Connections and Seminars on the Agenda for Guest Researcher

Doctoral Researcher Yue Wang from Tampere University is visiting the Arctic Centre at Umeå University for a week between 25 and 29 September 2023.

Yue Wang is a Doctoral Researcher with his home Institutions in the Politics Department at the Tampere University, and the Arctic Centre at the University of Lapland. He is currently working on his PhD project.

What is your main focus within your research?

Generally speaking, I am interested in International Politics in the Arctic, but more specifically, I work on scientific research cooperation in the Arctic, and also Energy cooperation, including fossil fuel and clean energy.

What is your PhD project about?

My project is called “International Cooperation with China in the global Arctic: Intentions and Consequences”, and it aims to systematically understand the unintended consequences of international cooperation through the lens of international cooperation with China in the Global Arctic, where substantial international cooperation is essential for protection and development.

I am happy to be a part of the Arctic Centre and Umeå University during this week

What made you come up with the decision to visit Sweden and Arctic Centre at Umeå University?

The main idea was to develop my professional network in Arctic research. I have colleagues and cooperators from Norway and Iceland, where some have become really good friends, but unfortunately, I don’t have any contacts from Sweden. And if we look at Arctic Research more specifically, I think that the Arctic Centre at Umeå University is an ideal place to start. I am happy to be a part of the Arctic Centre and Umeå University during this week.

Have you been able to widen your network here at the Umeå University?

Yes. I have met with senior professors and researchers, and I will meet with two early career researchers as well. I started with senior researchers because they have a very established profiles and are easier for me to spot. Early career researchers don't have profiles quite as established, which makes it a bit more challenging to know who to contact. But with that said, I want to establish contact with early career researchers, because in a few years, we will most likely have a professional relationship where we work together and have projects together.

Yue Wang presents his Doctoral project at the Arctic Seminar.

You also held an Arctic Lunch Seminar on Tuesday. What did you talk about, and how did it go?

I talked about my PhD Project “International Cooperation with China in the global Arctic: Intentions and Consequences”. I really appreciate the Arctic Centre at Umeå University for helping me organize this lunch seminar, and also for inviting Professor Niklas Eklund as my discussant. He gave very constructive comments. To be able to talk to different audiences about your own work is a very fun learning process.

You are also co-organizing a workshop at the Tampere University in November. What is it about, and what is your role in it?

It is called “Sustainability and the Arctic – Interdisciplinary Workshop for Early Career Researchers”, and it is a two-day workshop for early career researchers where we want to explore how people understand sustainability, and how their work can contribute to it. I am co-organizing it with two other colleagues, a PhD Fellow from Tampere University, and a PhD Candidate at the Cambridge University.