Abstract

In the early twenty-first century international attention and global interest in the northernmost regions of the globe are increasing, at the same time the geo-strategic importance of the Arctic is growing. Since the end of the Cold War international northern cooperation - both between the Arctic states and between them and non-state actors - has become more institutionalized and dynamic. On one hand there is multilateral international cooperation within the Arctic Council as well as cooperation with and between indigenous peoples’ organizations, other international organizations and forums, in addition to bilateral inter-state relations. On the other hand, cooperation is functional within certain fields, for example, between academic institutions on higher education, civilian organizations on environmental protection, and civil societies on regional development and culture. From a critical theoretical lenses, this session aims at mapping the evolution of the Artic as a new metaphor for exceptionalism in IR.


Bio note

Lassi Heininen is Professor at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Lapland, a specialist in Russian and Arctic studies, geopolitics of the Arctic and security studies. Heininen has published several articles and books on these subjects.