ECO_CARE meets Danilo Ricco

            Hello! My name is Danilo and I’m a Brazilian student enrolled in the Social Sciences for Development, Agriculture and Society master’s program at UFRRJ, Brazil. I also have a bachelor’s degree in History. In the spring semester of 2023, I was one of the ECO_CARE exchange students enrolled at the UiT The Arctic University of Norway.

            Since my teenage years, I’ve been fascinated with the polar regions of the world, dreaming about visiting the Arctic region in special. Trying to follow this dream, I focused my master’s degree research on whaling, an activity that mostly occurred on the waters of both polar regions of the world and with disastrous consequences for the regions and the global whale population. My intention is to understand the relationship between the ideologies of the market economy and the destruction of whale populations throughout the world.

            In the first half of 2023, I had the opportunity not only to meet most of the researchers from ECO_CARE but also to spend six months at the Faculty of Law, UiT The Arctic University of Norway as part of the ECO_CARE Exchange program. This opportunity proved to be essential to my research, not only because I could do most of it in one of the few countries that still hunt whales today, but also because I had access to new research material, not available online or in Brazil.

            Life in Tromsø ended up being easier than expected. I didn’t have any difficulty dealing with the Arctic climate, not even with the almost 40ºC temperature drop when I arrived. The city is a lovable one, with great people and landscapes. At UiT, I had the opportunity to make great friends and have a really nice time. Being in Tromsø gave me the opportunity to visit Svalbard, one of the places with a long tradition as a whaling ground and rich in archaeological sites related to whaling.

            After finishing my master's degree, I intend to follow my academic career by applying for a PhD position. Now, I’m more motivated than ever to continue my research and look for a new opportunity to be at UiT.

            I can only thank ECO_CARE and all its team members for the great opportunity and experience in Tromsø and at UiT.

Northen Light in Tromsø, picture by Danilo Ricco

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This post may be cited as: Danilo Ricco, ECO_CARE meets Danilo Ricco, September 14, 2023.