Highlighting Arctic sustainability at conference for young researchers

APECS Sweden is an organisation for early-career researchers working on topics related to the Arctic and Antarctic. It was founded in 2016, but the activities came to a halt during the pandemic. Since 2024, the organisation has been revived, and on 22–23 September, it held its first conference in Umeå, with around 40 young researchers and students participating.

“I am incredibly happy that so many enthusiastic people joined our conference. It is an indescribable feeling to see all these new faces who have traveled from all over the country to take part, and who want to help build something new. I am very proud of what we have accomplished,” says APECS Sweden board member and conference organiser Rebecca Tapper.

A varied program with many activities

The aim of the conference was to create a meeting place for young polar researchers and to discuss the challenges and opportunities of polar research from sustainability and Indigenous perspectives. In addition to traditional expert panel discussions, participants joined a guided tour at Västerbotten’s Museum, and took part in an interactive game based on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which demonstrated how sustainable decisions can affect the world.

I am very proud of what we have accomplished.

The conference featured two panel discussions where one focused on sustainability in the Arctic, and the other on sustainability from an Indigenous perspective. In total, nine experts shared their experiences and insights with the audience. Sustainability issues in the North were addressed from multiple angles, including historical, political, geological, social, and demographic perspectives, as well as from ethical, historical, and social Indigenous perspectives. The panelists also encouraged participants in their future research to remain humble and curious, not be afraid to explore unknown areas, build relationships, and stay open to perspectives different from their own.

“The panels were excellent. I believe and hope they were valuable for young researchers who want to work on similar issues and/or in collaboration with Indigenous peoples,” said APECS Sweden board member and panel moderator Marcus Aronsson.

Panel 1. From the left: Paul Schmidt, Rebecca Tapper, Luisa Ickes, Gesche Blume-Werry, Felicia Söderqvist, Anastasia Emelyanova, Emil Olofsson.

Image Mattias Pettersson

A game that shines a light on the Sustainable Development Goals

The first day ended with the interactive game “2030 SDGs Game”, which is based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and is designed to show how individual decisions can affect the world. The game was originally developed in Japan, and the conference invited the only two facilitators in the Nordic from Tromsø: Emma Vogel and Alexandra Abrahams. They led a session where the participants together make out a fictional world and are assigned goals to achieve by investing time and money into projects. These projects then influence the global economy, the environment, and social well-being. Participants were then able to clearly see how their decisions shaped outcomes for the world.

Players wait for their turn to carry out their projects, which will affect the world economy and environment.

Image Mattias Pettersson

Game facilitator Emma Vogel notes that the results are different every time the game is played.

“It depends on the players. The interesting part is the discussion afterwards, when players reflect on the process and results. Our goal is to show how the world can look and change, and how our choices impact the world.”

Participants reflected afterward that everyone initially acted very individualistically, and that it was not until they reached their own goals that they began to help others achieve theirs and thus contribute to a more balanced world. For example, one participant expressed that she wanted to carry out just one more economically advantageous project before she would start thinking about the environment.

A guided tour through Västerbotten’s history and golden autumn leaves

Guided tour at Gammlia.

Image Monica Börlin

The second day of the conference began with a guided tour through Västerbotten Museum’s outdoor site “Gammlia.” Participants visited Wallmarksgården, a Västerbotten farmstead from the late 1700s, as well as the Sámi dwellings located in the area. The day offered brilliant sunshine and golden birch leaves.

“It turned out really well. The activity sparked many exciting discussions among the participants, and everyone appreciated being outdoors and experiencing something new, instead of only sitting inside listening,” says Rebecca Tapper.

After the conference, APECS Sweden held its annual meeting, where some board members stepped down and new ones were elected. The board hopes that APECS Sweden will continue to grow and strengthen the careers of young Arctic researchers.

“Now that we have finally gotten started for real, I hope we can continue to build something robust that lasts over time, attracts more people to the research field, and creates a network that strengthens careers, research, and the future,” concludes Rebecca Tapper.

This conference was co-financed by Umeå Tranformation Research Initiative (UTRI) and Arctic Centre at Umeå University.