Finland – an Arctic Expert
From the Executive Director The vision of the Fulbright Center in Finland is to empower
Finland’s new Arctic Strategy
Arctic superpower in tourism. And
was adopted a year ago. Besides
finally, one third of all citizens
a clear-cut strategy, it includes
living in the Arctic – above the 60
an extensive set of objectives
degree of latitude – are Finns.
for Finland’s Arctic policy and
The Arctic Council is the pre-
concrete actions to reach those
eminent forum for Arctic issues,
objectives. The strategy addresses
recognized by all. The Coun-
education, research, social issues
cil’s institutional role has been
for local residents, the economy,
steadily growing following the
infrastructure, the environment,
establishment of a permanent
stability and international coop-
secretariat, the adoption of bind-
eration in the Arctic.
ing agreements and the extension
the minds that will find global solutions to tomor-
Finland’s role in the funda-
of the Council’s agenda. Finland
row’s challenges by fostering academic and professional
mental change currently ongoing
promotes broadening the Arctic
expertise and excellence in leadership. The program was
in the Arctic is to promote sustain-
cooperation towards economic
established to create global citizens – those who dare to
able development and stability,
and business issues, including
address universal problems with innovative solutions, and
both nationally and internation-
the work of the recently estab-
create meaningful change.
ally. Simultaneously, Finland is
lished Arctic Economic Council.
One of the most critical global questions facing us today
engaged in efforts to exploit the
Both the U.S. and Finland stress
is how we deal with the Arctic. What happens in the Arctic
economic opportunities emerg-
further strengthening of the
does not stay in the Arctic: it has global implications. At the
ing in the North. These two goals
Council. We support the Council
Arctic Circle 2014 Assembly in Reykjavik in October, Finnish
are not mutually exclusive, as
being open to global cooperation
President Sauli Niinistö poignantly reminded the audience
long as the economic activities in
and enhanced interaction with
that not only is the future of the Arctic in our hands, at the
the vulnerable Arctic regions take
observers. Finland fully supports
same time our own future is in the hands of the Arctic (p. 5).
into account the environmental
the U.S. proposal to arrange the
This Fulbright Center News focuses on the Arctic, and
concerns and are sustainable also
Arctic Summit in 2016, if circum-
we are so pleased to have Finland’s Arctic Ambassador
in terms of local communities.
stances permit.
Hannu Halinen as our invited columnist (p. 2). Our grant-
In short, Finland’s Arctic Vision
The U.S. will chair the Arctic
ees and alumni talk about their careers in pursuit of Arctic
states: “Finland is an active Arctic
Council on 2015–2017 and Finland
questions, and we are announcing several new initiatives
actor with the ability to reconcile
will follow thereafter. Together
that address the Arctic.
the limitations imposed and busi-
we are aiming at more focused
The new Fulbright Arctic Initiative provides interdisci-
ness opportunities provided by
alignment of interests between
plinary research opportunities to both established experts
the Arctic environment in a sus-
chairmanships. This will involve
and early career specialists from all eight Arctic Council
tainable manner, while drawing
active dialogue and longer-term
countries (p. 4). Using a collaborative model to translate
upon international cooperation”.
thinking between our two coun-
theory into practice, program participants will address
To give some examples of the
tries and partners in the Arctic.
public policy research questions relevant to the challenges
Finnish Arctic expertise: our
We are seeking for an informal
Arctic nations share. Finland has a special role in this new
airports stay open even during
bilateral Arctic framework – a
program as it will host a plenary meeting of the Arctic Ini-
heavy snowstorms (because of
partnership, if you will – to inten-
tiative scholars in early 2016.
our snow-how) and all our ports
sify the already existing good
The Fulbright Center has also founded a new Travel
are ice-covered during winter,
cooperation on Arctic issues, and
Grant program for key strategic research areas, including
but neither are they ever closed,
to widen bilateral relationships
the Arctic (p. 4), and is actively looking into other possi-
thanks to our ice-breakers. Sixty
in new areas. We are thinking
bilities to join forces with institutions and organizations
percent of all ice-breakers in the
of extended cooperation in par-
in Finland and abroad to find new ways to advance the
world are built in Finland and we
ticular in science, technology and
research and teaching of this critical area. Currently, the
are busy with new innovations
research; in climate and envi-
Center assists in the planning of a summer school on Arctic
in ice-breaking and ice manage-
ronmental issues; in information
cooperation and cross-border expertise at the Lapland
ment technologies. Furthermore,
and communications technology;
University of Applied Sciences (p.6).
to live and work in a cold climate
and in safety and security related
In a globalized world, cross-border and multilateral
is natural for all Finns. Machinery
sectors, as well. The Finnish
cooperation is increasingly important. Respectively,
and houses are built to last even
Fulbright Program is already a
the Fulbright Center in Finland seeks to complement its
the coldest temperatures, cars are
partner
traditional bilateral programs by developing an increas-
winter-tested in Finland, cloth-
in this
ing number of collaborative, multilateral initiatives. The
ing is high-tech; comfortable but
strategy
new Fulbright Arctic Initiative is an excellent example of
always keeping you warm. Con-
through its
regional cooperation. Another one is the ongoing Fulbright
cepts such as renewable energy,
grant and
Inter-Country Travel Grant Program that the Fulbright
cleantech and green mining are
outreach
Center in Finland helps to coordinate to facilitate U.S.
routinely applied in our Arctic
programs.
scholar mobility in all of Europe. There are other examples,
activities. You know that Santa
and even more are in the planning.
Claus comes from the Arctic
None of this would be possible without our numerous
Circle in Finland, but did you
partners in Finland, in North America, and around the world.
know that 90 percent of all hotel
Thank you for joining us for Fulbright Finland… for the future!
beds in the Circumpolar Arctic are
Hannu Halinen
in the Finnish Lapland; we are an
Arctic Ambassador of Finland
Terhi Mölsä