Arctic Centre Annual Report 2022

Annual Report 2022

New common laboratory facilities for the Lapland University Consortium were taken into use in the Jokiväylä campus. The new facilities will especially benefit the Arctic Centre’s research projects focused on vegetation, soil, paleoecology, and glaciers. | photo matti kantola

Arctic Centre participated in the annual National Local Heritage Conference organized in Rovaniemi 9.–11.9.2022. Director Johanna Ikävalko was the event’s patron and guided a tour presenting homes and studios of local artists. Päivi Soppela hosted a tour demonstrating the Lapland Cattle, local cattle breed well adapted to the Arctic environment. | photo päivi

Editor

Anne Raja-Hanhela

Layout & Design

Reetta Linna

Cover photo

Matti Kantola

Printed by University of Lapland

Printing Centre, Rovaniemi, Finland 2023

soppela

During the autumn, the science communications, together with Arctic Centre researchers, organized guided Friday tours for the lunch customers of Arktikum Café – the idea was to offer a small portion of science as a dessert! | photo santeri happonen

This year, the staff of the Arctic Centre went crazy with puzzles! They are a great way to take your mind away from work during the coffee break, and they are so much fun to do together. | photo lisa könig

the Director

From

The Arctic Centre stepped into a new era unexpectedly in February 2022. We all know the tragedy; as I write this, it is still ongoing.

One of the Arctic Centre’s strengths has been the long and fruitful research cooperation with Russian institutions, scientists, and individuals. Due to Finland’s geographical location – nature does not recognize state borders – it has been necessary, natural, and well-justified.

Now we live in a changed world. Many scholars at the Arctic Centre have lost their most valuable connections, not only to their research projects and colleagues but also friends in Russia. The Arctic is no more one Arctic, and this has wideranging consequences.

As practically all previous communication and cooperation with our Eastern neighbour was put on hold after the Russian aggression against Ukraine, the Arctic Centre was forced to think of “Plan B”. Becoming paralyzed was not an option.

We have witnessed the power of circumpolar networking and collegial support of the Arctic research community during 2022. The Arctic Centre is deepening and strengthening national, Nordic, European and trans-Atlantic cooperation. As an example, new research

opportunities for our anthropologists and natural scientists have risen in Greenland. We also act proactively with the EU to have a strong impact on in particular contents of the Horizon programme 2025–2027. And last but not least, Arctic Centre is responding to new and emerging needs for science-based knowledge by reorganizing its research and thus strengthening new areas, such as just green transition in the North, Arctic international cooperation, and security.

One of our main communication efforts during 2022 was the report to the Prime Minister’s Office on the impacts of the changed geopolitical situation on implementing Finland’s Arctic strategy. This unique report is translated into English and widely communicated in international Arctic fora.

Despite all the turmoil in the world, tourism in Lapland, particularly Rovaniemi, has returned to almost pre-covid levels. Arktikum Science Centre returned to normal, with more than 100 000 visitors in 2022. A very welcome news was that the University of Lapland committed to the much-needed renewal process of the permanent exhibition.

Personally, I have been most impressed by the feeling of togetherness at the Arctic Centre. That is what makes us strong.

Johanna Ikävalko

The Arctic Centre is deepening and strengthening national, Nordic, European and trans-Atlantic cooperation.

More

Arktikum

WWF Green Office certificate was granted to Arktikum House in December. All operators in the house work together to take environmental issues into account even better in the future.

Year 2022 marked the 30th anniversary of the opening of the Arktikum building. The staff working in the building celebrated the anniversary together already in September before the beginning of the busy tourism season. The program included a concert by soprano Pia Raanoja and pianist Esa Ylivaara. | photo petri teppo

Science Centre Exhibitions

▪ ARCTIC IN CHANGE Permanent exhibition

▪ CHANGES ON NORTHERN SHORES: OBSERVING PROBLEMS THROUGH ART AND SCIENCE 3.12.2022–30.4.2023.

Exhibition by Nordic artist network observing the changing northern regions through art and science.

▪ ANTARCTICA – SCIENCE IN EXTREME CONDITIONS 16.9.2022–23.4.2023.

Exhibition presenting research and daily life in the Finnish research station Aboa in Antarctica.

▪ NATURE PHOTOS OF THE YEAR 22.3.–15.5.2022.

