Resource governance in the Arctic and its importance for geopolitics has been shaped by several big industry development projects that changed the way in which people relate to their resources altogether. One such place is Mirnyi in Yakutia, Siberia, a town which was established for digging what has become the biggest artificial hole on our planet - an open pit Diamond mine, which is today called "trubka mira", the piece-pipe. In this course we focus on the relation of global and circumpolar resource governance approaches and its influence on life and practices among people that live literally on these resources, as well as examine the ways in which local people and practices can influence governance and geopolitics, if at all.
How do resource governance and geopolitical changes shape the local experience of resource governance? Do local actors have the possibility to impact these changes themselves through claims to, for example, environmental and societal protection? The lectures in the course shall give insights to linkages between such larger developments as the centre-periphery relations, management approaches to natural resources, comparative analysis of such approaches and relations between the Soviet Union, contemporary Russia and other regions of the Arctic. Moreover, we shall pay specific attention in the course discussions to different levels of extractive industries resource governance on the international, national, provincial or local level and their interrelation. Among other topics, we shall discuss how these different level address and weigh the major orientation of resource governance, such as environmental, social, cultural, economic aspects.
Any and all interested PhD and Masters students are welcome to apply. Students in funding partner countries (Norway, Canada, USA, Russia, China, Denmark, Finland) are eligible for funding - the number of funded participants will be limited to the funding available. All applications will be considered on the basis of previous participation (to complete the certificate program) as well as project/paper proposal.
The application deadline for the course is December 5, 2015. Send applications or questions for more information to Florian Stammler and Gunhild Hoogensen Gjørv, copy to ivanovaaytalina@mail.ru.