autumn 2017
STV-1006 Arctic Norway - Aspects of Politics, Government and International Relations - 10 ECTS

Application deadline

Applicants from Nordic countries: 1 June for the autumn semester and 1 December for the spring semester. Exchange students and Fulbright students: 1 October for the spring semester and 15 April for the autumn semester.

Type of course

The course can be taken as a singular course.

Admission requirements

Nordic applicants: Generell studiekompetanse

International applicants: Higher Education Entrance Qualification and certified language requirements in English.

A list of the requirements for the Higher Education Entrance Qualification in Norway can be found on the web site from the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT). For language requirements we refer to NOKUT's GSU-list.

Application code: 9199 (Nordic applicants).


Course content

This course begins with an introduction to the Norwegian political system and its institutions. A central issue vis-a-vis North Norway is management and protection of the region`s rich natural resources. With this as the point of departure, the course proceeds to focus on how institutions manage and conserve natural resources and the environment. These efforts are examined in the context of relevant international treaties and how international environmental policy cooperation has developed at a regional level. Empirical material is studied in the theoretical perspective afforded by the political-science sub-discipline of international politics.

Objectives of the course

Students who have successfully completed the course should have achieved the following learning outcomes:

Knowledge and comprehension

Knowledge of:

  • The Norwegian political system, with emphasis on northern Norway
  • Resource- and environmental management in northern Norway
  • International relations and cooperation in the northern region.

 

 Skills:

  • Can give an account of central features of the Norwegian political system, and of resource- and environmental management in northern Norway, including regional cooperation in this area
  • Is acquainted with the most important sources of information regarding northern Norwegian and regional affairs and able to apply these sources
  • Can analyse academic literature and draw independent conclusions.

 

 Competence:

  • Can communicate scholarly knowledge of northern Norwegian affairs and regional cooperation well enough to be capable of discussing central issues in a scholarly context
  • Have sufficient grasp of basic knowledge in this field, and how to access further sources, to be in a position to deepen his or her understanding though self-directed study.

Language of instruction and examination

English

Teaching methods

The course consists of 9 x 2 hours of lectures (total 18 hours), plus one excursion.

 

Quality control of the course

The course will be evaluated once during a program period


Assessment

The examination consists of two parts:

- One take-home exam limited to 2,000 words on an allocated theme within the time frame of one week. Two students may write together (wherein the word limit is extended to 3.000 words).

- One 3-hour school exam. The final grade is given on the basis of a joint evaluation of the take-home exam and the school exam. The Grade-scale goes from A (tope score) to E (pass) and F (fail).

A re-sit exam will be arranged for this course.


Recommended reading/syllabus

Curriculum: Autumn 2017

 

Course content

 

This course begins with an introduction to the Arctic as a geographical and political region. Students will be familiarised with the Arctic governance structure with key institutions and agreements. The picture of Arctic politics will be complemented by examination of relevant policies and strategies of the Arctic states. Key regional issues will be discussed against this backdrop, with focus on the climate change, Arctic people, environment, natural resources, and economic opportunities. Having set the stage, the course will concentrate on the Norwegian political system and its institutions. A central issue vis-a-vis Northern Norway is management and protection of the region's rich natural resources and other economic opportunities, such as shipping. Empirical material is studied in the theoretical perspective afforded by the political-science sub-discipline of international relations.

 

Lecture plan (subject to minor changes)

 

  • Introduction to the Arctic - overview of definitions, actors, and institutions

 

Required readings:

 

Le Mière, Christian and Jeffrey Mazo, Arctic Opening: Insecurity and Opportunity, New York: The International Institute for Strategic Studies and Routledge, `Introduction¿, pp. 9-18.

 

Keskitalo, E. Carina H. (2004), Negotiating the Arctic: The Construction of an International Region, New York and London: Routledge, Chapter 2: `Region-building and Definitions of >>The Arctic<<¿, pp. 25-51.

