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Arctic

Arctic Helsus long page

The Arctic region is transforming rapidly. This includes rapid warming, melting ice, and changing ecological conditions that transform geopolitical, economic and sociocultural spheres. The arctic is fragile environment and at the same time is under pressure from competing interests that include for example increased commercial activity, conservation, and maintaining livelihoods for indigenous and local communities. Changes in the Arctic will not only affect local people, ice conditions, permafrost and ecosystems but also the rest of the world as the Arctic plays a special role in the global climate system.

HELSUS provides an interdisciplinary and transformatory take on Arctic research in relation to their natural environments as well as socio-political ones.  In addition to climate and ecological research with multiple temporal perspectives, the region is studied through wellbeing, justice and rights within the Nordic context.

In all of research at the University of Helsinki, climate change, sustainability and the changing environments in the arctic region take centre stage. The Arctic research theme within HELSUS aims to bring these thematics to practice by creating an interdisciplinary platform for the already existing expertise at the University of Helsinki.

 

Research groups
Research Infrastructure
Networks and cooperation

Research groups

Here are the ongoing research projects related to the Arctic:

The extensive and multidisciplinary Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme studies the effects of human activity on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and provides solutions for current environmental problems.

ALL-YOUTH – All youth want to rule their world is a multidisciplinary research project which explores the capacities of young people (aged between 16 and 25) and the obstacles that hamper their engagement with society. We also explore the visions of youth regarding sustainable future, growth and well-being.

The research project Migration and the narratives of Europe as an “Area of freedom, security and justice” traces narratives of Europe, traversing through both historical and current experiences of exile. It focuses on the impact of exile on shaping the European legal, social and religious/cultural narratives.

You can read more about the Arctic Research within the Helsinki of University through this report.

Research Infrastructure

Kilpisjärvi Biological Station

Kilpisjärvi Biological Station was founded in 1964 and belongs to the Faculty of Biological and Environmental sciences. It is situated in the mountain birch forest zone near the 70th degree of northern latitude (69°03'N; 20°50'E) in the northwesterenmost part of Finland. The principal aim of the station is to promote biological and geographical research in the north, and to provide students of biology and geography with information about natural phenomena in northern lands. The station is open to researchers of all nationalities.

Muddusjärvi Research Station

The Muddusjärvi research station belongs to the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry and is situated in northern Finland in the village Kaamanen, 25 km from the city of Inari. The station operates with ca. 13 hectares of field and ca. 700 ha of forest and administrates also a 1000 ha lake area. The original purpose was to conduct research to support Lappish agriculture and other subarctic research for the Faculty, but since 1996, the usage of the station has been more or less project based and concentrated to the summer time. There is one permanent employer accompanied by the necessary summer help.

Värriö subarctic research station

Värriö subarctic research station was founded in 1967 and belongs to the Institute for Atmospheric Research at the University of Helsinki. It is located in the Värriö Strict Nature Reserve in Eastern Lapland. The station has collected exceptionally long time series of the environment, including e.g. phenology, berry and cone production, birds and insects, which reflect the changes in subarctic forests and fell ecosystems over decades. The current research at the station is dealing with the productivity of the subarctic ecosystems and air pollution and atmospheric processes in the Arctic.

Networks and cooperation

Finland holds the chairmanship of the Arctic Council as well as the Arctic Economic Council in 2017-2019. The University of Helsinki participates in the burning discussion around the Arctic by hosting major scientific conferences and other events targeted also to the general public. Together with the University of Oulu, UHEL organised the UArctic Conference in 2018. The University of the Arctic (UArctic) is a cooperative network of universities, colleges, research institutes and other organizations concerned with education and research in and about the North.             

The Academy of Finland's Arctic Academy Programme (ARKTIKO, 2014-2018) is a programme by the Academy of Finland that aims to study and understand the change factors affecting the development of the Arctic region, the transformation process, and the dynamics of change. Out of 20 extensive international research projects, the University of Helsinki hosts 13 of them. The Programme evolves around four themes:

  • Good-quality life in the north
  • Economic activity and infrastructure in Arctic conditions
  • The northern climate and environment
  • Cross-border Arctic policy

ArcticFinland.fi collects information on Finland’s Arctic policies and on Arctic research and Arctic business in Finland. The site is maintained by the Arctic Centre at the University of Lapland with the support of The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.