Arctic Centre: 20 Years of Arctic research and science communications
Arctic Centre celebrated it's 20th Anniversary on 29th September 2009. The Arctic Centre started as an institute at the University of Lapland in 1989 with a staff of four persons. Now Arctic Centre is an international centre for multidisciplinary research and science communications with dozens of professionals working from all over the world.
Arctic Science and Politics highlighted at the Anniversary seminar
The 20th Anniversary Seminar gathered together top managers of international Arctic policy and science policy as well as more than 150 guests. The esteemed speakers at the Anniversary Seminar were Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Alexander Stubb, Chairman of the Arctic Centre’s Scientific Advisory Board and director of the Polar Program at the National Science Foundation Karl Erb from USA, Region Mayor of the Regional Council of Lapland Esko Lotvonen, Rector of the Sami Education Institute Liisa Holmberg, President of the International Arctic Science Committee Kristjan Kristjansson from Iceland and Senior Arctic Official Chair of the Arctic Council Lars Møller.
At the seminar the director of the Arctic Centre, prof. Paula Kankaanpää made an initiative that the Arctic Centre is willing to serve as an EU Arctic Information Centre and that it can coordinate the network that will be created. Arctic Centre
is the only science centre located in the EU Arctic regions and it has roles in multidisciplinary research as well as in information dissemination.
Scientific Afternoon – open doors to the Arctic Centre
For the 20th Anniversary Afternoon the Arctic Centre welcomed all the people in Rovaniemi to visit the Arctic in Change science exhibition, listen to scientists’ short lectures about current Arctic Issues: gas reserves, ownership of the Arctic areas, Arctic education provided by Arctic Centre etc. and see document films about Arctic people and nature.
At the Arctic Centre’s library had the 20th Anniversary Book exhibition about the challenges of international cooperation in Polar Regions. During the Scientific Afternoon you could also “borrow a researcher” for 20 minutes and see the media “follow-up” posters of the Arctic Centre from the 1980’s to present.