 

Recommended readings:

 

Keskitalo, E. C. H. (2007). International Region-Building: Development of the Arctic as an International Region. Cooperation and Conflict 42 (2): pp. 187¿205.

 

Dodds, Klaus. (2010). A Polar Mediterranean? Accessibility, Resources and Sovereignty in the Arctic Ocean. Global Policy, 1 (3): pp. 303¿311.

 

2. Arctic governance framework - agreements, institutions, regimes

 

Required readings:

 

Le Mière, Christian and Jeffrey Mazo, Arctic Opening: Insecurity and Opportunity, Chapter 1: ¿The warming Arctic: contexts¿, pp. 19-46.

 

Le Mière, Christian and Jeffrey Mazo, Arctic Opening: Insecurity and Opportunity, Chapter 6: ¿The future of Arctic governance¿, pp. 141-159.

 

Graczyk, Piotr and Timo Koivurova (2015), `The Arctic Council¿ In Leif Christian Jensen and Geir Hønneland (eds.), Handbook of the Politics of the Arctic, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, pp. 298¿327.

 

Hoel, Alf Håkon (2009), Do We Need a New Legal Regime for the Arctic Ocean?, International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law 24 (2), 443-456.

 

Stokke, Olav Schram (2007), A Legal Regime for the Arctic: Interplay with the Law of the Sea Convention, Marine Policy 31 (4), 402-408.

 

Young, Oran R. (2011), If an Arctic Ocean treaty is not the solution, what is the alternative?, Polar Record 47 (243), 327¿334.

 

Pelaudeix, Cécile (2015), What is ¿Arctic Governance¿? A Critical Assessment of the Diverse Meanings of ¿Arctic Governance¿, The Yearbook of Polar Law VI, 398-426.

 

Arctic Council website: http://arctic-council.org

Arctic Council documents (available at the AC's website, section 'Document Archive'):

  • Arctic Council (1996), Declaration on the Establishment of the Arctic Council. Ottawa, Canada.
  • Arctic Council (2013), Arctic Council's Revised Rules of Procedure. Kiruna, Sweden.
  • Arctic Council (2017), Fairbanks Declaration. Fairbanks, AK, USA.

 

Ilulissat Declaration (2008), Ilulissat, Greenland. Available at: http://www.oceanlaw.org/downloads/ arctic/Ilulissat_Declaration.pdf

 

Recommended readings:

 

Bailes, Alyson J. K. (2009), `Options for closer cooperation in the High North¿, In S. G. Holtsmark and B. A. Smith Windsor (eds.), Security Prospects in the High North: geostrategic thaw or freeze?, NDC Forum Paper no. 7, Rome: NATO Defence College: pp. 28-57. Available at: http://

www.isn.ethz.ch/Digital-Library/Publications/Detail/?id=102391&lng=en

 

Bailes, A. J. K. and Kristmundur Th. Ólafsson (2013), Northern Europe and the Arctic Agenda: Roles of Nordic and Other Sub-Regional Organizations, The Yearbook of Polar Law V, 45-73.

 

Dodds, Klaus (2010), Flag planting and finger pointing: The Law of the Sea, the Arctic and the political geographies of the outer continental shelf, Political Geography 29 (2), 63¿73.

 

Exner-Pirot, Heather (2012), Defence diplomacy in the Arctic: the search and rescue agreement as a confidence builder, Canadian Foreign Policy Journal 18 (2), 195¿207.

 

Graczyk, Piotr. and Timo Koivurova (2013), A new era in the Arctic Council's external relations? Broader consequences of the Nuuk observer rules for Arctic governance, Polar Record 50 (254), 225¿236.

 

Hoel, Alf Håkon (2009), `The High North Legal-Political Regime¿, In S. G. Holtsmark and B. A. Smith Windsor (eds.), Security Prospects in the High North: geostrategic thaw or freeze?, NDC Forum Paper no. 7, Rome: NATO Defence College,: pp. 81-101.

