Nov 22, 2024: Presentations by Peter Schweitzer and Olga Povoroznyuk at the AAA 2024 Annual Meeting

Peter Schweitzer and Olga Povoroznyuk will be presenting at the 2024 Annual Meeting of the American Anthropological Association, November 20 – 23, 2024, in Tampa, USA. This year’s conference is centered around the theme Praxis, considering the present and future praxis of anthropology, the application of praxis in our communities, and praxis as collaborative work.

On Friday 22 November, from 12:45 pm to 2:15 pm (EDT), the two InfraNorth team members will contribute to the panel “Anthropological Perspectives on Climate Change and Infrastructure” (session 1584 – part 1), which focuses on the impact of climate change on Arctic infrastructure and sustainable infrastructure development in a shifting environment:

  • Peter Schweitzer will present “Climate Change and the Built Environment: Arctic Perspectives,” focusing on different forms of (transport) infrastructure in the North American, European and – to a lesser extent – the Russian Arctic. He will examine whether roads and other forms of infrastructure can enable sustainable livelihoods, or whether they are simply triggers and/or symptoms of environmental change.
  • Olga Povoroznyuk will present “Maritime Infrastructure: Global Climate Change and Connectivity in a Divided Arctic,” based on her ethnographic research on seaport expansions in Tiksi (Russia), Nome (USA), and Kirkenes (Norway). She will explore the social, cultural, and environmental impacts of maritime infrastructure while reflecting on the promises and threats these projects pose for Arctic coastal communities in a context of climate change and reconfiguring global connections.

In addition, on Wednesday 20 November, from 10:15 am to 11:45 am (EDT), Peter Schweitzer will be part of a round table on “Gender and Kinship in Deep Past: Unified Analysis in the 21st Century?”

The full program is available online here.

Cover of the Polar Geography journal.

Aug 2026: Introduction to InfraNorth Special Issue in Polar Geography

The quarterly peer-reviewed journal Polar Geography has published the introduction to the forthcoming special issue “Transport infrastructure and population in the Arctic.” The introduction has been written by InfraNorth senior researcher Timothy Heleniak and principal investigator Peter Schweitzer. Published online in August 2026, the introduction presents the special issue emerging from the InfraNorth project. At […]

Aug 28, 2026: Interview with Peter Schweitzer on JETZT

An interview with InfraNorth principal investigator Peter Schweitzer has been featured in an article by journalist Nico Knappe for the Austrian media outlet JETZT, titled “All Eyes on Arktis: Wie Russland vom tauenden Eis profitiert” (“All Eyes on the Arctic: How Russia is benefiting from melting ice”). Taking the experiences of an Austrian resident of […]

Logo of Canada’s National Observer

Aug 25, 2026: Interview with Philipp Budka at Canada’s National Observer

An interview with InfraNorth researcher Philipp Budka has been featured in an article by journalist Jamie Voyles for Canada’s National Observer, titled “As Canada bets on Churchill to diversify trade away from US, climate disasters sideline its railway link.” The article explores Canada’s plans to strengthen Churchill, Manitoba, as an Arctic trade gateway and diversify […]

STS Conference Graz 2026

May 4, 2026: Presentation by Philipp Budka at the 24th STS Conference Graz

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Food, Culture & Society: An International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research

Apr 2026: Article by Katrin Schmid in the Food, Culture & Society Journal

The international multidisciplinary journal Food, Culture & Society has recently published a new article by InfraNorth researcher Katrin Schmid, titled “Transporting Arctic foodways: the infrastructure of food sovereignty in Nunavut, Canada.” The conversation around sustainable food in Canada’s Arctic today is inherently connected to the logistics of transportation. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork (2022–2025), this research […]

Svalbard Airport, Photo by Alexandra Meyer.

Mar 2026: Article by Alexandra Meyer in Polar Geography Special Issue

The quarterly peer-reviewed journal Polar Geography has published the article “Hyperconnected remoteness: the Svalbard airport and community transitions in Longyearbyen” by InfraNorth researcher Alexandra Meyer. The article examines the role of Svalbard Airport in shaping socio-economic transitions and everyday life in Longyearbyen, the largest settlement on the Svalbard archipelago. Drawing on long-term ethnographic fieldwork, complemented […]