The agreement centres specifically on cooperation within education, research and knowledge production. Examples of such cooperation include developing the students’ traineeship possibilities and adherence to the ethical principles of Sámi studies. Additionally, the parties may agree on the use of facilities in teaching and research on separately agreed terms and increase the number of expert exchanges.

The cooperation is directed by a contractual coordination group, and each of the organizations appoints their own representative to the group. The Sámi Education Institute is responsible for the chairmanship of the first period of activity.

Eeva-Liisa Rasmus-Moilanen, Rector of the Sámi Education Institute, states that it is important for the cooperation to be planned, the contents and responsibilities to be agreed upon and that the appointed people take care of pushing the cooperation forward.

“These topics are important to all of us, and we all look at these themes from a different perspective, which is a particular strength of this cooperation. Over the years we have been able to, for instance, revitalize handicraft traditions that have been nearly lost in history. This was done in cooperation with the museum and researchers, and it is just one example of the results of our cooperation,” says Rasmus-Moilanen.

“Strengthening cooperation in Sámi studies is important to us. We will strengthen joint research planning, development activities and flow of information, all of which will serve the Sámi society as a whole,” says Taina Máret Pieski, Museum Director of Sámi museum Siida.

“Cooperation with Indigenous peoples and Sámi studies is strategically significant for the University of Lapland, as it also strengthens our national mission of Arctic expertise. The cooperation agreement strengthens the long-lasting partnership and creates new opportunities for the development of education, research and expert exchanges. The University of Lapland has been closely collaborating with the Sámi museum Siida in the past years. We have also been collaborating with the Sámi Education Institute since 2007,” says Antti Syväjärvi, Rector of the University of Lapland.

The parties involved in the cooperation emphasize that the agreement enables the construction of new development projects, the creation of new communal learning models and the supporting of the vitality of the region.

More information:

Eeva-Liisa Rasmus-Moilanen, Rector, Sámi museum Siida
tel. +358 50 571 95 62
firstname.lastname (at) sogsakk.fi

Taina Máret Pieski, Museum Director, Sámi museum Siida
tel. +358 50 535 15 74
firstname.lastname (at) samimuseum.fi

Antti Syväjärvi, Rector, the University of Lapland
tel. +358 400 60 62 44
firstname.lastname (at) ulapland.fi