UArctic and Univeristy of Tromsø – the Arctic University of Norway (13. September 2017)

Industry, governments, and academia all have a role to play in innovation; however, they don’t always work together, sometimes leading to mistakes and missed opportunities.

Saturday, October 14, 08:00 - 09:00

Newfoundland and Labrador is home to a number of unique examples of ‘bridging institutions,’ organizations that support collaboration between the various stakeholders, and ensure that innovative research and technology is developed collaboratively, enhancing effectiveness and the likelihood of implementation. These organizations, including Memorial University’s C-Core, Office of Public Engagement, and Marine Institute work with industry, government, and community partners to turn ideas into solutions, bolster industry-led R&D and form the heart of successful sectoral clusters. This session will highlight examples of Newfoundland and Labrador’s collaborative approach to advancing innovation for solutions-based impacts, involving government, academia, and industry to address key issues of the North.

Speakers:

Honorable Christopher Mitchelmore, Minister of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Industry & Innovation, Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Glenn Blackwood, Vice President, Fisheries and Marine Institute, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Isabella Pain, Deputy Minister of the Nunatsiavut Secretariat, Nunatsiavut Government, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

Chair:

Rob Greenwood, Executive Director, Public Engagement and the Leslie Harris Centre of Regional Policy and Development, Memorial University, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

The Future of Arctic Infrastructure: Developing sustainability standards and valuing natural assets

Organized by WWF and the Natural Capital Project (13. September 2017)

$1 trillion in new infrastructure investment in the Arctic is expected in the coming decades. There is still an opportunity to plan, finance, design, site, and build this infrastructure to be sustainable and resilient. This is vital to creating a sustainable blue economy in the Arctic that achieves the Sustainable Development Goals, supporting human well-being and economic prosperity over the long term.

Saturday, October 14, 08:00 - 09:00
Location: Skarðsheiði, Third Level

This session will explore the potential for standards and tools to help shape responsible development and investment in the Arctic. Specifically, the interactive discussion will focus on how to co-develop and adapt to the Arctic context: 1) global standards for sustainable and resilient infrastructure and 2) ecosystem service assessment tools. The session will explore how to ensure they are fit for purpose in the Arctic, reflecting local knowledge, values and development goals.

Participants will:

Learn about the SuRe© Standard for Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure, developed by Global Infrastructure Basel (GIB) Foundation and Natixis.
Provide input on the potential for application of SuRe© in the Arctic context and how the Standard needs to be adapted.
Learn about early designs for investment decision support tools to help mainstream considerations of natural assets, biodiversity, ecosystem services and climate in development planning and infrastructure financing in the Arctic.
Give input on the most important natural assets and ecosystem services that are valued by people in the Arctic that will feed into a first draft list of ecosystem services to be further co-developed and included in Arctic infrastructure sustainability standards and assessment tools.

Speakers:

Emily McKenzie, Chief Adviser – Economics and Sustainability, WWF Global Science: Operationalizing Blue Economy Principles for Sustainable Infrastructure in the Arctic
Katharina Schneider-Roos, CEO, Global Infrastructure Basel (GIB) Foundation: The SuRe© Standard for Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure
Spencer Wood, Lead Scientist, Natural Capital Project, University of Washington: Developing decision support tools for communities, governments and investors
Discussant: Jim Pass, Senior Managing Director, Municipal and Infrastructure Sector Manager and Portfolio Manager

Chair:

Brad Ack, Senior Vice President, Oceans, WWF-US

Supporting Sustainable Northern Coastal Communities

Organized by Newfoundland and Labrador and Memorial University, UArctic, and Univeristy of Tromsø – the Arctic University of Norway (13. September 2017)

Coastal communities in the Arctic and across the North Atlantic Rim understand the impact of climate change deeply. There is a host of related impacts that pose fundamental challenges to the very fabric of life in these regions. Food, transportation, culture, sense of place, and social relationships: all are being affected.

