ASTK15365U COURSE: New threats in the Arctic

Volume 2015/2016
Content

Climate change and global warming results in melting ice in the Arctic, both ice sheets and sea ice. This opens up opportunities of natural resource extraction and possibilities of new shipping routes, that opens up opportunities for increased maritime activities. However, with these opportunities come also the challenges of increased maritime activities that result in several risks in the Arctic such as the risk of pollution and the risks of accidents, which produce a need for preparedness towards oil spill and towards search and rescue operations (SAR) and institutions for SAR. Since the Arctic is such a huge territory with many and diverse stakeholders, there is a need for trans-border cooperation within the Arctic states and between the Arctic states and states outside the Arctic that recently gained access to the Arctic Council activities as observer states. The course will focus on investigating and assessing possibilities of trans-border risk management and partnership building in the Arctic and discuss i.a. gains and losses of a transformation of the Arctic Council from an intergovernmental forum of deliberation to a legally binding decision making organization.

 

Learning Outcome

The course objective is to enable students to demonstrate knowledge of the main strands of the scientific literature, reports and white papers, to apply theories and analyze one or more cases comparing single aspect or/and asses the interactions of several aspects, and be able to make informed, analytical evaluations of the developments, present situation and future perspectives.

 

Geir Hønneland (ed.).  2013. The politics of the Arctic. Cheltenham: Elgar Research Collection  (722 pages - selections)

                                     

+ electronic binder with articles, reports etc.

 

This course will combine several types of instruction and collaborative learning. This includes lectures, a few short films, group discussions/work and student presentations.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Class Instruction
  • 28
  • Total
  • 28
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Oral examination
Synopsisexam
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
External censorship
Criteria for exam assesment

Criteria for achieving the goals:

  • Grade 12 is given for an outstanding performance: the student lives up to the course's goal description in an independent and convincing manner with no or few and minor shortcomings
  • Grade 7 is given for a good performance: the student is confidently able to live up to the goal description, albeit with several shortcomings
  • Grade 02 is given for an adequate performance: the minimum acceptable performance in which the student is only able to live up to the goal description in an insecure and incomplete manner