Arctic sovereignty through international law and AI perspectives

Michel Rouleau-Dick is a Postdoctoral fellow at Department of Law, and TAIGA at Umeå University. He works with International Law, and is interested in how aspects within international law, such as policies and human rights, can work in a changing environment like the Arctic. Within the Arctic Six Fellowship program, Rouleau-Dick wants to take the opportunity to meet and connect with Arctic researchers and explore Arctic sovereignty and digital statehood.

A young researcher with research history in Canada, Finland and Sweden

Michel Rouleau-Dick is originally from a small village next to the Saint Lawrence River in Canada. He did his studies in international relations and public affairs at the University of Quebec, where he also had the opportunity to do some exchange studies in Finland. In Finland, he fell in love with the North, as well as in his now wife, which made him come back to do his master’s in international human rights law and his doctoral degree in Law.

Michel Rouleau-Dick finished his PhD in 2023, and a year later, he got a position as a postdoctoral fellow at TAIGA at Umeå University, which led him to move from Finland to Umeå.

“My wife and I both found jobs and we both like it here in Umeå. It is a really nice environment in Norrland, and people has been so nice and welcoming,” he says.

Michel Rouleau-Dick describes himself as a curious person who loves biking and reading science fiction novels.

For me, AI is an element of change in the same way that climate change is. The world is changing in these directions and that is something we have to adapt to.

Interested in how international law can adapt in a world of rapid change

In his research, Rouleau-Dick mostly works with international law, which are laws that apply between countries, such as human rights or environmental policies. He is interested in how these aspects within international law can work and develop in a changing environment, for example with climate change and AI. He explains that the Arctic is an interesting region for this question, because the changes are many and they happen fast. He also notes that some areas of law can be fairly stable, while international law is constantly changing and evolving.

“I like the messiness in international law. There is a constant aspect of reinterpretation. For example, human rights change with time due to changes in our society. All these decisions make things move and change, and that is interesting so see,” he says.

Wants to explore sovereignty and digital statehood in the Arctic

For his Arctic Six Fellowship, Rouleau-Dick does not yet have a fully concrete plan, but he hopes to meet with fellow researchers at the partner universities to build on common research interests within international law in a changing Arctic. He mentions two aspects he wants to deepen in his fellowship, where the first one is more engagement with the Arctic environment, and specifically Sápmi, which is an area that goes across country boarders in the Arctic Six university areas of northern Sweden, Finland and Norway. The second aspect is the role of AI and the space that AI occupies in the Arctic. Rouleau-Dick has conducted research within digital statehood, and is interested so see if it could be explored from an Arctic perspective.

“For me, AI is an element of change in the same way that climate change is. The world is changing in these directions and that is something we have to adapt to,” he explains.

However, Rouleau-Dick also points out that he wants to get to know more researchers across the partner universities to get a grasp on where his expertise is needed.

“I want to connect with people first to see if we can find common ground in what research they would like to see, and how it fits within what I can do. I am very much willing to adjust myself to what is needed, and I hope this fellowship will present the opportunity to engage with people and, of course, see if there is a possibility of publication.”

If you change something now, you might already be in the past, so you need to anticipate what is ahead.

Important to look forward

Michel Rouleau-Dick points out the importance of being forward-looking in his research, in contrast with how law usually reacts to developments once they have already happened. Law research does not necessarily look at what laws might be needed in the future, but in a rapidly changing environment like the Arctic, it is necessary.

“If you change something now, you might already be in the past, so you need to anticipate what is ahead. The future focus is interesting because if you look at where you want to go, you can have interesting dialogues with different perspectives, and keep in mind who the law is for.”

With issues like climate change, AI and human rights close to heart, Michel Rouleau-Dick hopes to explore these issues in an Arctic context, as well as bring new perspectives to the Arctic.

“It is an opportunity to see what I can bring to the table with my expertise and my knowledge. Ultimately, I hope to tie connections and collaborations in a way that I can do research that more directly can benefit the Arctic,” Rouleau-Dick concludes.