Estefania Cortez
LLM Candidate in Nordic Environmental Law – UiT Norges arktiske universitet
Estefania Cortez Gallegos is a lawyer specialized in Environmental and Natural Resources. She has more than eight years of experience in the fields of environmental and regulatory matters, having worked within the private sector in both the mining and agribusiness sectors. Recently, she obtained the certificate of completion in the program “Tropical Forest Landscapes: Conservation, Restoration and Sustainable Use”, imparted by the Yale School of Environment (YSE), that complements her interests in biodiversity and green transition. At the moment, she is pursuing the Joint Nordic Master in Environmental Law at the Arctic University of Trømso after successfully completing her first year at both Uppsala University and the University of Eastern Finland. Currently, she is a Member of the Peruvian Youth against Climate Change, a non-governmental collective, contributing as a legal expert and participating in several international forums such as the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF).
Miriam Czarski
PhD Candidate in Law, University of Helsinki
After qualifying as a solicitor and barrister in Canada in 2018, she completed her Master of Law in International Law at the University of Cambridge. Her research traverses the fields of international law, sustainability law, the law of the sea, and Arctic governance. Via her doctoral research, Miriam explores the simultaneous wonder and welter that is an ecosystem (-based) governance under international law, vis-à-vis the Arctic Ocean.
Jamie Jenkins
PhD Candidate, University of Helsinki
My research aims to better understand how to develop offshore wind in Finland sustainably. I utilise scenario modelling to explore possible futures of renewable industry development. I use these models to identify policies that could boost the development and innovation of renewable technology while understanding and identifying the competing uses of marine space. My goal is to provide practical policy recommendations that are applicable and relevant to developing domestic clean energy sources, improving energy security and aiding in the clean energy transition. I completed my master’s in environmental economics at the University of Helsinki. My master’s thesis explored the impact of militarisation on sustainable development in Arctic regions.
Charlotte Joseph
Master’s student in the European Studies program, European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder)
As a master’s student in the ” European Studies ” program at the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder) in my last semester, my interest in the Arctic as a research field has been developed and strengthened through various classes offered during a semester abroad in Iceland. After an internship at the German Arctic Office, I am currently in the editing phase of my master’s thesis on the EU’s interests in the Arctic. Due to the political science focus of my studies, I have so far mainly dealt with Arctic Governance and Arctic Policy. Now I would like to focus more on the energy transition and the challenges and opportunities of sustainability in the Arctic regions, as these topics not only have current and significant relevance but as both focus areas play a major role in the current thematic priorities of the EU.
Hilja Kurkinen
Master’s student of ECGS program, University of Helsinki
Interminable interest and will to act for environmental protection and social justice define my work as well as my daily life. I’m working on sustainability and climate change issues, utilizing the knowledge of social psychology bachelor studies, such as developing environmentally friendly behaviours. My interests are climate change mitigation and adaptation and the increase and protection of biodiversity. At the moment, I’m writing my master’s thesis about Hannukainen mining plans located in Kolari. I’m focusing on how relevant local stakeholders view the implementation of five SDG targets in the mining plans in question. Due to my own participation in different societal and environmental networks, such as The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation, I’m experienced in organizing, planning and project development. Bird watching is my passion, and I can’t wait to spot the birds of Lapland in autumn colours.
Guyree Lee
Master’s student in Environmental Policy and Law, University of Eastern Finland
Gyuree holds a bachelor’s degree in international development and global environmental studies. She is
interested in the connection between development and the environment, climate change governance and
water law. Indigenous Peoples’ rights for natural resources and environmental impacts of development
are also among her particular interests.
Sébastien Noël
PhD Candidate at the Center for Climate Change, Energy, and Environmental Law (CCEEL), University of Eastern Finland
My research relates to the 2022 Artic Academy for Sustainability because this summer school provides a practical perspective on “sustainable” hydrogen utilization. Considering that hydrogen is believed to be a key solution to both decarbonising the transport sector by emitting no GHG emissions when used and facilitating electricity storage in this region. Affording the local right holders and stakeholders to decide how they wish to exploit hydrogen is essential because its fossil fuels production (natural gas, petroleum oil) currently remains more economically competitive than with renewable energy or carbon capture and utilization technologies. Regarding the social implication, I believe that EU law already provides instruments to address the social impact that renewable hydrogen or energy transition at large may incur. These instruments include the regulation (EU) 2021/1060 establishing the Just transition fund and the proposed EU regulation establishing a social climate fund (Fit-4-55 package).
