Annual Report 2023
Editor
Anne Raja-Hanhela
Documentary film about the Arctic Centre’s research and working community was produced by RARE Media. Screenwriter was visiting researcher Johannes Roviomaa. The premiere of “Dear Arctic” was held in September. | photo laura ollila
The weather was, for once, favourable for the annual ice fishing competition organized for all employees of the Arktikum and Pilke photo lisa könig
Layout & Design
Reetta Linna
Cover photo Matti Kantola
Printed by University of Lapland Printing Centre, Rovaniemi, Finland 2024
The weather was, for once, favourable for the annual ice fishing competition organized
President Sauli Niinistö and the Governor General of Canada Mary Simon emphasized the importance of global co-operation in the fight against climate change while visiting in Arktikum. | photo kaisa sirén
Year 2023 was busy in terms of event organization. Two big conferences and several other seminars were hosted by the Arctic Centre. | photo anne raja - hanhela
Contents
From the Director Expertise
Publications
Arktikum Events and Seminars
From the Director
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When looking back at the year 2023, I feel thrilled to sum up Arctic Centre’s achievements.
February brought us distinguished guests as the President of the Republic of Finland, Sauli Niinistö and the Governor-General of Canada, Mary Simon visited Arktikum. In their talks to university students, both heads of state encouraged global co-operation in the work against climate change.
Arctic anthropology received notable attention during the conference of the Finnish Anthropological Society organized by our Arctic Anthropology Research Team. The conference gathered altogether 300 participants and it was a great success.
Talking of success stories, the Rovaniemi Arctic Spirit Conference process is one of those. It has established its role as Finland’s leading Arctic event. The 6th conference was organized by Arctic Centre’s science communication team in November with the main theme “Towards New Horizons”. Many Arctic Centre key partners contributed to the content, as did our whole research community. The next Arctic Spirit Conference will probably be hosted in spring 2025.
Renewal of the permanent exhibition of our Science Centre is well on its way and continues as planned. In Easter 2024 we shall close the doors of the cur-
rent 17-year-old exhibition “Arctic in Change”. The brand-new exhibition “Polar Opposites” is estimated to open to the public by the end of 2024.
Throughout the year, the entire Arctic Centre’s research publication activity has been remarkable both in quantity and quality. While ongoing projects keep on producing good things, we have also succeeded in getting a lot of new research funding.
Honoured to be the Director of the Arctic Centre, Johanna Throughout the year, the entire Arctic Centre’s research publication activity has been remarkable both in quantity and quality.
The year 2024 begins by stepping into a new research organization. Four research programmes are launched with already well-established disciplines and some new emerging ones. This is our way to respond to the elevated need to strengthen the sustainability and resilience of the Arctic, the changed geopolitical situation and thus research opportunities.
Our new research disciplines will be supported by new strategic recruitments in 2024. The Arctic Centre will also have a new Board and a new Scientific Advisory Board, as the current ones finished their period at the end of 2023. Many thanks to the members of both boards.
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photo santeri happonen
Expertise
Total funding 4 237 450 €*
Basic budget
2 435 834 € / 57 %
External funding
1 801 616 € / 43 %
*Does not include costs of premises and other general expenses
Person years of work 48,38
Researchers 72,99 %
Others 27,01 %
(e.g. Exhibition Designer, Science Communicator, Project Coordinator, Administrative Secretary)
The mass abundance of the common heath took researchers on fieldwork trips to northern Lapland. The extent of the damage caused by the insect surprised the scientists. | photo henri wallen
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Visiting personnel
53 researchers from 18 countries with average 7,5 months stay
11 trainees from 6 countries with average 3,3 months stay
48 projects
More information: research.ulapland.fi
Scientific Advisory Board for the Arctic Centre in 2020–2023 had its last meeting in September. | photo arctic centre
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Publications
105 Scientific publications
72 Professional publications
17 Publications for general public
More information:
Blogs
Kaikuja Arktikselta – Arctic Echoes
www.arcticcentre.org/kaikuja
Arctic Anthropology
arcticanthropology.org
Critical Arctic Studies
www.criticalarcticstudies.com
research.ulapland.fi/en/organisations/arktinen-keskus
The CLIMINI project studied the adaptation of reindeer herding to climate change. The crucial question was how to minimize the adverse effects of climate change. The final report was published in a seminar in May. | photo ilona mettiäinen
In his new book Markku Heikkilä shares observations from his 25 years of travels across the Arctic. | photo nicolas gunslay
Hannah Strauss-Mazzullo and Monica Tennberg edited a book about the everyday life and adaptation to the changing Arctic climate. | photo anne raja - hanhela
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Arktikum
134
134 470 visitors
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470 Visitors in Arktikum 57 % from abroad 2008 80 593 visitors 70 333 70 369 72 945 77 653 72 216 73 776 91 143 94 711 107 238 50 335 109 301 128 454 57 571
2023
103 230
The Governor General of Canada Mary Simon visited the University of Lapland in February as part of the program of the state visit to Finland. The Governor General was greeted by Rector Antti Syväjärvi and Director Johanna Ikävalko. | photo kaisa siren
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Science Centre Exhibitions
▪ ARCTIC IN CHANGE | Permanent exhibition
▪ ANTARCTICA – SCIENCE IN EXTREME CONDITIONS
Exhibition presenting research and daily life in the Finnish research station Aboa in Antarctica | 16.9.2022–17.9.2023
▪ NATURE PHOTOS OF THE YEAR | 28.3.–14.5.2023.
