Satu Miettinen, Dean and Professor of Service Design at University of Lapland, visited San Francisco, California, and Seattle, Washington, to meet with industry professionals and higher education faculty and researchers. Her visit was supported through University of Lapland by the American Arctic Connection program of the US Embassy.
She met with researchers at the University of Washington working on the grant: Co-Designing Civic Education for the Circumpolar North, which is part of the National Science Foundation’s larger Navigating the New Arctic research initiative. Miettinen and PI Jason Young planned details for a workshop and field work trip to northern Finland, as well as an official visit to University of Lapland, where she has since hosted the American group.
Additionally, she met with leaders from the Canadian Studies Center, the School of Art + Art History + Design, the Department of Scandinavian Studies, and visiting Fulbright Canada Research Chairs in Arctic Studies. They discussed future collaboration relating to Arctic research questions, PhD-level training, international mobility, Finnish design, and Seattle Innovation week.
As a result of the trip and the relationships established, University of Lapland is sending two post-doctoral researchers to the University of Washington for 3-month visits.