Carola Rackete
Ecologist, Intern at CIRC, Abisko, Sweden
Carola Rackete is an ecologist holding an MSc in conservation management. She has been based in Northern Scandinavia since 2020 and is currently supporting a plant phenology project at CIRC in Abisko. In the past year, she has engaged with and supported Sámi land rights struggles in Swedish Sápmi and also is part of solidarity campaigns against the eviction of Indigenous Maasai communities in Tanzania for the creation of fortress conservation areas. Her personal interest is in decolonial land management and holding accountable green industries and conservation actors for human rights violations.
Charlotte Renglet
PhD candidate in Law and Criminology, Vrije Universitet Brussels
Charlotte’s provisional PhD dissertation title is: “Strategic litigation based on indigenous peoples’ rights: a viable option to force States to act against climate change?” Her research focuses on the analysis of human rights-based climate litigation and the impact of climate change on indigenous peoples’ rights. Her objective is to concretely assess the potential of strategic lawsuits based on the rights of indigenous peoples to force states to adopt a better climate change mitigation policy. In her thesis, she also aims to address the potential negative impacts of climate change mitigation measures on indigenous peoples’ rights in a discussion on climate justice and just energy transition.
Avijeet Sanyal
Masters’ student in Anthropology, University of North Bengal, India
I am Avijeet Sanyal, a student of Anthropology at the University of North Bengal. My specialisation is in Social-Cultural Anthropology. Being a student of Anthropology, I have a keen interest in human beings, and I have recently participated in ‘Learning Satellite: Interdisciplinary curricula on Indigenous Peoples’ studies’. The gloomy situation of vulnerable section of people snatches my concern very much, and I want to use the knowledge of science to develop an understanding of their situation. Especially indigenous and local communities all over the world are facing severe crises. I would like to know what their situation is in the Arctic region and what their rights are in the arena of energy distribution and sustainable development. Since the word ‘sustainable development’ is a buzzword in today’s world, what are the implications of sustainable development in the case of indigenous peoples of the Arctic region, are of my great concern.
Ragna Sørlundsengen
Masters’ student in Development, Environment and Cultural Change, University of Oslo
Currently enrolled in a master’s degree in development, Environment and Cultural Change at the University of Oslo, where I focus on social just energy transition in Norway. Previously graduated from the University of Cape Town with a bachelor’s and an honours degree in Economic History. For my honours degree, I looked at the role of state-owned enterprises in the energy sector and their role in state-led economic expansion and political stability in South Africa, Ethiopia, and South Korea.
My current job is as a sustainability strategist at St1 Nordic located in Oslo, being a subject matter expert on social sustainability and energy transition. My academic and work-related focus areas are wind energy development and human rights, partner management and developing large-scale value chain due diligence systems. I am working on how to translate and bridge international human rights and responsible business conduct principles into concrete systems, processes, and actions for private sector companies in the energy sector.
Vallabha Swapna
Master’s student in Political Science and Human Rights, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University Madhya Pradesh, India
Since my childhood, I have been listening to the word Sustainable Development but now I got to know that people are suffering from increasing pollution, Global warming, and depletion of natural resources. As an Environmental lover, I want to curb these problems by participating in environmental protection activities and projects so that I can bring awareness to the people to find ways in reaching sustainability. I am very fortunate to participate in The Summer School Program as it will provide me with a broad outlook on sustainable development and finding solutions to problems.
Léa Tourdot
Master’s student in Human Geography, University of Oslo
Graduated urban planner, I am interested in the urban transition of the Arctic. I am part of the Arctic Committee of the think-tank Groupe d’Études Géopolitiques in France. I have published some articles in Le Grand Continent about the mining development of Greenland. I am currently following a Master’s Degree in Human Geography at the University of Oslo. My main research interests are the gentrification of the Arctic, the resilience of mining cities and the architecture in the Arctic. I wrote my previous Master’s thesis about the displacement of the city of Kiruna in Northern Sweden.
Ekaterina Zmyvalova
PhD candidate in Sámi Studies – Umeå University
Zmyvalova’s research interests lie within the field of socio-legal studies and indigenous research methodologies. In her PhD project, she examines how the right of the Sámi children in Russia to learn their language at school is enforced. Zmyvalova published articles and book chapters dedicated to various rights of Indigenous peoples in Russia, inter alia the right to learn their indigenous language and traditional fishing rights. Zmyvalova also dedicated some of her works to the human rights of indigenous peoples in Russia and challenges of their implementation due to, inter alia, impediments to the legal provisions regulating the status of indigenous small-numbered peoples, problematic attribution of individual members of indigenous communities to indigenous small-numbered peoples, issues in the application of the notion ‘foreign agent’ to individuals and non-commercial organizations, and the State’s pressure on independent indigenous organizations.
UARCTIC ACADEMY FOR SUSTAINABILITY 