New project studies structural inequality in reindeer herding Sámi communities

30.12.2018 12:46

The new project of the University of Lapland will promote dialogue on gender-specific structural inequality, and will develop concrete recommendations to support gender equality in the reindeer herding Sámi communities. The project is funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers’ (NCM) Gender Equality Fund (NIKK).

Call for applications: Summer School on Arctic Studies 2019

18.12.2018 13:01

Summer School on Arctic Studies 2019 will be held at Hokkaido University in Sapporo, Japan. The summer school is dedicated to advanced level undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled at the University of Lapland, the University of Oulu and the University of Helsinki. Application deadline is 28 February 2019.

Publication: Current Developments in Arctic Law

17.12.2018 9:27

The UArctic Thematic Network on Law is pleased to announce release of the volume 6 of the Current Developments in Arctic Law. The latest publication highlight contemporary Arctic related developments in areas of law, social sciences and politics. The Issue also describes ongoing projects, and report on events which took place during the year 2018.

Dissertation: Ethical agency in higher education and the challenges of structural development

14.12.2018 10:14

In her doctoral study Hannele Keränen, MEc, examines the fusion of two Finnish universities of applied sciences through the viewpoint of ethical agency. The paper belongs to the field of management and organisation studies.

Same genes allow humans and domestic animals to survive in Arctic conditions

13.12.2018 10:38

If a Yakutian cattle bull refuses to go out when the temperature has dropped down to -50°C, he will not be qualified as a breeding animal in Yakutia, Eastern Siberia. Both humans and domestic animals have adapted to the Arctic conditions, which can be identified in their genes. As a result of human-made and natural selection Arctic domestic animals have been adapted to these harsh conditions, which has been now investigated and described using approaches of genetics, anthropology and art.

Group photo - HuSArctic-Final-Conference-Afroja Khanam_www.jpg

Researchers: Policy-making related to the Arctic needs a new mindset

12.12.2018 10:40

‘Solutions to common human security issues must be contextual at the local level, and address the unique concerns of diverse identities within communities,’ state researchers in the final report of the HuSArctic project. The main objective of the four-year project in 2015–2018 is to address human challenges of the Arctic population and to find tools to improve human security within Barents region. The project is funded by the Academy of Finland and hosted by the Northern Institute for Environmental and Minority Law, which is part of the Arctic Centre at the University of Lapland.

According to reindeer herders, winters with basal ice are experienced more often than before

5.12.2018 0:05

In approximately half of the herding districts in Finland, basal ice events occurred more frequently in the period 1983–2016 than in the period 1948–1982. Researchers collected practitioners’ knowledge of herders from the period 1948–2016. During this period, seven winters with extensive basal ice formation were identified. Five out of seven of the most extensive basal ice formation events occurred between 1991 and 2016. Approximately one fourth of all reported mold formation events co-occurred with basal ice formation.

Doctoral defence: Qualities of Simplicity in Designing Interactive Art

30.11.2018 14:00

Tomi Knuutila’s (M.A. Arts and Design) doctoral dissertation entitled Qualities of Simplicity in Designing Interactive Art belongs to the field of interactive design. It contributes new knowledge about user and design experience of interactive art through practice-led design research.

Tomi Tuominen invited to talk in Luxembourg

27.11.2018 14:11

University lecturer Tomi Tuominen from the Faculty of Law has been invited to talk at a conference on the Economic and Monetary Union organized at the Max Planck Institute in Luxembourg.

Copies available for authors of doctoral theses

26.11.2018 14:57

According to the Rector’s decision, as of 1 January 2019 the University of Lapland will no longer sell doctoral theses (Acta Universitatis Lapponiensis series). In the future, all theses will be published in electronic format.

Face of the Month: Helsinki-born researcher is now studying everyday urban life in the Arctic region

26.11.2018 8:00

When we refer to Rovaniemi as an Arctic city, we tend to forget two essential things: in Rovaniemi, the link between arcticity and the history and locality is weak, and the city does not take advantage of the Arctic urban nature as part of its identity in the best possible way.

Doctoral dissertation: Total festival experience

22.11.2018 15:31

Maarit Kinnunen’s article-based dissertation constructs a model for total festival experience.

Panel discussion on "Indigenous Knowledge, Governance and Law" on 12 December at 9-12

22.11.2018 10:08

Welcome to the panel discussion on “Indigenous Knowledge, Governance and Law” on Wednesday 12 December at 9–12. The panel will be held at LS2, University of Lapland main building.

Public keynote by Dr. Hadley Friedland: “The Recovery and Resurgence of Indigenous Laws”

20.11.2018 12:56

Welcome to the public keynote by Dr. Hadley Friedland (University of Alberta) titled “The Recovery and Resurgence of Indigenous Laws” on Monday 10 December at 9 – 10.30 at Polarium Auditorium, Arktikum.

Doctoral defense: The governance of immigration manifests itself in those who are being governed: Economic integration of immigrants in Arctic perspectives

13.11.2018 14:59

LL.M Nafisa Yeasmin’s doctoral thesis point out that there are different factors that negatively influence immigration in the north. Immigrants feel that they are socially excluded from mainstream northern society: research results suggest that immigrants from particular region are more vulnerable to being excluded than other immigrants. Local people’s attitudes towards immigrants vary based on the situations in which they encounter immigrants, the immigrants’ country of origin and educational background, the views of the respective groups, and so forth.

