APECS Sweden Conference 2025

Early Career Arctic Sustainability Research

22–23 September | Umeå, Sweden

Welcome to APECS Sweden Conference 2025, where we focus on the future of Arctic Sustainability Research. This is where early career researchers from all disciplines come together to discuss challenges and opportunities of Arctic research in relation to sustainability and indigenous perspectives. Join us for an opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals, extend your network, gain valuable knowledge, and discover how we can collectively shape a resilient and thriving world. Let's build a sustainable future together!

The conference is held for two days 22 and 23 September 2025. These days will be filled with keynotes and panel discussions about sustainability in the Arctic. You will also be able to take part in a guided tour at Västerbotten museum, and participate in a one-of-a-kind interactive 2023 SDG workshop where you get to influence a made-up world with sustainable decisions, and see the effects of your decisions!

Registration

Registration form will be out soon.

Program (will be updated)

Program

Day 1

11:00 Welcome and opening remarks
Remarks from the APECS Board, The Swedish Polar Research Secretariat, Arctic Center in Umeå and Swedish Centre for the Arctic and Antarctic

12:00 Lunch

13:00 Panel Discussion: What is a Sustainable Arctic
Five keynote speeches elaborating on “The Sustainable Arctic” from their respective research fields, and a panel discussion on the translational and transformational research in a sustainable Arctic.
Moderators
Rebecca Tapper, APECS Sweden
Paul Schmidt, APECS Sweden
Panelists
TBD

14:30 Fika

15:00 Interactive Workshop: Sustainable Development – Challenges and Opportunities
A workshop where you get to interact in a game that focuses on the Agenda 2030. Based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG:s) you get to start project and make important decisions in terms of sustainability. See how the world unfolds based on your decisions! Learn more about the game below.
Facilitators
Emma Vogel
Alexandra Abrahams

Day 2

09:00 Guided tour at Västerbotten museum

10:00 Fika

10:30 Panel Discussion: A Sustainably Changing Arctic? – Indigenous Perspectives
Keynote speeches elaborating on “The Sustainable Arctic” from their respective research fields, and a panel discussion on indigenous perspectives on the sustainability of past, present and future changes, with a focus on changes in Sapmi.
Moderators
Freja Fagerholm, APECS Sweden
Madelen Jonsson, APECS Sweden
Panelists
TBD

12:00 Lunch and end of conference

Keynotes

More information will come soon.

2030 SDG Workshop

An invitation to explore the world and yourself

The workshop is based on the interactive 2030 SDGs Game, a multiplayer, in-person, card-based game that simulates taking the “real world” into the year 2030. The game was developed 2016 in Japan.

The rules are simple: players use money and time to start projects to achieve their goals by the end of the game.

One player might have the goal of Acquiring Wealth, so for these players, money is the most important thing. For others, the most important thing might be to Enjoy Leisure, to have the freedom to relax or to spend time doing what they want. Others may want to end poverty, or to protect the environment. Just like in the real world, in this world there are diverse people with different values.

This experience has become a powerful and impactful social phenomenon, earning extensive media coverage and reaching over 400,000 participants. During the conference you will have the unique opportunity as we invite the only facilitators in the Nordics!
Learn more about the 2030 SDGs Game

Organisers

The conference is hosted by APECS Sweden, with funding and support from Umeå University, UTRI, Arctic Centre, and Centre for the Arctic and Antarctic.

Latest update: 2025-05-22