Arctic Six annual meeting 2025

Welcome to the Arctic Six annual meeting! The meeting welcomes everyone within the Arctic Six organisation, and has an angenda filled with Arctic-related information.

The main act will be to launch the new Arctic Six Fellowship program by letting them present their projects. The meeting will also focus on informing on coming activities within The Arctic Six, the latest calls and funding opportunities, and other information that is valuable for you as a member of the Arctic Six.

Program

Wednesday 5 November

Tornsalen, Folkets Hus  
 
08:00 Registration and coffee

08:30 Introduction of the meeting
Cathrine Norberg, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Umeå University
Kirsi Latola, Co-Director of The Arctic Six

09:00 Arctic Six Fellows presentations – Session 1
Food, Knowledge, and Sustainability in Arctic Communities
Moderator: Lena Maria Nilsson

• The role of urban agriculture and school gardens
  Beste Sabir Onat, Nord University
• Roots and Resistance: Marketing, Meaning, and Movement in Nordic Alternative Food Systems
  Sophie Rohde, Nord University Business School
• Can Macroalgae from the Arctic Region Serve as a Local and Sustainable Animal Feed?
  Sachin Dhakal, Nord University
• Fostering Intergenerational Understanding for a Sustainable Future – Arctic and Indigenous Perspectives
  Rauni Äärelä-Vihriälä, University of Lapland

10:00 Coffee Break  

10:30 Stories from previous Arctic Six Chairs
Introduction: Simon Oja

• Reflections from a former Arctic Six Chair 
  Christina Allard, Luleå University of Technology
• Leading Collaboration in the North: Lessons from the Arctic Five Chair
  Tanja Joona, University of Lapland

11:15 Break 

11:20 APECS Workshop
Connecting Generations of Arctic Researchers – APECS Sweden and You
Introduction: Irma Olofsson
APECS Sweden works to connect early-career researchers with other scientists and institutions engaged in polar studies. This short, interactive session provides a space for open exchange on how to support the next generation of Arctic scholars, strengthen research collaboration, and foster lasting links across disciplines.

12:00 Lunch  

13:00 Arctic Six Fellows presentations – Session 2 
Truth, Voices, and Digital Belonging in the Arctic
Moderator: Lena Maria Nilsson

• Societal Effects of Truth and Reconciliation Commissions in the Nordic Countries
  Daniel Fjellborg, Luleå University of Technology
• Indigenous Storytelling in the Digital Age
  Amna Qureshi, University of Lapland
• Digital statehood in international law: an opportunity for the Arctic?
  Michel Rouleau-Dick, Umeå University

13:45 Break  

13:50 Arctic Six Fellows presentations – Session 3
Engineering the Arctic: Innovation under Changing Climates
Moderator: Lena Maria Nilsson

• Bio-based quasi-solid-state lithium batteries for extreme cold conditions
  Yin Hu, Luleå University of Technology
• Open tools for open data in spectroscopy: building a HITRAN interface
  Ragnar Seton, UiT the Arctic University of Norway
• Hydropower in the Arctic: Uncertainty under changing climate and energy system interactions
  Christine Kaggwa Nakigudde, University of Oulu
• Methane production in Arctic lake sediment
  Marie Bulínová, UiT The Arctic University of Norway

14:50 Coffee Break 

15:20 Opportunities for Funding and Mobility
Introduction: Irma Olofsson

• Horizon Europe
  Agneta Hånell Plamboeck, Umeå university
• POLARIN
  Hannele Savela, University of Oulu
• InterAct
  Elmer Topp-Jørgensen
• Arctic Frontiers, Arctic Science Summit Week & UArctic Congress
  Keith Larson, Umeå University

17:00 End of day

18:30 Pre-drinks at P5

19:00 Dinner at P5 
Chancellor Tora Holmberg opens the dinner

Thursday 6 November 

Rotundan , Umeå University Campus
 
09:00 Infrastructure and collaboration
Introduction: Simon Oja

• European Polar Board and European Polar Coordination Office
  Kylie Owen, EPCO Officer at European Polar Board
• UArctics Thematic Networks
  Kirsi Latola, Vice-President Networks at Uarctic, University of Oulu
• The Swedish Polar Research Secretariat
  Ulf Jonsell, Head of Department at Swedish Polar Research Secretariat
• North2North
  Gwen King, International Office at Umeå University

10:00 Coffee Break  

10:30 Arctic Six Fellows presentations – Session 4
Interwoven Landscapes: Human and Industrial Footprints in the Arctic
Moderator: Keith Larson

• Enabling regenerative pathways in tourism
  Roosa Ridanpää , University of Oulu
• Cold Exposure, Health Outcomes, and the Lack of Occupational Health Guidelines for Outdoor Workers with Climate-Sensitive Conditions
  Mojdeh Rafieian, UiT the Arctic University of Norway
• Mapping Interpath Relations: Industry, Society, and Nature in the Arctic
  Dorothee Bohn, Umeå University

11:15 Break 

11:20 Arctic Six Chair Presentations 
Moderator: Keith Larson

• Exploring Arctic Transportation Corridors in the Euro-Barents Region
  Roberto Rivas Hermann, Nord University Business School
• Arctic Circularity: Innovation for Sustainable development in Arctic Regions
  Rannveig Edda Hjaltadottir, Nord University
• Consequences of Normative Change for Security in the Arctic Maritime
  Corine Wood-Donnelly, Nord University

12:00 Lunch and finishing statements
Keith Larson, Director of the Arctic Centre at Umeå University

The meeting is organised by The Arctic Six, and hosted by the Arctic Centre at Umeå University. Please e-mail the Arctic Centre if you have any questions: arctic.centre@umu.se