Saturday, October 14, 08:00 - 09:00
Location: Björtuloft, Fifth Level

Resilience is a way of life in these regions (it always has been); however, the pace of change has quickened, making challenges harder to address. The evolving reality facing Northern coastal communities is increasingly complex and must be addressed with innovative, collaborative approaches that emphasize the knowledge, needs, perspectives, and goals of local people.
Presenters will share their experience undertaking university-community collaboration. From there, participants will work together to identify and discuss existing models for addressing key sustainability issues, and consider new ideas and concepts to help support community-directed and community-engaged research in the North.

Speakers:

Rob Greenwood, Executive Director, Public Engagement and the Leslie Harris Centre of Regional Policy and Development, Memorial University, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada: Thriving Communities: The Sustainable Northern and Coastal Communities Initiative
Anne Husebekk, Rector, University of Tromsø, Arctic University of Norway, Tromso, Norway: Humans in the Arctic Matter!
Lars Kullerud, President, University of the Arctic, Arendal city, Norway
Sheila Downer, Strategic Northern Liaison, Public Engagement and Labrador Institute, Memorial University, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada: Thriving Communities: The Sustainable Northern and Coastal Communities Initiative

Chair:

Ashlee Cunsolo, Director, the Labrador Institute, Memorial University, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

Mind and body – Population health and wellbeing in Greenland

Organized by the National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Copenhagen Centre for Health Research in the Humanities (CoRe), University of Copenhagen and CSR Greenland (7. September 2017)

This session is focused on public health and projects that aim to improve the overall health and well-being of the Greenlandic population by focusing on individual everyday life habits and perceptions as well as on societal and cultural practices.

Saturday, October 14, 08:00 - 09:00
Location: Ríma A, Ground Level

Indigenous populations in the Arctic are undergoing rapid changes and face large challenges regarding their health and well-being. Based on large population-based health surveys conducted repeatedly since 1993, Greenland has been able to monitor the public health challenges and the transition from infectious diseases towards more lifestyle-related diseases and increasingly challenges related to mental health and well-being.

In this session, we present research on public health and mental well-being, healthy ageing and health promotion through the workplace. Whereas the overview of major challenges in public health and mental health serves as a conceptual framework of understanding the problems, the presented projects about healthy ageing and health promotion through the workplace are examples of solutions.

Speakers:

Peter Bjerregaard, National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark/ University of Greenland: Major public health challenges in Greenland.
Christina VL Larsen, National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark/ University of Greenland: Mental health in Greenland and Arctic perspectives on mental health promotion
Tenna Jensen, Copenhagen Centre for Health Research in the Humanities (CoRe), University of Copenhagen: Healthy ageing in the Arctic.
Lotte Frank Kirkegaard, CSR Greenland: Promoting health through the work place.

Arctic, Chinese tourism, and Stakeholders’ strategies

Organized by the Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, Rovaniemi (7. September 2017)

Chinese tourism is expected to resume its rapid growth in the near future, and also Arctic destinations, are affected by this trend, and will receive important flows of Chinese tourists (e.g. Finnish Lapland will double in 2017 the number of Chinese tourists of 2015).

Saturday, October 14, 08:00 - 09:00
Location: Flói, Ground Level

Beside the known Chinese tourists travelling in group, hunting for photo, shopping opportunities and rush from one tourist highlight to the next, a new segment is rising: the individual tourist, having new requests and wishes and looking for more leisure activities in a pristine environment as the Arctic is perceived in their images and representations.
Is the tourism industry prepared to this new target?

This session aims at discussing, among others, the:

Chinese tourist experiences in the Arctic
Entrepreneurship and tourism in the Arctic
Stakeholders’ products and strategies for the Chinese market
Local communities’ involvement and expectations about tourism
Potentials and pitfalls of Arctic tourism

Speakers:

Daniela Tommasini, Senior Researcher at the Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland: Tourism in peripheral Arctic Communities: Potentials and Entrepreneurship, Hindrances and Pitfalls.
Shenghan Zhou, Doctoral Candidate at Multidimensional Tourism Institute, University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland: Chinese Tourists in the Arctic, Wishes and Experiences.

Chair:

Daniela Tommasini, Senior Researcher at the Arctic Centre