During the European Polar Board (EPB) Autumn 2023 Plenary Meeting, held on 6th and 7th November 2023 in Tromsø and online, the Center for the Arctic and Antarctic (CAA), Luleå University of Technology (Sweden) was welcomed as a new Member. With the CAA as newest EPB Member, the EPB now has 30 Member organisations from 21 countries.
CAA’s Representative to the EPB, Prof. Dr. Dag Avango, is the Institution’s Director and a professor of history, specialising in cultural heritage and the history of extractive industries and environment in the polar areas. Ass. Prof. Dr. Charlotta Söderberg, serving as Alternate Representative, is Associate Professor in Political Science at the Division of Social Sciences at Luleå University of Technology. She has a leading role within the Secretariat of the Arctic Five (2023-2025).
About CAA: The Centre for the Arctic and Antarctic at Luleå University of Technology establishes a state-of-the-art, transdisciplinary platform dedicated to Arctic and Antarctic research and education. The core function of the CAA is to initiate close collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders, including academia, industry, local communities, Indigenous populations, and governmental agencies. In achieving its aims, CAA maintains a collaborative relationship with the Arctic Centre at Umeå University built on coordination on communication, including research seminars and panels.
The Centre for the Arctic and Antarctic is dedicated to tackling global challenges affecting the Polar regions, both present and future. The Centre’s focus is organized around several interdependent issues: climate resilience, ecosystem conservation, fostering sustainable and inclusive communities, facilitating green economic transitions, cold-climate technology, regional security, cultural heritage preservation, and public health, all with implications for policy and governance. This aligns closely with the pursuit of Agenda 2023 Sustainable Development Goals.
To address these multifaceted challenges, CAA encourages scholarly contributions across natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, and technology. This interdisciplinary approach leverages a collective capacity for innovative research and educational strategies. Within Luleå University of Technology, CAA serves as the coordinating entity for Arctic Five initiatives and other Arctic and Antarctic related tasks, positioning Luleå University of Technology as a major research hub in Polar research and educations.
We are happy to have the Center for the Arctic and Antarctic, Luleå University of Technology as a new EPB Member and we are looking forward to collaborate!
Learn more about CAA here: https://www.ltu.se/research/Arctic?l=en