 

Molenaar, E. J. (2012), Current and Prospective Roles of the Arctic Council System within the Context of the Law of the Sea, The International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law, 27 (3), 553¿

595.

 

Rottem, S. V. (2013), The Arctic Council and the Search and Rescue Agreement: the case of Norway, Polar Record, 50 (3), 284-292.

 

Stokke, Olav Schram (2007), `International Institutions and Arctic Governance¿, In O. S. Stokke and G. Hønneland (eds.), International Cooperation and Arctic Governance: Regime Effectiveness and Northern Region Building, London and New York: Routledge, pp.164-185.

 

Wegge, Njord. (2010), The political order in the Arctic: power structures, regimes and influence, Polar Record 47 (2), 165¿176.

 

Young, O. R. (2009), The Arctic in Play: Governance in a Time of Rapid Change, The International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law 24 (2), 423¿442.

 

Young, Oran R. (2009), Whither the Arctic? Conflict or cooperation in the circumpolar north, Polar

Record 45 (232), 73¿82.

 

3. Arctic strategies and policies of the Arctic states

 

Required readings:

 

Bailes, Alyson. J. & Heininen, Lassi. (2012). Strategy Papers on the Arctic or High North: A comparative study and analysis. Reykjavik: Centre for Small State Studies, Institute of International Affairs: pp. 99¿117.

 

Recommended readings:

 

Heininen, Lassi (2012), Arctic Strategies and Policies. Inventory and Comparative Study. Northern

Research Forum/University of Lapland.

 

Sergunin, Alexander and Valery Konyshev (2014), Russia in search of its Arctic strategy: between

hard and soft power?, The Polar Journal 4 (1), 69-87.

 

Zysk, Katarzyna (2010), Russia's Arctic Strategy: Ambitions and Constraints, Joint Force Quarterly

57/2010, 103-110. Available at: http://www.intelros.ru/pdf/JFQ/57/16.pdf

 

Respective chapters in Robert W. Murray and Anita Dey Nuttall (eds.) (2014), International

Relations and the Arctic: Understanding Policy and Governance, Amherst, NY: Cambria Press:

 

  • Steinberg, Phillip E., `U.S Arctic Policy: Reproducing Hegemony in a Maritime Region¿, pp. 165-190.
  • Huebert, Rob, `Canadian Arctic Security: Shifting Challenges¿, pp. 131-163.
  • Yarovoy, Gleb, `Russia¿s Arctic Policy: Continuity and Changes¿, pp. 191-233.
  • Nuttall, Mark, `Territory, Security, and Sovereignty: The Kingdom of Denmark¿s Arctic Strategy¿, 263-290.
  • Keskitalo, E. Carina. H., `Sweden and Arctic Policy: Possibilities for New Wine in Old Bottles?¿, pp. 291-319.
  • Heininen, Lassi, `Finland as an Arctic and European State: Finland¿s Northern Dimension (Policy)¿, pp. 322-347.
  • Bailes, Alyson J. K. and Margrét Cela, `Iceland - A State within the Arctic¿, pp. 350-379.

 

Arctic states' policies and strategies:

 

2013 US National Strategy For the Arctic Region, May 2013.

2009 US Arctic policy, NSPD66/HSPD25, 9 January 2009.

 

2011 Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands: Kingdom of Denmark Strategy for the Arctic 2011¿ 2020, August 2011.

 

2011 Sweden's Strategy for the Arctic Region, May 2011.

 

2011 A Parliamentary Resolution on Iceland's Arctic Policy, 28 March 2011.

 

2013 Finland's Strategy for the Arctic Region, 23 August 2013.

 

2010 Statement on Canada's Arctic foreign policy, August 2010.

 

2009 Canada's Northern Strategy, March 2009.

 

2008 'Foundations Of The Russian Federation¿s State Policy In The Arctic Until 2020 And Beyond' (¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿ 2020 ¿¿¿¿ ¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿), 18 September 2008.