Temporary exhibition at the Arktikum Science Centre introduced research and daily life in the Finnish research station Aboa in Antarctica. Tero Poikela from the exhibition team made sure that everything was ready before the opening event. | photos lisa könig , anne raja - hanhela

Publications

115 Scientific publications

51 Professional publications

13 Publications for general public

Blogs

Northern Political Economy

www.arcticcentre.org/NPEblog

Arctic Anthropology

arcticanthropology.org

Kaikuja Arktikselta – Arctic Echoes

www.arcticcentre.org/kaikuja

More information: research.ulapland.fi/en/organisations/arktinen-keskus

Three members of Arctic Centre research groups defended their doctoral dissertations in spring 2022 – Joonas Vola of the Northern Political Economy research group, Ayonghe Akonwi Nebasifu of the Arctic Anthropology research group and Mirva Salminen, who has worked on several projects in both the Arctic Governance research group and the Northern Institute for Environmental and Minority Law. | photos birgitta vinkka , anne raja - hanhela , marjo laukkanen

Visiting photographic exhibition Piniartoq – Hunter was open at the Arktikum Science Centre for 10 months. Tiina Itkonen’s photographs captured an intimate portrait of Inuit subsistence hunters, their santeri happonen

Events and Seminars

▪ SNOW RESEARCH DAY FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN

Researchers from the CHARTER project did snow measurements with 5th graders | 25.2.2022

▪ PUBLIC DEFENCE OF DOCTORAL DISSERTATION OF AYONGHE AKONWI NEBASIFU “Knowledge Integration in Co-management: A Study on the People of the Mount Cameroon National Park” | 2.3.2022

▪ ARCTIC CAFÉ: SCIENTIFIC TOURISM 23.3.2022

▪ PUBLIC DEFENCE OF DOCTORAL DISSERTATION OF JOONAS VOLA ”Homunculus: Bearing Incorporeal Arcticulations” | 22.4.2022

▪ PUBLIC DEFENCE OF DOCTORAL DISSERTATION OF MIRVA SALMINEN “The government of one and all in everyday digital security in Finnish Lapland” | 20.5.2023

▪ FINNISH-INDIA JOINT SEMINAR perspectives on indigenous and tribal peoples from India and the Arctic 27.5.2022

▪ WONDER SEEKERS – ADVENTURES IN SCIENCE The final seminar of the Scientific Tourism project | 15.6.2022

▪ LAND, WATER, SNOW AND ICE AS ARCTIC ELEMENTS

Common Arctic research seminar of the Arctic Centre and Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) 30.8.2022

▪ SOUNDING FAR SOUTH DOCUMENTARY PREMIERE Film premiere together with the opening of the temporary exhibition “Antarctica – Science in Extreme Conditions” 15.9.2022.

Russian military aggression against Ukraine had broad and unprecedented effects on Arctic cooperation. Arctic Centre led a process of preparing a report commissioned by the Finnish Government comprehensively examining the impact of Russian aggression on international cooperation in the Arctic region and on the implementation of Finland’s Arctic policy strategy. The report was published in October in Helsinki. | photo krista ulkuniemi

▪ ARKTIKUM 30 YEARS 30th anniversary of the opening of the Arktikum building. Celebration with the personnel 17.9.2022 and gala dinner with guests | 5.12.2022

▪ SCIENCE WEEK Workshops for local schools 19.–23.9.2022

▪ PUBLICATION EVENT OF THE REPORT ON THE IMPACT OF RUSSIAN AGGRESSION ON ARCTIC COOPERATION Arctic cooperation in a new situation: Analysis on the impacts of the Russian war of aggression | 10.10.2022

▪ THE ARCTIC DIMENSIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS

Joint seminar of Human Rights Centre, Arctic Centre and UArctic | 26.10.2022

▪ GUIDED TOURS “PALA TIEDETTÄ” Open guided Friday tours for the lunch customers of Arktikum Café | 23.9.–25.11.2022

▪ NORTHERN POLITICAL ECONOMY SYMPOSIUM 2022 Making sense of the Arctic world in turmoil 22.–23.11.2022.

▪ ARCTIC MARKET DAYS Sales event for local handcrafters, producers and artists | 9.–1.12.2022

Gala dinner hosted by the City of Rovaniemi and the University of Lapland for invitees was organized on the eve of the Finnish Independence Day, December 5. | photo marko junttila

The Northern Institute for Environmental and Minority Law organized a joint seminar with the Human Rights Centre that discussed human rights and the changed security environment especially from the point of view of the Arctic region. | photo marjo laukkanen

Book “Critical Studies of the Arctic: Unravelling the North” offering new approaches to the study of the Arctic, edited by Marjo Lindroth, Heidi SinevaaraNiskanen and Monica Tennberg, was published in the late autumn. | photo krista ulkuniemi

After a few years break, the biggest annual event for school children, Science Week, was again organized in September as an onsite event in Arktikum. During the week, 1586 school children visited over 80 workshops. Topics of the workshops varied from northern lights to the cryosphere and from scratch animations to wondering about the autumn colours in the Arctic Garden. | photo anne raja - hanhela