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Arctic Ocean Geopolitics Programme, Scott Polar Research Institute

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 October 2009

Paul Arthur Berkman
Paul Arthur Berkman*
Affiliation:
Arctic Ocean Geopoltics Programme, Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Rd, Cambridge CB2 1ER (pb426@cam.ac.uk)
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Extract

The Arctic Ocean is crossing an environmental threshold from a permanently ice covered to seasonally ice free ocean during summer, with emerging geopolitical interactions of relevance to international peace and stability. In response, the Arctic Ocean Geopolitics Programme was initiated at the Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, in September 2008 with the following objectives:

  1. 1) to enhance cooperation in an international, interdisciplinary and inclusive manner among existing research teams that are focusing on Arctic Ocean geopolitics;

  2. 2) to provide parliamentary, governmental, civil-society and industry audiences with objective analyses of environmental security issues and alternative responses in the Arctic Ocean; and

  3. 3) to identify lessons from the Arctic Ocean regarding the governance dynamics of nation states and international spaces beyond national jurisdiction.

Information

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Notes
Information
Polar Record , Volume 45 , Issue 4 , October 2009 , pp. 383
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

The Arctic Ocean is crossing an environmental threshold from a permanently ice covered to seasonally ice free ocean during summer, with emerging geopolitical interactions of relevance to international peace and stability. In response, the Arctic Ocean Geopolitics Programme was initiated at the Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, in September 2008 with the following objectives:

  1. 1) to enhance cooperation in an international, interdisciplinary and inclusive manner among existing research teams that are focusing on Arctic Ocean geopolitics;

  2. 2) to provide parliamentary, governmental, civil-society and industry audiences with objective analyses of environmental security issues and alternative responses in the Arctic Ocean; and

  3. 3) to identify lessons from the Arctic Ocean regarding the governance dynamics of nation states and international spaces beyond national jurisdiction.

To accomplish these objectives, the programme is collaborating with programmes and institutions that include: Geopolitics of the High North (www.geopoliticsnorth.org), Royal United Service Institute for Defence and Security Studies (www.rusi.org), United Nations Environmental Programme GRID-Arendal (www.grida.no) and the United Nations University, Institute of Advanced Studies (www.ias.unu.edu). The programme also has begun to convene international workshops, such as the Arctic environmental governance workshop at the University of Cambridge in January 2009 in conjunction with Arctic TRANSFORM (www.arctic-transform.org) with several dozen collaborators from institutions that included the European Commission, the European Parliament and the British Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology. In addition, the programme is involved in convening the Antarctic Treaty Summit: Science-Policy Interactions in International Governance (www.atsummit50.aq) at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington from 30 November to 3 December 2009. Importantly, the programme involves graduate students who are working on projects ranging from the Arctic Military Environmental Cooperation programme to monitoring surface ship movement in the Arctic Ocean. For additional background on the Arctic Ocean Geopolitics Programme, please contact the author.