 

4. Climate change in the Arctic - challenges and opportunities

 

Required readings:

 

ACIA (Arctic Climate Impact Assessment) (2005), Impacts of a Warming Arctic, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press: pp. 2-20.

 

Hoel, Alf Håkon (2007), `Climate change¿, In O. S. Stokke and G. Hønneland (eds.), International Cooperation and Arctic Governance: Regime Effectiveness and Northern Region Building, London and New York: Routledge, pp. 112-137.

 

Le Mière, Christian and Jeffrey Mazo, Arctic Opening: Insecurity and Opportunity, New York: The International Institute for Strategic Studies and Routledge, Chapter 2 `Economic opportunities¿, pp. 47-76.

 

Recommended readings:

 

AMAP (Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme) (2007), Arctic Oil and Gas 2007 Oslo: AMAP: pp. 1-40.

 

Arctic Council (2009),. Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment 2009 Report: pp. 50-69, 92-105, 134-153.

 

Molenaar, Erik Jaap & Robert Corel. (2009), Background Paper: Arctic Shipping. Brussels: Arctic

TRANSFORM, (33 pages).

 

Molenaar, E. J. & R. Corell (2009), Background Paper: Arctic Fisheries, Brussels: Arctic

TRANSFORM, (33 pages).

 

Harsem, Øistein, Arne Eide, and Knut Heen (2011), Factors influencing future oil and gas prospects

in the Arctic, Energy Policy, 39 (12), 8037¿8045.

 

Bilstad, Torleiv (2008), `Climate change and consequences for the Arctic¿,. In A. Mikkelsen and O.

Langhelle (eds.), Arctic Oil and Gas: Sustainability at risk? London and New York: Routledge: pp.

45-56.

 

Brigham, Lawson (2011), Russia Opens Its Maritime Arctic, Proceedings Magazine (137/5/1,299),

U.S. Naval Institute, (5 pages).

 

Christensen, Svend Aage (2009), Are the northern sea routes really the shortest?, DIIS Brief, (7 pages).

 

Ho, Joshua. (2010), The implications of Arctic sea ice decline on shipping, Marine Policy 34 (3),

713¿715.

 

5. The Barents Region

 

Required readings:

 

Joenniemi, Pertti (1999), `The Barents Euro-Arctic Council¿, In A. Cottey (ed.), Subregional Cooperation in the New Europe: Building Security, Prosperity and Solidarity from the Barents Sea to the Black Sea, Basingstoke: Macmillan Press, pp. 23-45.

 

The Barents Programme 2014-2018.

 

Recommended readings:

 

Sellheim, Nikolas (2012), Problem-Solving Capabilities, Goal-Attainment and Efffectiveness of the

Barents Environmental Cooperation, The Yearbook of Polar Law IV, 519-539.

6. The Barents Sea and Svalbard politics

 

Required readings:

 

Treaty concerning Spitsbergen (Svalbard Treaty), 9 February 1920.

 

Moe, Arild, Daniel Fjærtoft, and Indra Øverland (2011). Space and timing: why was the Barents

Sea delimitation dispute resolved in 2010? Polar Geography 34 (3), 145¿162.

 

Pedersen, Torbjørn (2006), The Svalbard Continental Shelf Controversy: Legal Disputes and Political Rivalries, Ocean Development & International Law 37 (3-4), 339¿358.

 

Recommended readings:

 

Jensen, Øystein and Svein Vigeland Rottem (2009), The politics of security and international law in

Norway's Arctic waters, Polar Record 46 (236), 75¿83.

 

Pedersen, Torbjørn (2008), The Dynamics of Svalbard Diplomacy, Diplomacy & Statecraft, 19 (2), 236-262.

 

Pedersen, T. (2008). The constrained politics of the Svalbard offshore area. Marine Policy 32 (6), 913¿919.

 

7. Indigenous peoples involvement in Norwegian and Arctic politics

 

Koivurova, Timo and Leena Heinämäki (2006), The participation of indigenous peoples in international norm-making in the Arctic, Polar Record 42 (221), 101¿109.