Doctoral dissertation. Narrative Spaces: On identity work and placeness through arts-based narrative practices

6.11.2018 11:06

The challenge brought to the forefront of arts-based research in human contexts is to value and constantly re-examine the relationship between the storyteller and the listener, and between the knower and the knowledge. Daria Akimenko’s study attempts at mapping a research field where the complexity of identities, narratives, contexts, places, and practices is embraced rather than simplified. It employs arts-based and reflexive approaches to research, working in a landscape of six global communities of place and practice and aiming at academic, artistic and general public audiences.

Doctoral defense: Making the voice of visual journalists in news websites

2.11.2018 14:00

Yiyun Zha’s doctoral thesis suggests how the practices of visual journalism are varied due to significant media alterations in recent years. Therefore, it focuses on how design professionalism can be understood in news websites and how in-house visual journalists’ work and organizational cultures change in the process of visual transmediation. The common ground of the different findings of this research is that media facilitation and media convergence has an enormous influence on the visual information structure as well as visual practitioners’ daily routines and practices.

Face of the Month: Melting ice sheets can raise sea levels, but we still have time to act!

18.10.2018 8:00

Rupert Gladstone hopes that our generation have will to make right decisions in order to secure favorable living environment also for the future generations.

Rupert Gladstone appointed Adjunct Professor of Computer Modelling in Glaciology

15.10.2018 13:59

Based on the decision of the Rector of the University of Lapland, PhD Rupert Gladstone has been appointed for the position of Adjunct Professor of Computer Modelling in Glaciology in the Arctic Centre at the University of Lapland. Gladstone is part of the Global change research group of the Arctic Centre.

The Dean of the Faculty of Law Soili Nysten-Haarala took part in the kick-off meeting in Riga

11.10.2018 15:10

The Dean of the Faculty of Law Soili Nysten-Haarala took part in the kick-off meeting of the project “Legal Challenges in International Investments, Indigenous Peoples and Environment Protection” that took place in Riga on 28 September 2018.

The new Barents Studies bring economic, social and political margins on focus

10.10.2018 13:22

The new issue of the international peer-reviewed journal Barents Studies covers topics around marginal phenomena. The issue 1/2018 features three peer-reviewed scientific articles, two research communications, a book review of the Encyclopedia of the Barents Region, and introductions of young scholars of the region.

Viidon Sieiddit: Looking at new Sámi awareness of nature

2.10.2018 9:35

The traditional relationship of Sámi with nature is concrete, practical and tied to a place. The places where Sámi live and their physical structures are familiar to the members of the community as they live and do things in them.

Tanja Joona Appointed as Associate Professor of International Law

1.10.2018 13:28

Doctor of Social Sciences Tanja Joona has been appointed as Associate Professor of International Law at the University of Lapland for the period 1 October 2018 to 31 May 2019.

Fieldwork on Ellesmere Island, Canada: Measuring the size of individual plants. The study combines over 50,000 individual plant measurements with 30 years of plant community monitoring to understand how tundra ecosystems are responding to warmer temperatures. Photo: Anne Bjorkman

New plants on the block: Taller species are taking over in a warming Arctic

26.9.2018 20:00

Until now, the Arctic tundra has been the domain of low-growing grasses and dwarf shrubs. Defying the harsh conditions, these plants huddle close to the ground and often grow only a few centimeters high. But new, taller plant species have been slowly taking over this chilly neighborhood, report an international group of nearly 130 biologists in Nature. This has led to an overall increase in the height of tundra plant communities over the past three decades.

Peeping into the past: photo exhibition

25.9.2018 9:29

The exhibition “Peeping into the past” deals with qualities of photography: When you look at a photograph, you always look at something that is gone. Something that existed or happened in the past. Something the photographer saw and wanted to show to others by freezing the moment. The photo exhibition are on the Faculty of Education of the University of Iceland on 24-28 September.

frozen_icebergs_near_thwaites_glacier_in_west_antarctica_credit_nasa_jim_yungel.jpg

Glacial engineering could limit sea-level rise, if we get our emissions under control

20.9.2018 15:00

Targeted engineering projects to hold off glacier melting could slow down the collapse of ice sheets and limit sea-level rise, according to a new study published in the European Geosciences Union journal The Cryosphere.

China to Gain Winter Sport Snowhow from Lapland: Beijing Sport University Orders a Degree Programme Designed by the University of Lapland and Lapland UAS

20.9.2018 10:47

The cooperation between the University of Lapland and Lapland UAS in export of education just took a major leap forward as their jointly designed degree programme entitled ”Snow and Ice Resort Management” started off at the beginning of September. The degree programme with a special emphasis on winter sports was ordered by the Beijing Sport University, and it relies strongly on the expertise of the two Lapland-based universities.

Honorary Consulate of Italy opens in Arktikum

18.9.2018 8:00

The Honorary Consulate of Italy in Finnish Lapland opens in Arktikum house in Rovaniemi in September 2018. Senior Researcher Nuccio Mazzullo from the Arctic Centre at the University of Lapland has been working as Honorary Vice Consul of Italy since August 2016.

The new programme to support Arctic research cooperation between Finland and Japan

12.9.2018 9:55

Finnish and Japanese universities will tighten the cooperation in Arctic research and education by establishing Finnish-Japanese Arctic Studies Program. The project is cooperation between the University of Lapland, the University of Oulu and the University of Helsinki from Finland and the Hokkaido University from Japan.

Responsible tourism network to be launched in Lapland, Finland

7.9.2018 11:10

Lapland tourism is growing faster than ever before. This growth has generated discussions about how to ensure that tourism activities are conducted responsible today and in the future. The new network will gather Lappish tourism organizations to discuss and develop together more responsible tourism practices. This network, which aims to make Lapland a leading responsible destination, is launched in collaboration between the Tourism Research Degree of the University of Lapland and Harriniva Hotels and Safaris.