It is with the utmost pleasure that we unveil the Arctic Academy for Sustainability 2022, a cutting-edge initiative incorporating a travelling interdisciplinary Summer School in the Finnish-Swedish Arctic. This year’s Academy will be organised by the Faculty of Law and the Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science, University of Helsinki, from August 29 to September 2.

The course will provide students with a deeper understanding of the issues raised by the energy transition in the Arctic. Based on the Academy’s travel itinerary as well as its focal point – the energy transition and its socio-ecological corollaries in the Fennoscandian Arctic – it offers a propitious environment for analysing how the concomitant challenge and opportunity of sustainability is being addressed in the region.

The Academy will focus on two salient areas of human decision-making processes: (1) how to ensure adequate rights-holders and stakeholders’ involvement in decision-making, and (2) how to effectively address the social implications of the energy transition for comprehensive sustainable solutions. Lectures will cover topics such as the dynamics of energy transitions in the European and global contexts, the responsibilities of corporations, and the rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities.  Encompassed by the theoretical and conceptual approaches of just transition and energy justice, the course addresses how to meet the urgent need for a transition to a global decarbonized society whilst minimizing the adverse impacts that this transition may have on, and protecting the rights of, affected communities and groups in the Arctic.

The Academy is geared towards advanced Master’s and Doctoral students from around the world and provides students with the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of the social sciences in relation to the Arctic. The program consists of five days of plenary lectures and seminars along with a number of field visits to energy sites and meetings with stakeholders. The course includes guest lectures by international scholars and presentations by all students selected for the Academy. This way students will not only learn from experts and more seniors’ scholars but will also be provided with an opportunity to share and develop their knowledge in their disciplines and experts’ areas.

Students will be assessed based on a presentation followed by discussion, a short essay, and the production of blog posts during the course, and will be awarded 5 ECTS upon successful completion of the course. The University of Helsinki will provide each participant who successfully completes the course with a certificate of attendance and a transcript stating the grade obtained in the course. Students are strongly encouraged to contact their study abroad office or academic department in advance to learn more about their credit transfer policy. The language of instruction is English.

Except for a 75 Euro fee, participation in the Academy is free of charge; this includes transport, accommodation, and meal expenses. The itinerary will begin in Rovaniemi, Finland, and from there students will travel together by bus throughout the Finnish – Swedish Arctic and share accommodation during the entire event. When thinking about applying, please take these logistical issues into careful consideration. The bus travel and accommodation is organized by the Academy/University of Helsinki.

Master’s or Doctoral students who wish to be considered for the 2022 Academy must apply before the deadline of June 15, 2022. The application should contain a cover letter (1 page), a CV (max 2 pages) and an abstract (max 300 words) of a proposed presentation topic. The Scientific Committee will review all applications and notice for acceptance will be sent to applicants by July 10th, 2022.

All applications must be submitted via this link: https://elomake.helsinki.fi/lomakkeet/118156/lomake.html

Further information on the programme can be found on the call webpage

If you need any further information, please contact Assistant Professor Dorothee Cambou at arcticacademyinfo@gmail.com

 

The Academy is spearheaded by the UArctic Thematic Network on Arctic Sustainable Resources and Social Responsibility and co-hosted by the University of Helsinki, the University of Northern British Columbia, Copenhagen Business School, et al. The Academy is funded by the Prince Albert of Monaco II Foundation for a special and limited project lifespan of three years (2022 to 2025).