The webinar “The Changing Arctic” for strengthening the Arctic research cooperation between Estonia and Norway will take place on Wednesday, 14 April 2021 at 09:00 (in Norway) / 10:00 (in Estonia).
The Arctic has gained increased interest over the last decade as global climate change continues to transform the region. Norway and Estonia are both maritime countries with a long history of polar exploration and research. Now we are looking into new opportunities of Arctic research cooperation.
Researchers from Estonia and Norway offer an insight into the state of play and their work in the Arctic – the glaciers and the sea, the indigenous people and the governance, methane seeps, algal blooms and the fungi.
The webinar celebrates the 100th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Estonia and Norway, and the Norwegian-Estonian cooperation in climate change under the EEA and Norway Grants.
Organisers: The Estonian Academy of Sciences, Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech), the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research/University of Bergen and the Academia Europaea Bergen Knowledge Hub in cooperation with the Norwegian Embassy in Tallinn.
Webinar Programme
Watch a recording of the webinar on Youtube.
Moderator Maarja Kruusmaa, Vice Rector for Research Tallinn University of Technology
10:00 Opening
10:05 Welcome by Tarmo Soomere, President of the Estonian Academy of Sciences
10:15 Opening remarks by Else Berit Eikeland, Ambassador of Norway
10:20 Keynote speech – Eva-Maria Liimets, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Estonia
10:30 Keynote speech – Audun Halvorsen, State Secretary, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
10:40 Eystein Jansen, Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, Norway. Presentation slides.
“Abrupt Arctic climate change and the Arctic research landscape in Norway”
10:50 Rein Vaikmäe, Department of Geology, TalTech, Estonia
“Glaciological research of Estonian scientists on Svalbard in years 1974–2017”
11:00 Marius Årthun, University of Bergen, Norway
“Atlantification of the Barents Sea”
11:10 Maarja Kruusmaa, TalTech, Estonia
“Mapping glacial meltwater channels on Svalbard”
11:20 Bénédicte Ferré, CAGE, University of Tromsø, Norway
“Methane release and variability offshore Svalbard”.
11:30 – 11:45 Coffee break
11:45 Martin Liira, Estonian Geological Survey
“Methane seeps from Svalbard fjord sediments”
11:55 Aimar Ventsel, University of Tartu, Estonia
“Siberian indigenous people, the last hunters of Arctic”
12:05 Malgorzata (Gosia) Smieszek, University of Tromsø, Norway
“The evolution and effectiveness of the Arctic Council – lessons for Arctic governance and beyond”
12:15 Erko Jakobson, Tartu Observatory, Estonia
“Expeditions to Arctic, climate change in Arctic and in Estonia”
12:25 Kerim Nisancioglu, University of Bergen, Norway
“Ice-ocean interactions and the stability of the Greenland ice sheet”
12:35 Hanna Kauko, Norwegian Polar Institute, Norway
“Drivers of algal blooms in the polar areas”
12:45 Leho Tedersoo, University of Tartu, Estonia
“Arctic fungi”
12:55 Discussion: Opportunities for the future cooperation
13:15 Closing
