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.