Is the Future Arctic?
19th November 2017, 1.00-3.00 pm, Lecture Theatre A, David Hume Tower, University of Edinburgh
As delegates from the Nordic, Arctic and beyond arrive for the Arctic Forum in Edinburgh, guest speakers from Iceland, Norway and Greenland will discuss the opportunities and threats to the Arctic, ask if the region has the political power it needs to develop sustainably and explore Scotland’s future role as a North Atlantic nation. Each speaker will offer a 15-20 minute presentation on their thoughts about the future of the Arctic. The discussion will be followed by an open Q & A session.
The Panel:
Lesley Riddoch is a journalist and is the Director of Nordic Horizons and will Chair this event.
Jón Baldvin Hannibalsson is the ex-leader of Iceland's Social Democratic Party (SPD) and former Minister of Finance and Foreign Affairs responsible for their EEA negotiations in the 1990s. He was also first to recognise the Baltic countries as independent states.
Rune Rafaelsen was Secretary General of the Norwegian Barents Secretariat for 12 years until 2015 when he was elected Mayor of the Sør-Varanger municipality in northern Norway, Europe’s northern-most Schengen border region with Russia. Rune is an expert on oil, fishing stocks & Russian politics.
Tukumminnguaq Nykjaer Olsen is a young student & campaigner from Greenland who won this year’s Arctic Innovation prize for her presentation “innovation is about inclusion: let’s make the Arctic inclusive”
Scots-born Rachael Lorna Johnstone is Professor of Law, Arctic Oil and Gas Studies at the University of Greenland and Director of the Arctic Oil and Gas Research Centre. She specialises in Polar law, the governance of the Arctic and the Antarctic under international and domestic law.
Andy Wightman MSP will respond to give a Scottish perspective on contributions by our Arctic speakers. Andy is Green MSP for the Lothians and sits on the Europe, Economy, Environment and Communities committees at Holyrood.