▪ THE LAPLAND CATTLE – AN ARCTIC CATTLE
An exhibition about a local cattle breed well adapted to northern conditions, the Lapland Cattle, its history and the present day | 16.6.–30.9.2023
The Northern Finncattle (‘Cattle of Lapland’) exhibition presented the results of a research project that explored the prospects for the endangered native breed. The exhibition was opened at the final seminar of the project. | photo laurence rouvier
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Events and Seminars
▪ VISIT OF THE GOVERNOR GENERAL OF CANADA MARY SIMON AND PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF FINLAND
SAULI NIINISTÖ Discussion event with students about climate change as part of the state visit | 9.2.2023
▪ ARCTIC JUSTICE – ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND JUST GREEN TRANSITION Seminar organized by the JustNorth project | 24.2.2023
▪ ANTHROPOLOGY CONFERENCE 2023: RELATIONS AND BEYOND Conference of the Finnish Anthropological Society hosted by the Arctic Anthropology Research Team of the Arctic Centre | 21.–23.3.2023
▪ HOW REINDEER HUSBANDRY LIVES AND CHANGES IN A CHANGING CLIMATE? Final Seminar of the CLIMINIproject | 23.5.2023
Finland’s main Arctic event, the Rovaniemi Arctic Spirit, was organized in mid-November for the sixth time in the history of the conference. This year, the conference themes concentrated especially on Arctic security, not forgetting other topics such as climate tipping points, the green transition and land use, as well as the critical explorations of the politics in the Arctic. | photo marko junttila
broad and unprecedented effects on Arctic
Russian military aggression against Ukraine had
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▪ LAPLAND CATTLE SEMINAR Final seminar of the project
“How specialization of products and services based on the Lapland Cattle can contribute to northern livelihoods” | 16.6.2023
▪ ARCTIC CAFÉ: EXPEDITION TO ANTARCTICA | 29.8.2023
▪ CONNECTING THE ARCTIC WITH THE THIRD POLE
– THE HINDU KUSH HIMALAYA Conference organized in Nepal bringing together experts from both regions | 6.–9.9.2023
▪ PREMIERE: DEAR ARCTIC First screening of the documentary film that follows the work of six researchers of the Arctic Centre | 14.9.2023
▪ CRITICAL ARCTIC STUDIES SYMPOSIUM Post-Human Dialogues: Rethinking human-nature relations in and through the Arctic | 10.–12.10.2023
▪ MATINEE: ARCTIC NARRATIVES Panel discussion exploring contemporary Arctic narratives followed by short film screenings | 13.11.2023
▪ ROVANIEMI ARCTIC SPIRIT The biennial Rovaniemi Arctic Spirit Conference was organized for the 6th time with the main theme “Towards New Horizons” | 13.–15.11.2023
▪ ARCTIC MARKET DAYS Sales event for local handcrafters, producers and artists | 8.–10.12.2023
For the first time ever, the conference of the Finnish Anthropological Society was held in Rovaniemi in March. The event was organized by the Arctic Centre Anthropology team with the help of science communications. The interest was overwhelming, and the event gathered over 300 participants. | photo arctic centre
The first Critical Arctic Studies Symposium was organized with the theme “Post-Human Dialogues: Rethinking human-nature relations in and through the Arctic” in October. | photo laura ollila
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The first Inter-Polar Conference connecting the Arctic with the Third Pole, the Hindu Kush Himalaya, was organized in Nepal bringing together experts from both regions. The Northern Institute for Environmental and Minority Law (NIEM) was one of the main organizers. The conference was a great success and a starting point for a more durable network of experts exploring Arctic and Third Pole topics.
| photo jitendra raj bajracharya / icimod .
Contact Arctic Centre, University of Lapland P.O. Box 122 (Pohjoisranta 4, Arktikum House) 96101 Rovaniemi Finland tel. +358 (0)16 341 341 arcticcentre@ulapland.fi www.arcticcentre.org @arktikumofficial @arcticcentre @Arctic_Centre