Russia

Regarding economic development in the Arctic there is the widely spread interpretation that some places may be able to benefit from extractive industries activities, while others may not. During the UArctic PhD- and Masters course “Resource governance between global theories and local approaches”, which was held from 16th to 22nd of February 2016, we visited Mirny in the Sakha Republic (Russian Federation), which many may perceive as one of such places where the benefits are preponderant.

Development of Mining in Mirny

Two weeks ago I joined this year's edition of the annual traveling symposium Calotte Academy. It was already my fourth participation in this event. The Calotte Academy is a great venue to discuss ongoing research of the participants. One of the characteristics that makes it so grand is that there is plenty of time reserved for discussions, putting the participants presentations a little bit into the background. This is a refreshing alternative to conferences, where usually only very limited time is available to discuss the findings of the presenters.