Arctic Congress Bodø 2024 combines three Arctic congresses. Never before has an event of this calibre taken place in Norway. The Congress runsfrom 29 May to 3 June, and the program is released today.

Climate researcher and professor Grete Hovelsrud at Nordland Research Institute and Nord University says that top Arctic researchers will attend. She has worked with the program for a long time.

- It is spectacular, with so many Arctic actors gathered in the same place,

- We connect Indigenous Peoples, Arctic ambassadors, researchers, educators, politicians and businesses.This is quite unusual in a congress context.

Focus on Indigenous Peoples

The program's core is the sessions driven by the researchers. This is the very backbone of the Congress, with a lot of new and exciting research and perspectives, adds

Hovelsrud.

- The gathering points are the plenary panels, and there we can raise the discussions to a slightly different level than we do in research, she explains.

There will be a strong focus on Indigenous Peoples themes, adds Hovelsrud.

- We also have some side events with "pubinars" that address more sensitive topics, such as what we are doing now that Russian researchers are by and large absent.

Rapid changes

Hovelsrud believes that the relationship with Russia will probably become a hot topic among people "in the corridors." It is challenging that such a big Arctic congress will be missing the country that accounts for half of the land areas in the region.

- Some of us remember the time before and after the fall of the Berlin Wall. For 30 years, it has been natural for us to go to Russia and collaborate with Russian researchers.

- Many questions arise now: How do we proceed now? Will it ever be the same? The fact that we also address the problematic questions shows that this is a great depth and breadth Congress.

As a climate researcher, Grete has experienced firsthand how the Russian war against Ukarine has reduced access to important research data from the Russian side of the Arctic.

There are rapid climatic changes, and when we no longer cooperate with Russia and do not know what they are up to, we lack access to their new knowledge.

Unique event

-Grete Hovelsrud has held the presidency of the host organization IASSA, and both the presidency and the Congress are a collaboration between Nordlandsforskning and Nord University. This event is essential for networking, collaboration, and profiling. The work invested in this collaboration is enormous, and we are happy to make this Congress happen in Bodø. Thank you for your solid effort. - says Iselin Marstrander, CEO of Nordlandsforskning.

Hovelsrud is looking forward to the Congress and says there is also great interest from non-Arctic countries.

- For example, France and India.

- How large will this be?

- It will be the largest congress that has taken place in the Nordic region. Due to the unique collaboration between three established Arctic organizations, it will be a unique event that has not happened before and will probably not happen again.

NRI's session at the congress

- Being able to take part in this Congress will inspire researchers. It will provide the opportunity for unique networking and insight into the best relevant specialist fields for our institute. When the event is in Bodø, we can let many of our researchers attend the Congress and participate in the community. Many also have a role in Congress, which will make our researchers visible to the rest of the world. - says Marstrander.

Researchers at Nordland Research Institute are organising several sessions at the upcoming Arctic Congress Bodø 2024:

• Grete K. Hovelsrud @ Opening Ceremony
• Vida Daae Steiro @ Plenary: Sustainable Economic Development
• Grete Hovelsrud, Anna G. Sveinsdóttir @2.3.4 Managing change in Arctic coastal communities: resources, practices, and livelihoods
• Suyash Jolly, Jarle Løvland, Åge Mariussen @3.1.3 Respecting Indigenous peoples’ rights and enabling (Re)Distribution of non-renewable resources for inclusive green industrial development in the Arctic
• Bjørn Vidar Vangelsten @3.5.1 Food security and emergency preparedness in the Artic
• Majken Paulsen, Camilla Risvoll, Julien Lebel, Maiken Bjørkan @4.1.11 Restoring sustainable food systems, livelihoods and ecosystems in the Arctic
• Birgit Pauksztat, Merete Kvamme Fabritius, Trond Bliksvær @4.4.2 People with disabilities in the Arctic: Experiences and perspectives
• Helena Gonzales Lindberg, Camilla Risvoll @5.18 The powers of maps in shaping human-nature relations in the Arctic
• Julia Olsen @2.2.1 Gazing at melting ice? Arctic tourism in transition, multi-sensory encounters in changing Arctic landscapes
• Megan Palmer-Abbs @Peripheral Arctic Regions transitioning to more circular value systems in the management of plastic in the fisheries an aquaculture sector