During the European Polar Board’s (EPB) Autumn 2024 Plenary Meeting, held on 12-13 November, Prof. Peter Sköld, EPB Member Representative for the Arctic Centre at Umeå University, Sweden, was elected as the new EPB Chair. He will serve as Chair for an initial term until Autumn 2026, having previously completed two full terms as a member of the Executive Committee since Autumn 2020.
Peter earned his PhD in Historical Demography from Umeå University in 1996. His research spans Arctic sustainable development, historical demography, population statistics, indigenous health transitions, and northern cultures. He became a professor in Sámi history, culture, and societal development in 2003 and later served as the founding director of Várdduo (The Centre for Sámi Research). In 2012, he was appointed the first director of the Arctic Centre at Umeå University.
Peter is deeply engaged in Arctic research planning, stakeholder cooperation, and international collaboration. He has held several prominent positions, including Chair of the Board of Governors of the University of the Arctic (UArctic), President of the International Arctic Social Sciences Association (IASSA), and Chair of the Human and Social Sciences Working Group in the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC). He has also served as the Swedish delegate for the Arctic Council’s Culture, Economy, and Geography Expert Group (SECEG) under the Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG), Chair of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council’s Research and Education Working Group, and Deputy Director of the Chinese-Nordic Arctic Research Centre (CNARC).
In recognition of his contributions, Prof. Sköld was appointed Honorary Consul of Västerbotten to Latvia in 2015 and Climate Ambassador of Västerbotten in 2016.
Since Umeå University became an EPB member in 2018, Prof. Sköld has represented the university in the EPB and joined the Executive Committee (EXCOM) in 2020. He co-authored the Arctic Human Development Report II (2014) and was the lead author of the EU PolarNet White Paper No. 4, The Road to the Desired States of Social-Ecological Systems in the Polar Regions (2019).
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During the Autumn 2024 Plenary Meeting, the Plenary also elected two new Executive Committee (EXCOM) members: Prof. Carlo Barbante (EPB Representative for the Italian National Programme for Research in Antarctica) and Dr. Dragomir Mateev (EPB Alternate Representative for the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute).
Carlo is Professor at the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and an ERC Senior Grantee and PI in international research programs on polar regions. Founder and first Director of the Institute of Polar Sciences of the National research Council of Italy, President of the International Center for Climate Change Study and Research, Venice, Italy. He is the Italian delegate to IASC and Scientific Advisor of the CNR Polar Hub. Carlo is in the Advisory Committee of the Polar Dialogue.
Dragomir is a member of The Board of Directors of the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute, a Vice Director of the National Centre for Polar Studies of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, and a logistics and project manager of the Bulgarian Antarctic Program. Dragomir is member of the Bulgarian Antarctic delegation for Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings (ATCM) and Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP) since 2012 and was a Vice Chair of COMNAP form 2021 till 2024. Co-chairing of the Education and Outreach Intersessional Group within the ATCM since 2015.
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Prof. Carlo Barbante and Dr. Dragomir Mateev join existing EXCOM members: Dr. Marie-Noelle Houssais (CNRS, France), Mr. Egill Thor Níelsson (Rannís, Iceland) and Dr. Miguel Angel Ojeda (CSIC, Spain) along with Prof. Peter Sköld (ACUM, Sweden) as the newly elected EPB Chair.
We extend our congratulations to the new Chair and EXCOM members and wish them success in their roles, working alongside the incoming Executive Secretary, Dr. Maria Grigoratou, to shape the future of the EPB. We also express our deep gratitude to the outgoing Chair, Nicole Biebow, who served in this role for 3 years, 4 years as an EXCOM member and made significant contributions to the EPB's growth and impact.