 

Koivurova, Timo, Henna Tervo, and Adam Stepien (2009), Background Paper: Indigenous Peoples in the Arctic, Brussels: Arctic TRANSFORM, (33 pages).

 

Josefsen, Eva (2010), The Saami and the national parliaments: Channels for political influence,

Geneva: IPU and UNDP.

 

Recommended readings:

 

Broderstad, Else G. (2001), Political Autonomy and Integration of Authority: The Understanding of

Saami Self-Determination, International Journal on Minority and Group Rights, 8, 151¿175.

 

Tennberg, Monica (1996), Indigenous Peoples' Involvement in the Arctic Council, Northern Notes,

IV, 21¿32.

 

Tennberg, M. (2009), Indigenous peoples as international political actors: a summary, Polar Record

46 (03), 264¿270.

 

8. Norway's High North policy

 

Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2014), Norway¿s Arctic Policy. Creating value, managing

resources, confronting climate change and fostering knowledge. Developments in the Arctic

concern us all. Available at: https://www.regjeringen.no/globalassets/departementene/ud/vedlegg/

nord/nordkloden_en.pdf

 

Kristoffersen, Berit (2014), `>>Securing<< Geography: Framings, Logics and Strategies in the

Norwegian High North¿, In R. Powell and K. Dodds (eds.), Polar Geopolitics: Knowledges,

Resources and Legal Regimes, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, pp. 131-148.

 

Skagestad, Odd Gunnar. (2010). The `High North¿: An Elastic Concept in Norwegian Arctic Policy.

FNI Report 10/2010. Lysaker: Fridtjof Nansen Institute: pp. 1-22.

 

Recommended readings:

 

Hønneland, Geir (2014), `Norway¿s High Arctic Policy¿, in R. W. Murray and A. Dey Nuttall (eds.),

International Relations and the Arctic, pp. 235-261.

 

Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2006), The Norwegian Government's High North Strategy.

 

Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2009), New building blocks in the North. The next step in

the Government's High North Strategy.

 

Støre, Jonas Gahr (2012), The High North and the Arctic: The Norwegian Perspective. The Arctic

Herald 2/2012 (June) 2012. Available at: http://www.regjeringen.no/nb/dep/ud/aktuelt/

taler_artikler/jgs_taler_artikler/2012/nord_arktis.html?id=685072 (The Arctic Herald is available at:http://issuu.com/arctic-herald/docs/arctic-herald-2-fullhttp://issuu.com/arctic-herald/docs/arctic-herald-2-full

http://issuu.com/arctic-herald/docs/arctic-herald-2-full)

 

Jensen, Leif Christian and Geir Hønneland (2011), Framing the High North: Public Discourses in

Norway after 2000, Acta Borealia, 28 (1), 37¿54.

 

Jensen, Leif Christian & Skedsmo, Pål W. (2010). Approaching the North: Norwegian and Russian

foreign policy discourses on the European Arctic. Polar Research 29 (3), 439¿450.

 

Wilson Rowe, Elana (2014), Arctic hierarchies? Norway, status and the high north, Polar Record,

50 (01), 72¿79.

 

Lindeman, Ole Andreas. (2009). Norwegian foreign policy in the High North: International

cooperation and the relations to Russia. Oslo Files on Defence and Security (01/2009). Oslo:

Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies, pp. 15-40.

 

Flikke, Geir (2011), Norway and the Arctic: Between Multilateral Governance and Geopolitcs, In J.

Kraska (ed.), Arctic Security in an Age of Climate Change. Cambridge: Cambridge University

Press, pp. 64-84.

 

9. Norwegian political system. Institutions concerned with Arctic affairs

 

Heidar, Knut, ed. (2004), Nordic Politics, Oslo: Universitetsforlaget.

 

With the following chapters:

Heidar, Knut (2004), `State and Nation-building in the Nordic Area¿, pp. 9-23.

Rose, Lawrence E. (2004), `Local Government and Politics¿, pp. 164-182.

