The goal of the seminar was to share different experiences and models on the structural changes that are taking place across the region; and through the presentations and ensuring discussions, participants gain insight into current policy changes, issues and challenges. Scroll to the bottom of this article to dowload several of the seminar presentations.
Among the special guests presenting at the seminar were:
Ulrich Teichler, Professor at the University of Kassel, and former Director of the International Centre for Higher Education Research.
Fredrik Melander, Senior Advisor, Department of Knowledge and Welfare, Nordic Council of Ministers.
and
Paul F. Nemitz, Head of Maritime Policy Development and Coordination, European Commission. Brussels.
As a follow-up to the success of this seminar, the UArctic International Secretariat has invited several of the presenters to write articles on the future of higher education in the North, which are to be published in the 2011 edition of UArctic's Shared Voices Magazine.
At the end of the seminar, Rector Jarle Aarbakke of the University of Tromsø said in his closing remarks, “We have a good forum for the exchange of experiences, and we need to move this forward into various forms of collaboration”. Hence it is through its partnership with Arctic Frontiers that UArctic will continue to hold seminars for its membership, to provide for quality discussions on contemporary issues related to the Circumpolar North.
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Seminar program summary:
Introductions:
- Lasse Lönnum Director, University of Tromso
- Marina Kalinina Deputy Vice-Rector of International Cooperation, Northern (Arctic) Federal University. Reading: A message from Andrey Fursenko, Minister of Education and Science, of the Russian Federation.
Speakers:
• Prof. Ulrich Teichler, Prof. and former Director, International centre for Higher Education Research, University of Kassel, Germany. Pursuing Specific Profiles of Individual Universities or University Networks - Problems and Opportunities.
• Fredrik Melander, Senior Advisor, Department of Knowledge and Welfare, Nordic Council of Ministers. Networking as a means for funding solutions.
• Paul F. Nemitz, Head of Unit, Maritime Policy for the Atlantic Ocean, the Arctic and the Outermost regions. European Commission, Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. Brussels, Belgium. Introduction to EU Policy priorities in relation the Arctic, and related reserarch activities.
• Gustaf Lind, Arctic Ambassador of Sweden, incoming Chair of the Arctic Council SAO’s
Presentations from Universities and Colleges:
• Prof. Elena V. Kudryashova, Rector, Northern (Arctic) Federal University, Russia. The new Russian Arctic University, vision and how to get there.
• Pat Pitney, Vice Chancellor Administrative Services, University of Alaska Fairbanks, USA. State higher education systems for coordinated university delivery, the Alaska experience.
• Terry Weninger, President, Yukon College, Canada. University level education offerings in Canada’s north - possible models.
• Prof. Mauri Ylä-Kotola, President University of Lapland, Finland. Consortium models - The Lapland University Consortium
• Prof. Jarle Aarbakke, Rector University of Tromsø. The Tromsø merger.
• Ketil Hansen, Rector Finnmark University College, Norway. Alternative models.