Subject description for 2024/25
Arctic Policies
NOM2001
Subject description for 2024/25
Arctic Policies
NOM2001
This course will introduce students to the most important foreign and security policies and strategies of states with interests in the Arctic. More specifically, the course will present the most important national assessments made by the eight Arctic governments - Russia, the United States (USA), Canada, Norway, Iceland, Denmark, Sweden and Finland. Beyond the Arctic states, this course will further expose students to Arctic interests and policies from non-Arctic actors such as the People's Republic of China (China), the EU, the United Kingdom (UK) and Japan and South Korea.
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Application deadline
As a result of environmental changes, the Arctic region is opening up and attracting attention from states from across the Northern Hemisphere. This course will introduce students the main foreign and security policies and strategies of states that have interests in the Arctic. Specifically, the course will present the key national considerations made by the eight Arctic governments - Russia, the United States (US), Canada, Norway, Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland. Going beyond the Arctic states, this course will further expose students to Arctic interests and policies of non-Arctic actors such as the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the European Union (EU), the United Kingdom (UK) and Japan and South Korea. Additionally, the course will include a focus on issues that shape the Arctic perceptions of regional and extra-regional states - shipping, natural resource extraction as well as the (re)emerging Great Power competition and its impact on regional governance. In order to have a core set of analytical tools that can be applied to the study of Arctic policies, the course will introduce Realist, Liberal, and Constructivist traditions and apply them to foreign policy analysis.
Admission occurs based on general study competence (university entrance) https://www.nord.no/en/studies/admission/frequently-asked-questions
Knowledge
The student should:
- Have broad knowledge of important foreign and security policies of Arctic and non-Arctic states and actors related to the Arctic region
- Be familiar with research and development work as well as challenges to Arctic regional governance
- Acquire new knowledge about Arctic approaches of circumpolar states
- Have knowledge of the history, traditions and distinctive character of Arctic politics
Skills
The student should:
- Be able to use academic knowledge and relevant results from research on practical and theoretical issues and make reasoned choices.
- Be able to reflect upon own academic practice and convey this in a way that is relevant for the subject matters.
- Be able to find, assess and refer to academic knowledge and convey this in a way that is relevant for a problem.
- Be able to use relevant academic expressions.
General competence
The student should:
- Have knowledge about relevant academic research questions regarding Arctic foreign policies of circumpolar states
- Be able to plan and write student papers with relevant academic subjects.
- Be able to convey central academic issues like theories and research results regarding Arctic foreign policies.
- Be able to exchange views and experiences regarding Arctic approaches of circumpolar states.
- Know about new perspectives in the field of Arctic policy studies.
No costs except semester registration fee
Recommended elective course for Bachelor of Circumpolar Studies
Online Study Course
Annual evaluations which are included in the university´s quality assurance system.
Individual compulsory coursework (OA): 4 hand-ins. The compulsory coursework are prerequisites for determination of the final grade.
Four days individual home examination.
The exam must be answered in English.
None
Subject language
English
Credits
10
Study location
Online
Teaching semesters
Spring 2025
Responsible faculty
Faculty of Social Sciences
Course coordinator
