UiT establishes Center for Arctic Humanities
In order to strengthen and develop humanities research at UiT, a virtual Center for Arctic Humanities (ArcHum) is now being established.
The center is a response to the challenges in the Research Council's evaluation of the humanities in Norway. The center will emphasize Arctic humanities and is a part of UiT's humanities initiative from 2022.
– By highlighting the humanistic expertise that already exists at UiT, we will ensure that we meet the challenges of our time and the future, while at the same time putting UiT in an even better position to fulfill its social mission, says Dag Rune Olsen, rector at UiT The Arctic University of Norway.
Shall coordinate the environments
The Center for Arctic Humanities was initiated by the Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education (HSL), The Arctic University Museum of Norway and Academy of Fine Arts (UMAK) and the University Library (UB). It is financed via UiT's strategic fund for research for a four-year period.
The purpose is to:
- strengthen the professional communities in the field of Arctic humanities, including cooperation with other universities in the Arctic
- facilitate the humanities environments at UiT to assume a leading position for challenge-driven research, such as climate, environment, sustainability and indigenous issues
- highlight existing humanities research at UiT internally and externally
- develop collaborative relationships across all units at UiT
- establish robust, interdisciplinary environments that can succeed in the competition for national and international research funding
The center will coordinate the various humanities environments across UiT. Lilli Mittner, who has extensive experience in the humanities, interdisciplinary work and co-creative processes, was hired as academic coordinator.
She is administratively located at the HSL faculty, Center for Women's and Gender Research, but serves the entire university. An important part of the work is to promote innovation and creativity.
In addition to the coordinator, the center has a steering committee, a scientific reference committee and an elder council. The steering committee consists of Anne Britt Flemmen, dean of the HSL faculty, Lena Aarekol, director at UMAK and Johanne Raade, director at UB.
The scientific reference committee consists of Silje Gaupseth, associate professor of polar cultural studies and managing director at the Polar Museum (UMAK), Per Pippin Aspaas, head of research publication support (UB), Marie-Theres Federhofer, professor of German literature and cultural studies and vice-dean for research (HSL).
The elder council consists of Marit Anne Hauan (folklorist), Joar Vittersø (happiness researcher) and Ann Therese Lotherington (dementia researcher).
The center will formally open on 6 December and start work in full from New Year 2024.
