The publishing house of Kulturstiftung Sibirien, SEC Publications, has just released the book “A Fractured North – Journeys on Hold,” a collection of texts edited by Erich Kasten, Igor Krupnik, and Gail Fondahl. The book, available in both print and digital versions, features a chapter written by Peter Schweitzer, titled “Openings and Closures: The Anthropology […]
The latest issue of Mobility Humanities (Vol. 3, No. 2, July 2024) features the article “How to Board an Aircraft in Chukotka” by Elena Davydova. This special issue was guest-edited by Michael Anranter and Manuel Moser. Based on ethnography of airports in Eastern Arctic Russia (Chukotka), the article examines institutionalized practices of active waiting prior […]
InfraNorth team members will participate in the 18th EASA Biennial Conference in Barcelona. With the theme “Doing and Undoing with Anthropology,” the event will take place at the University of Barcelona (July 23 – 26, 2024). On Tuesday, July 23, Katrin Schmid will present her paper “Devolution of Desires, or How Food and Transportation Determine […]
Polar Journal, an online information platform on polar affairs, recently published an article titled “Nunavut communities in petition to regain access to vital Amazon deliveries.” The piece, written by Ole Ellekrog, features insights from Katrin Schmid’s research in Nunavut, as well as her recent blog post “Amazon in the Arctic.” Drawing on conversations that the […]
“We build a railroad and the railroad builds us.” This idea gave title to Olga Povoroznyuk’s talk at the sowi:doc 2023 Awards ceremony of the Vienna Doctoral School of Social Sciences (ViDSS). Dr. Povoroznyuk, one of this year’s award winners, talked about her dissertation “Soviet infrastructure in the post-Soviet era? Building a railroad and identity […]
The International Arctic Social Sciences Association (IASSA) has granted Peter Schweitzer an Honorary Lifetime Membership Award in recognition of his sustained and significant contribution to Arctic social sciences. The award ceremony took place on June 1, 2024, during the 11th International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS XI) and as part of the Arctic Congress […]
The High North News, an independent newspaper published by the High North Center, recently highlighted InfraNorth researcher Ria-Maria Adams’ presentation at the Stormen Concert Hall during the Arctic Congress 2024 Bodø. Her presentation “Entanglements of Arctic Tourism Infrastructures: Imaginaries & Temporality” explored how “imaginary infrastructures” (featuring the elusive aurora hunting and the promotion of imaginary […]
Several InfraNorth team members will participate in the Arctic Congress Bodø 2024 (May 29 – June 3, 2024), which combines the International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS) XI, UArctic Congress 2024, and High North Dialogue 2024. Here is a summary of three sessions convened by team members as well as a number of InfraNorth-related […]
InfraNorth’s principal investigator Peter Schweitzer was a guest speaker at the 2nd Polar Waalem Seminar. Under the title “Green Technologies in Climate and Polar Research,” the event was held on May 10 – 11, 2024, at the Waalem estate on the German North Sea island of Föhr. His presentation, “Arctic Residents and Change: Economic Development, […]
InfraNorth’s principal investigator Peter Schweitzer gave a talk at the 2024 Arctic Circle Berlin Forum, as part of a session titled “Climate Change in Polar and High-Altitude Regions.” His contribution focused on anthropological perspectives on Arctic and Alpine climate change, including the role of (transport) infrastructures. The session also featured Frederik Paulsen, the board chair […]
On April 24, Olga Povoroznyuk and Peter Schweitzer presented online the preliminary results of their InfraNorth fieldwork in Nome, Alaska at a workshop hosted by the Nome Coordinated Research Consortium (NCRC). The workshop aimed to discuss the present and future of Nome, considering transport infrastructure (such as the projected deep-draft port), mining, tourism, and climate […]
In Svalbard, the environment, society, and policy are changing rapidly. On April 10, 2024, a lunch seminar at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL) discussed what these changes mean for people in Longyearbyen, and the dilemmas associated with using and protecting the environment. The seminar featured Alexandra Meyer from InfraNorth, who gave a […]