Professors from China, Norway, Denmark and Russia were invited to present their research and share their expertise with the students. The topic of the program was “To understand: Arctic environment and ecosystem.”
The lectures encompassed many perspectives on the Arctic environment. A heavy emphasis was placed on the scientific backgrounds, but economic and political aspects were also included. Several speakers from the Harbin Institute of Technology highlighted the universities' scientific work in the Arctic. Professor Katrin Vorkamp from Aarhus University presented her research on the emergence of chemicals in the Arctic. Professor Lars-Otto Reiersen from UiT The Arctic University of Norway talked on the establishment of Arctic governmental and scientific cooperation. Many of the winter school speakers shared expertise on persistent organic pollutants (POP) and have contributed research to the Arctic Council’s Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program (AMAP) working group.
The Harbin Institute of Technology plans to host the international school twice a year in the future. In the summer, the school will be open for undergraduate students and in the winter for graduate students.
Report by Josie Ward & Jérôme Favre, UArctic interns fall 2019