History, Politics and Northern Resources

Knowledge

The student should:

• possess basic knowledge of the historical background for and about the special legal arrangements applying to Svalbard (Spitsbergen) through the Svalbard Treaty
• have basic knowledge of the history of The Barents region and the use of the historic legacy in the contemporary political construction of regional identity
• demonstrate knowledge of the main political challenges of The High North
• understand the dynamics and basic principles of the cooperative arrangement in The Barents Region and The Arctic, such as the Barents Euro-Arctic Region, The Arctic Council and the bilateral Norwegian-Russian fisheries and environmental arrangements, and how these link up with the ¿Arctic Governance¿-concept
• understand the importance of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in the Arctic when the Arctic Ocean becomes more accessible for navigation and resource extraction
• understand the background and the importance of sustainable governance of the fisheries and other biological resources, and the unique environmental conditions making the region especially vulnerable to climate change and pollution
• understand the security politics and dilemmas in The High North, and particularly Norway¿s challenging strategic position located between Russia, EU and NATO

Skills

The student should:

• have developed skills for critical analysis of northern/Arctic issues and be able to identify and reflect upon the main challenges and the related political institutions and problem-solving mechanisms
• be able to collect information and to develop and present the main issues related to the northern/Arctic challenges

General Competence

The student should:

• be able to understand and analyze northern/Arctic issues and a number of the special challenges that this region raises
• be able to present essential knowledge and insights about the possibilities and limitation for a sustainable development of the High North areas