NEWS The Arctic Centre is proud to present Umeå University's new Arctic Five Chairs for 2024–2026. Through the Chairs program, five distinguished researchers will have the opportunity to develop transnational collaborations and new research projects that will benefit both the university and its partners.
Umeå University's Arctic Five Chairs 2024–2026.
These five researchers represent a diversity of disciplines and research areas, from political science and design to ecology and food science. Once again, having chairs from several different faculties reinforces the idea that the Arctic is an issue that affects all parts of society.
Their work will promote new research, strengthen interdisciplinary collaborations, and contribute solutions to the Arctic's critical challenges. Through the Arctic Five Chairs initiative, Umeå University continues to lead the way in building bridges between research and society for a sustainable future in the Arctic region.
Niklas Eklund, Professor at the Department of Political Science, will focus on the civil-military relationship in the Arctic and analyse intersections between defence, trade, and climate-related security issues. His research aims to increase policy relevance and build interdisciplinary collaborations within the Arctic Five network.
Danielle Wilde, Professor at the Umeå Institute of Design, will lead a project on Arctic food citizenship. Her work emphasises environmental food citizenship and the integration of Indigenous ontologies to address climate change and sustainable food practices in the Arctic.
Björn Norlin, Associate Professor at the Department of Education, strives to strengthen the inclusion of Sami knowledge in teacher education in northern Norway, Sweden, and Finland. His project will develop a research network to support teacher education on Indigenous themes.
Armando Perez-Cueto, Professor at the Department of Food, Nutrition and Culinary Science, will conduct research on sustainable food transitions in the Arctic. His work focuses on promoting resilient food systems and dietary shifts with lower carbon footprints while respecting traditional Arctic food sources.
Daniel Metcalfe, Professor at the Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, will investigate ways to improve the monitoring of carbon storage in northern forests. His research will address the effects of climate change on carbon storage and cycling in northern forests, aiming to improve global climate change models.
The Arctic Five Chairs program, a core activity of the Arctic Centre, is a vital enabler of international collaboration. By supporting these researchers, the program strengthens Umeå University's role in addressing critical Arctic issues, promoting innovation, and increasing interdisciplinary research efforts across the Arctic Five universities.