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

Ragnhild Bjørnsen (SSSI) in residency with Artica Svalbard

Ragnhild Bjørnsen is currently in Longyearbyen for a residency with Artica Svalbard. She was nominated by the Norwegian Non-Fiction Writers and Translators Association (NFFO) and will spend her time in Svalbard to continue her research on the experiences of children...

Art/Place webinar about Svalbard

Art/Place is a webinar series exploring how artists and/or arts-based practitioners engage with Arctic places through diverse creative practices and perspectives. The series, developed for the UArctic Thematic Network on Critical Arctic Studies (CAS), is co-hosted by...

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.

Ragnhild Bjørnsen (SSSI) in residency with Artica Svalbard

Art/Place webinar about Svalbard

Upcoming SIOS Webinar “Contaminating Encounters”

Article on Svalbard’s green turn in New Internationalist

SSSI contributed to hearing input for the Svalbardmelding

Svalbard Social Science Initiative members at the Arctic Circle Assembly

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

Book Launch: Svalbard Imaginaries

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

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.

All members

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.

Browse projects