Kankaanpää, Paula
PhD Physical Geography, Helsinki University
Title:   Director, Professor, Vice Rector
Email:   forename.surname @ ulapland.fi
tel. +358 (0)40 777 7825
(Privatel 832768)

Professor Paula Kankaanpää is the Director the Arctic Centre in Finland and the Vice-rector for research in the University of Lapland. She is also leading the national Arctic Graduate School, Arktis. She has expertise on bridging science and decision making as she is participating in several national and international committees and boards on Arctic issues. She has know-how on international Arctic environmental and sustainable development policies and co-operation for over 20 years. Before her current duties, she worked for the Arctic Council, the Barents Council and the Antarctic co-operation in Finnish Ministry of the Environment for ten years. Before that she was a sea ice scientist based on field work on ice fields in Finnish Institute for Marine Research. Besides Finland she has lived in Alaska and Iceland.

Present work:  Director, Professor, Vice Rector

Working history in brief

• Arctic Centre, University of Lapland. Rovaniemi.
  Director, Professor, Vice rector (research). 
• CAFF Secretariat of the Arctic Council. Akureyri, Iceland.
  Deputy Executive Secretary. 
• Ministry of the Environment, Helsinki.
  Senior Adviser on Polar Affairs.
• University of Alaska Fairbanks.
  Researcher.
• Finnish Institute of Marine Research, Helsinki.
  Researcher.

Chairperson in Commitees

• Advisory Board of Finnish Meteorological Institute.  2008 - 2012
• Science Board of the University of Lapland. 2007 - continues.
• Co-chair of the Research Strategy Task Force of the Universities of Lapland and Oulu. 2007 - 2008.
• Regional Board of the International Arctic Science Committee. 2000 - 2002.
• International Drafting Group of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council Third Meeting of Environment Ministers. St.Petersburg, Russia. 7 Oct. 1997.
• Polar Working Group of the Ministry or the Environment. 1996 - 1999.

Member of Committees

International

• Council of the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States. 2005 - continues.
• Board of Directors of United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Grid-Arendal. 2004 - 2008.
• Regional Board of International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) 2000 - 2008 and member of IASC executive committee 2000 - 2002.

National, ministries

• Background Group for the Arctic Council, Ministry of the Foreign Affairs. 2000 - continues.
• National Background Group for the Barents Council, Ministry of the Foreign Affairs. 2000 - continues.
• Committee for Antarctic Research and Logistics, Ministry of Education. 2007 - continues.
• Working Group on Northern Dimension Policy by the Prime Minister’s Office. 2002 - 2003.
• Preparatory Working Group on Northern Dimension Policy by the Prime Minister’s Office. 2001.
• Committee of Subsistence Living and Reindeer herding, Ministry of the Agriculture and Forestry.  2001 - 2007.

National, other

• National Committee on Arctic and Antarctic Research by Academy of Science and Letters. 2006 - continues.
• Scientific Board of Forest and Park Service of Finland. 2003 - 2006.

Regional

• Board of Lapland Environment Centre. 2009 - continues.
• Helsinki University and Enontekiö Municipality Co-operation Working Group for Kilpisjärvi Research Station. 2008 - 2009.
• Advisory Board of Kolari Station of Finnish Forest Research Institute. 2003 - 2004.
• Advisory Board of the Rovaniemi Station of Finnish Forest Research Institute. 2001 - 2004.

Expert Tasks

• Associate Editor. Polar Geography. Taylor & Francis. 2009 - continues.
• European Science Foundation. Pool of Referees. 2009 - 2010.
• Finnish Representative in the Arctic Council working group for International Polar Year Legacy. 2009.
• International Expert Panel on Science Priorities for the Canadian Arctic Research Initiative. 2008.
• Steering Group Member in Project "Governance in a Rapidly Changing Arctic". University of California Santa Barbara. 2009 - 2010.

Project Leader and Received External Project Funding

• ARKTIS Graduate School. Director. Finnish Academy and Finnish Ministry of Education. 2003 – 2013.
• The Barents Arctic Network of Graduate Schools. Project leader. Nordforsk (Nordic Council of Ministers for Education & Research). 2007 - 2009.
• Finnish-Japanese seminar on Northern Research 3. - 5.8.2008. Chair. Academy of Finland. 2008.
• Launch Seminar of International Polar Year for Finland. Arctic Centre, Rovaniemi. Chair. Ministry of the Environment. 1.3.2007.
• International Conference: Power and Knowledge in the Arctic. Project leader. Academy of Finland. 2006.
• Change and variability of the Arctic Systems. Svalbard Research and High Arctic Expedition Logistics. Kinnvika, Nordaustlandet. Nordic Council of Ministers. 2005, 2006 and 2007.
• Renewing of Arctic Centre Exhibition. Co-leader. EU Objective 1 and Lapland County Administrative Board. 2004 - 2007.
• ARCOP, Arctic Operational Platform. Project partner. EU 6th frame work programme. 2002 – 2005.
• AHDR, Arctic Human Development Report. Participation. Ministry of the Environment. 2003 – 2004.
• ARCNET, European Arctic in the changing environment and sustainable development. Preparation funding. Academy of Finland. 2003
• Arctic Flora and Fauna. Status and Conservation. Arctic Council. Book (2001), Project leader. Ministries of the Environment in Finland and Iceland 1998 – 2001. Nordic Council of Ministers. 1999 – 2001.Arctic Countries.
• Guidelines for Environmental Impact Assessment in the Arctic. Arctic Council. Project leader. Ministry of the Environment, Finland. 1994 -1997. Arctic Countries.