Arctic Frontiers 2023: Moving North

Tromsø january

Tromsø, Norway January 30th- February 2nd, 2023

Today, everything is on the move and so is the Arctic. The globe is more connected than ever and yet also more divided. Climate change impacts, geopolitical tensions, sea ice edge, technology hubs, businesses, flora and fauna – all are moving North, presenting unprecedented challenges and opportunities for sustainable development and for the peoples of the Arctic who are also on the move to and from the region.

5 Big Picture sessions

7 Science Themes

30 side events

ART

NETWORK

OPEN

CULTURE

The Big Picture

PROGRAM

Image shows a compass rose and the text "North on the Move"

 North on the Move

This session focuses on large global trends and the role of the Arctic in them. We will examine how the two global drivers – climate change and geopolitics – are impacting development in the Arctic. 

Image shows the text Moving to and from North and a plane inside a compass

Moving to and from North 

One of the greatest societal challenges facing the pan-Arctic region is outmigration, especially of youth. We are witnessing a demographic pattern in the Arctic where some population centres are growing, because members of smaller communities are moving to regional hubs in search of services, and education and employment opportunities.

SCIENCE

PROGRAM

Image shows session title and a graphic depiction of antlers and a compass rose

Assembling the Valuable and Vulnerable North 

Plastic pollution is now found in the most remote parts of the world, including the Arctic. Plastic is on the seabed, inside the stomachs of marine life, in rivers, on glaciers, and increasingly within the food chain. Amongst many other negative impacts, plastic pollution is a concern for human health, whether ingested through the food chain or leaching of chemicals in water.

The image shows the text "Plastic Pollution, Priorities and Perspectives in the Arctic" The illustration shows a bottle inside a compass.

Plastic Pollution, Priorities and Perspectives in the Arctic 

Through diverse engagements with nature resource extraction and ecological vulnerability in the contemporary Arctic, contributors to this session welcome visions of resource regimes from both inside and outside the Arctic. The main themes are geopolitical (balancing new and traditional ways of seeing nature), adaptation (future scenarios of the climate region), technology (technical applications to data management) and energy (the future of oil and gas).

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre is coming to Nord University to give a lecture on this demanding topic. After the lecture, Anki Gerhardsen leads a panel discussion between Støre and Nord University researchers Odd Jarl Borch and Tanja Ellingsen.

Jonas Gahr Støre (født 1960) er en norsk politiker (Ap) som har vært Norges statsminister siden 14. oktober 2021. Han er partileder i Arbeiderpartiet siden 2014 og stortingsrepresentant for Oslo siden 2009.

Han var utenriksminister i Jens Stoltenbergs andre regjering fra 2005 til 2012 og deretter helse- og omsorgsminister fra 2012 til regjeringsskiftet etter stortingsvalget i 2013. Siden 2009 har han vært innvalgt på Stortinget fra Oslo.

Støre ble valgt til leder i Arbeiderpartiet i 2014 og etterfulgte dermed Jens Stoltenberg. Støre var statssekretær ved Statsministerens kontor fra 2000 til 2001.

Han er utdannet statsviter, og har bakgrunn fra embedsverket og humanitære organisasjoner, blant annet som generalsekretær i Norges Røde Kors fra 2003 til 2005.

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