Arctic Futures Symposium Underway Today!
The time has finally arrived! The International Polar Foundation and its many partners from the Arctic community are delighted to open the 11th edition of Arctic Futures Symposium.
Over the next three days, the Arctic Futures Symposium will present seven highly constructive dialogues on specific topics related to the Arctic.
Programme Outline
Between Monday 30 November and Wednesday 2 December from 2 pm until approximately 6 pm Central European Time (GMT+1) (between 8 am and 12 noon Eastern Standard Time (GMT-5)), the symposium webinars will look at a series of topics determined by the symposium's Arctic stakeholder partners. Below you may find the topics that will be discussed on each day:
Monday 30 November
- Opening Keynote
The opening keynote will be delivered by European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius. - Arctic Challenges
This opening panel led by Dr. Mike Sfraga, Director of the Wilson Center Polar Institute, will feature substantive discussions with a number of high-level speakers. It will focus on ocean governance, international cooperation and security in the Arctic. - Arctic Policies of the EU, Arctic States, and Arctic Stakeholders
Moderated by Adam Stępień, Researcher at the Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, a series of panel discussions will examine aspects of the Arctic Policies of the EU, the Arctic States, and Arctic indigenous organisations.
Tuesday 1 December
- Arctic Community Needs and Preparedness
Arne Holm, Editor in Chief of High North News, will lead a panel discussion about how Arctic communities can be better prepared to face challenges such as pandemics, food security, and connectivity, and promote the well-being of its inhabitants. - Pollution, Climate Change and Biodiversity: Challenges and Solutions
Philippe Archambault, Scientific Director of ArcticNet, will moderate a panel focusing on climate change and pollution in the Arctic, how both affect marine resources in the Arctic, biodiversity, and Arctic community security, and solutions to address these challenges. - Community Resilience through Empowerment
Embla Eir Oddsdóttir, Director of the Icelandic Arctic Cooperation Network, will moderate a discussion on empowering Arctic residents, in particular women and indigenous communities.
Wednesday 2 December
- A Uniquely Arctic Entrepreneurship and Investment Culture
Doris Carson, Human Geographer and expert in Arctic demographics from Umeå University, will lead a panel discussion on using traditional knowledge and climate research as a source of entrepreneurship in the Arctic, as well as Arctic investment. - The EU's Engagement in the Arctic and Implementing the EU Green Deal
Led by the Honourable Marie Anne Coninsx, former EU Ambassador at Large for the Arctic, a series of panel discussions will focus on areas of EU engagement in the Arctic, how this engagement can be improved, and how the goals of the EU Green Deal will be implemented in the Arctic.
The start times of each webinar session along with the full list of speakers for each panel are available on the programme page!
Guidelines on how to join the webinars, address specific questions to panelists are available on the practical information page.
For those of you who are unable to join the symposium webinars using the Cisco Webex software or via your Internet browser, each of the panel sessions will be recorded and made available on the IPF Youtube channel a few days after the symposium has finished.
We look forward to seeing many of you online!