Christensen, Tom (2004), `Modern State Reforms¿, pp. 24-39.

Heidar, Knut (2004), `Parties and party systems¿, pp. 40-59.

Rasch, Bjørn Erik (2004), `Parliamentary Government¿. pp. 127-141.

Matlary, Janne Haaland (2004), `The Nordics and the EU¿, pp. 247-261.

 

10. The Arctic in global affairs - increased interest of non-Arctic actors, globalization, linkages to global institutions

 

Le Mière, Christian and Jeffrey Mazo, Arctic Opening: Insecurity and Opportunity, New York: The International Institute for Strategic Studies and Routledge, Chapter 5: `Geopolitical impacts of the changing Arctic¿, pp. 119-140.

 

Jakobson, Linda and Peng, J. (2012), China's Arctic Aspirations. SIPRI Policy Paper (34/November 2012): pp. 4¿23. Available at: http://books.sipri.org/product_info?c_product_id=449

 

Manicom, James and P. Whitney Lackenbauer (2013), East Asian States, the Arctic Council and International Relations in the Arctic, CIGI Policy Brief, 26 (April 2013), 1-7. Available at: http://www.cigionline.org/sites/default/files/no26.pdf

 

Koivurova, Timo, Kai Kokko, Sebastien Duyck, Adam Stepien, and Nikolas Sellheim (2011), The present and future competence of the European Union in the Arctic, Polar Record 48 (4), 361-371.

 

Stokke, O. S. (2013),. Regime interplay in Arctic shipping governance: explaining regional niche selection, International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics 13 (1), 65-85.

 

Stokke, O. S. (2014), Asian Stakes and Arctic Governance. Strategic Analysis 38 (6), 770-783.

 

Graczyk, Piotr and Timo Koivurova (2013), A new era in the Arctic Council's external relations? Broader consequences of the Nuuk observer rules for Arctic governance, Polar Record, 50 (3), 225-236.

 

Recommended readings:

 

Chaturvedi, Sanjay (2012), `Geopolitical Transformations: ¿Rising¿ Asia and the future of the Arctic Council¿, In T. S. Axworthy, T. Koivurova, and W. Hasanat (eds.), The Arctic Council: its place in the future of Arctic Governance, Toronto: Munk-Gordon Arctic Security Program, pp. 226¿ 260. Available at: http://gordonfoundation.ca/publication/530

 

Graczyk, Piotr (2012), `The Arctic Council inclusive of non-Arctic perspectives: seeking a new balance¿,. In T. S. Axworthy, T. Koivurova, and W. Hasanat (eds.), The Arctic Council: its place in the future of Arctic Governance, Toronto: Munk-Gordon Arctic Security Program, pp. 261¿ 305. Available at: http://gordonfoundation.ca/publication/530

 

Hong, Nong. (2012). The melting Arctic and its impact on China's maritime transport. Research in Transportation Economics 35 (1): pp. 50¿57.

 

 

Other recommended readings:

 

Loukacheva, Natalia (ed.). (2013), Polar Law Textbook II, TemaNord 2013:535, Copenhagen: The

Nordic Council of Ministers. Available at: http://www.norden.org/en/publications/publikationer/

2013-535/

 

Stepien, Adam, Timo Koivurova, and Paula Kankaanpää (eds.) (2014). Strategic Assessment of

Development of the Arctic, Assessment conducted for the European Union, September 2014.

Available at: http://www.arcticinfo.eu/images/pdf/SADA_report.pdf

 

Nymand Larsen, Joan and Gail Fondahl (eds.) (2014), Arctic Human Development Report

Regional Processes and Global Linkages, TemaNord 2014:567, Copenhagen: The Nordic Council

of Ministers. Available at: http://norden.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:788965/FULLTEXT02.pdf

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  • About the course
  • Campus: Tromsø |
  • ECTS: 10
  • Course code: STV-1006
  • Tidligere år og semester for dette emnet