Umeå University's logo

This volume seeks to examine the nature of contemporary Nordic public policies from the vantage point of how they are “exceptional” as well as demonstrating features of their “inner diversity.” We use these terms to capture their dual nature. On the one hand, they present a distinct character that sets them apart from other public policy formulations found elsewhere in the world. They reflect a unique Nordic orientation in their creation and in the way they are implemented. On the other hand, they are not exactly uniform in character. Despite this shared Nordic heritage, one can discern specific differences in how each country of the region advances its own policy preferences and agendas. The essays contained within this book collectively seek to address both halves of the question before us. How do Nordic public policies of the contemporary era reflect both shared traditions and preferences as well as distinctive national differences and priorities? Together both elements help to provide us with an enhanced understanding of the public policy choices made within the Nordic region today.

This chapter presents a brief history of how NordForsk’s research program the Responsible Development of the Arctic came to be launched. After 2011, when Nordic cooperation on Arctic issues was first raised, a range of preparatory and planning activities were organized by NordForsk. Four years later, these resulted in support for four Centres of Excellence with the highest budget so far allocated to a NordForsk research program. The chapter begins with an analysis of what was the state of science and society, both in the Nordic region and beyond, when the program was initiated. It then provides an overview of the essential features of the processes and organizational arrangements that led to the launch of the program. The analysis is focused on what made it possible for NordForsk to produce integrated knowledge of relevance that would provide a better understanding of the situation in the Arctic. It is argued that four cornerstones constituted the basis for accomplishing this. These were: (1) Key actors in the Nordic region and beyond who had started to realize that increased incentives for research cooperation across borders were needed; (2) There was dialogue and commitment to take joint action between policymakers in the Nordic research and political arenas; (3) Needs-driven and fundamental research started to be seen as two sides of the same coin rather than competing approaches; and (4) There was careful management of the processes from planning, to the production of new knowledge. Still another factor of critical importance was the work done by professional and dedicated people e.g. administrators, experts, advisors etc., who maintained pressure for reaching the goal of securing new knowledge of high scientific quality and relevance to change in and beyond the Arctic region.

Statsvetenskapliga institutionen vid Umeå universitet etablerades samtidigt som Umeå universitet invigdes 1965. Denna bok berättar historien om institutionens första femtio år. Den ger inblickar i viktiga händelser, avgörande beslut, genomgående tendenser och tongivande förändringar. Det är en historia med både glädjeämnen och besvikelser, framgångar och motgångar.Att institutionen överlevt, expanderat och delvis kunnat förnya sig vittnar dock om att den i grunden utgör en livskraftig och dynamisk akademisk miljö med engagerade och kompetenta medarbetare.

NordForsk is a platform for Nordic research and research infrastructure cooperation. One of its key priorities is to support research in response to Grand Challenges as defined in the Lund Declaration, produced during the Swedish presidency of the European Union in 2009. This chapter describes how NordForsk’s research program Responsible development of the Arctic was developed and funded with a real common-pot. An important conclusion is that the fundamental and needs-driven research carried out in response to these grand challenges are, in fact, two sides of the same endeavor. Meeting the needs for knowledge that contributes to overcoming the negative and sometimes irreversible consequences of globalization in the Arctic is crucially important for the around four million inhabitants who live there. In the longer-term, some of these consequences will affect all human beings on earth because climate change is noticeable earlier in the High North than elsewhere. In this respect, the Arctic region is a global laboratory, and this type of new knowledge of importance for all living species on this planet. There are many prerequisites for accomplishing new knowledge of top quality to be acted upon by business, public service providers and other key users. It is necessary for researchers from different countries, with excellent qualifications in their respective disciplines, to work in teams that integrate perspectives and results from disciplinary research. Political backing is also crucial because politicians set policy agendas and are able to fund interdisciplinary research that involves cutting across policy communities e.g. research, innovation, health etc. Another absolute requirement is the existence of practical arrangements that make it possible to produce, spread and use evidence-informed knowledge suitable for overcoming problems and accomplishing responsible development in the Arctic region and beyond. There are lessons learned from the way NordForsk develops principles, flexible processes and organizing in order to create trust and long-term commitment to grand challenges responding research. The preconditions for meeting the urgent needs for new knowledge on the Arctic are, in short, a well-developed research program, excellent people willing to participate and a reliable platform for cooperation.