The Introduction seminar of the Master’s program on Health and Wellbeing in the Circumpolar Area was held in January 26 – 28, 2009 in Oulu, Finland. In the seminar students worked on a circumpolar knowledge map and gave presentations related to the health and wellbeing in their own area or the area of interest.
The seminar was led by Arja Rautio (the lead of the Thematic Network on Arctic Medicine) from the Centre of Arctic Medicine at Thule Institute, University of Oulu, Kristina Hunter from the Department of Environment and Geography, and Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth, and Resources at the University of Manitoba, Canada. In addition to the presentations, the seminar gave important practical information on individual learning agreements and on-line courses that will be the first courses to be taken.
All together 11 students representing Canada, the United Kingdom, Finland, Russia and Australia have started the program. The students share an interest in working for the circumpolar North and many have either working or personal relations to Northern indigenous peoples or Australian aboriginal people. Seven students were able to come to the seminar in Oulu, three students participated online, regardless of the time difference.
The Master’s Program on Health and Wellbeing in the Circumpolar Area is an international two-year program (120 ECTS/60 North American Credit Hours including theses), established and managed in collaboration by the partner universities: University of Oulu, Finland; Luleå University of Technology, Sweden; Northern State Medical University, Russia; Pomor State University, Russia; University of Lapland, Finland; University of Manitoba, Canada; Center for Health Education, Greenland; and University of Southern Denmark, Denmark.
For more information on the program, please visit the website: http://arctichealth.oulu.fi/suomi/maisterikoulu.html