Svalbard Social Science Initiative

The Svalbard Social Science Initiative is a association of social science, humanities and arts-based researchers working with a wide range of issues on Svalbard. Our platform helps coordinate research activities and communication with the local community.

News from SSSI

Upcoming SIOS Webinar “Contaminating Encounters”

On 14 April at 13:00, SSSI member Zdenka Sokolickova and colleagues Anne Beaulieu and Maarten Loonen will present and discuss the interactive interface Contaminating Encounters. This interface developed out of a 2022...

Article on Svalbard’s green turn in New Internationalist 

The magazine New Internationalist recently published a feature about “Svalbard’s green gamble”. SSSI members Grete Hovelsrud, Tiril Vold Hansen and Zdenka Sokolíčková were interviewed for the piece. You can download and read the article here:  'Svalbard's Green...

SSSI contributed to hearing input for the Svalbardmelding 

On September 26th 2024, the standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence held an open meeting in Kulturhuset in Longyearbyen to listen to local concerns related to the White Paper for Svalbard (Report to the Storting No. 26 (2023-2024)). Together with Lpo...

Svalbard Social Science Initiative members at the Arctic Circle Assembly

In Reykjavik in the middle of October every year, scientists, businesspeople, politicians and various stakeholders gather in Reykjavik for the Arctic Circle Assembly. This year’s conference drew over 2000 participants, including members of Svalbard Social Science...

Building transdisciplinary bridges for sustainable Svalbard and Arctic development

On 29 May, the SSSI organized the second in a series of two workshops entitled “Building transdisciplinary bridges for sustainable Svalbard and Arctic development” (link...

SSSI panel at the Arctic Congress

At the Arctic Congress in Bodø, several members of SSSI participated in a panel session called ‘The cultural, societal, and political dimensions of energy transition in the Arctic.’ This panel, convened by SSSI members Tiril Told Hansen and Jacob Taarup was moderated...

Book Launch: Svalbard Imaginaries

On February 19, 2024 three of our members, Mathias Albert, Dina Brode-Roger, and Lisbeth Iversen, discussed their recently released collection 'Svalbard Imaginaries: the Making of an Arctic Archipelago' at Café Huskies in Longyearbyen with Martin Fiala, one of...

Season’s Greetings

The SSSI wishes everyone a very happy holiday season and all the best for 2024! The photos are from Longyearbyen, by Dina Brode-Roger.

SSSI Workshop: Building transdisciplinary bridges for sustainable Svalbard and Arctic development

On November 30th, the SSSI organized a workshop entitled "Building transdisciplinary bridges for sustainable Svalbard and Arctic development". The workshop was a side meeting to the Svalbard Science Conference, and was funded by the Svalbard Science Forum (Svalbard...

Documentary “The Visitors” nominated to Gulluglen

The Visitors (CZ-SK-NO, 2022), the documentary portraying the work of Zdenka Sokolickova about climate change, tourism and local identity has been nominated to Gulluglen at Bergen International Film Festival, the largest film festival in Norway. The...

Upcoming SIOS Webinar “Contaminating Encounters”

On 14 April at 13:00, SSSI member Zdenka Sokolickova and colleagues Anne Beaulieu and Maarten Loonen will present and discuss the interactive interface Contaminating Encounters. This interface developed out of a 2022...

Article on Svalbard’s green turn in New Internationalist 

The magazine New Internationalist recently published a feature about “Svalbard’s green gamble”. SSSI members Grete Hovelsrud, Tiril Vold Hansen and Zdenka Sokolíčková were interviewed for the piece. You can download and read the article here:  'Svalbard's Green...

SSSI contributed to hearing input for the Svalbardmelding 

On September 26th 2024, the standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence held an open meeting in Kulturhuset in Longyearbyen to listen to local concerns related to the White Paper for Svalbard (Report to the Storting No. 26 (2023-2024)). Together with Lpo...

Svalbard Social Science Initiative members at the Arctic Circle Assembly

In Reykjavik in the middle of October every year, scientists, businesspeople, politicians and various stakeholders gather in Reykjavik for the Arctic Circle Assembly. This year’s conference drew over 2000 participants, including members of Svalbard Social Science...

Building transdisciplinary bridges for sustainable Svalbard and Arctic development

On 29 May, the SSSI organized the second in a series of two workshops entitled “Building transdisciplinary bridges for sustainable Svalbard and Arctic development” (link...

SSSI panel at the Arctic Congress

At the Arctic Congress in Bodø, several members of SSSI participated in a panel session called ‘The cultural, societal, and political dimensions of energy transition in the Arctic.’ This panel, convened by SSSI members Tiril Told Hansen and Jacob Taarup was moderated...

Book Launch: Svalbard Imaginaries

On February 19, 2024 three of our members, Mathias Albert, Dina Brode-Roger, and Lisbeth Iversen, discussed their recently released collection 'Svalbard Imaginaries: the Making of an Arctic Archipelago' at Café Huskies in Longyearbyen with Martin Fiala, one of...

Season’s Greetings

The SSSI wishes everyone a very happy holiday season and all the best for 2024! The photos are from Longyearbyen, by Dina Brode-Roger.

SSSI Workshop: Building transdisciplinary bridges for sustainable Svalbard and Arctic development

On November 30th, the SSSI organized a workshop entitled "Building transdisciplinary bridges for sustainable Svalbard and Arctic development". The workshop was a side meeting to the Svalbard Science Conference, and was funded by the Svalbard Science Forum (Svalbard...

Documentary “The Visitors” nominated to Gulluglen

The Visitors (CZ-SK-NO, 2022), the documentary portraying the work of Zdenka Sokolickova about climate change, tourism and local identity has been nominated to Gulluglen at Bergen International Film Festival, the largest film festival in Norway. The...

SSSI

members

Members are those currently working on a longterm, field-based, academic project on Svalbard and who are able to dedicate a part of their time to maintaining and furthering our growing association. This includes all academic projects, from the social sciences to the humanities and the arts.

Related Projects

For all projects that deal with issues and/or subject matter related to Svalbard but that are not associated with a university. This includes, but is not limited to, art-based projects, experienced-based projects, personal projects etc.