UiT at UN Ocean Conference

Arctic Future Pathfinders – A journey through the Northwest Passage

Join us in Nice during the 2025 UN Ocean Conference for Arctic Future Pathfinders — an event exploring how the Arctic is shaping the future of our oceans.

Illustrasjons-/bannerbilde for Arctic Future Pathfinders – A journey through the Northwest Passage

Karine Nigar Aarskog / UiT

The Arctic is undergoing rapid transformations with global consequences. As climate change accelerates and sea ice retreats, the stakes for nature, communities, and global cooperation are higher than ever.

The event is hosted by UiT The Arctic University of Norway and Memorial University of Newfoundland. For the first time, Statsraad Lehmkuhl will sail through the Northwest Passage. On board the voyage are 120 students and around 40 researchers from UiT and partner universities. Three of the students will be present in Nice to share the vision and plans for this journey. We are honored by the presence of HRH Crown Prince Haakon.

Time schedule:
09:30–10:00: Coffee served
10:00–11:15: Program
11:15–12:00: Light refreshments & event concludes

The event brings together political leaders, researchers, Indigenous representatives, youth, and civil society to discuss:

The far-reaching impacts of Arctic climate change
The role of Arctic communities and Indigenous knowledge in sustainable futures
Geopolitical shifts and their global implications
How knowledge, innovation, and cooperation can drive solutions

The program includes opening remarks, a keynote address, a panel discussion, and networking opportunities. Moderator is Jan-Gunnar Winther, Pro-rector, UiT The Arctic University of Norway. Speakers are listed below (to be updated).

Accreditation to the Blue Zone is not required to attend the event. However, due to security measures, registration is mandatory. Please note that registration does not guarantee a seat, as capacity is limited. Seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

✅ Please RSVP by June 1, 2025.
🆔 A government-issued ID will be required for access.
➡️ Dress code: According to weather. NO HEELS on deck

We recommend arriving early on the day to secure your space.

Please note that there will be popular science lectures about law of the sea, mining in the Arctic and plastic pollution right after this event has ended on the same ship.

When: 10.06.25 kl 10.00–12.00

Where: Statsraad Lehmkuhl, Quai Riboty (close to the Blue Zone), Nice, France

Location / Campus: Other

Target group: Employees, Students, Guests, Invited

Contact: Else Welde

E-mail: else.k.welde@uit.no

Please sign me up!

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Foredragsholdere

Sanda Ojiambo

Assistant Secretary-General, United Nations Global Compact

Assistant Secretary-General and CEO.

Assistant Secretary-General, United Nations Global Compact

Sanda Ojiambo

Assistant Secretary-General, United Nations Global Compact

For the past two years, Ms. Ojiambo served as the Executive Director of the UN Global Compact, leading the development and roll out of an ambitious new strategy to accelerate and scale the global collective impact of business to uphold the Ten Principles of the Global Compact, and deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals.

Ms. Ojiambo joined the UN from Safaricom Plc in Kenya where she served as the Head of Sustainable Business and Social Impact, leading the implementation of several public-private partnership initiatives between Safaricom and UN organizations at both local and global levels. Prior to this, Ms Ojiambo worked with IPPF Africa, UNDP Somalia and CARE Somalia leading public policy and capacity development work across multiple sectors. Throughout her career, she has cultivated and managed partnerships with key business entities, civil society organizations and philanthropies. Ms. Ojiambo holds a Master of Arts in Public Policy from the University of Minnesota, USA, and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and International Development from McGill University, Canada.

Dag Rune Olsen

Rector, UiT The Arctic University of Norway

Dag Rune Olsen is a Norwegian physicist and university leader.

Peter Haugan

Policy Director, Institute of Marine Research

Peter Haugan is Policy Director at Institute of Marine Research and professor of oceanography at the Geophysical Institute, University of Bergen, Norway.

Sigri Stokke Nilsen

Sigri Stokke Nilsen

Director, Centre for the Ocean and the Arctic

Sigri Stokke Nilsen is project manager and acting director at the Centre for the Ocean and the Arctic.

Beate Bursta

Researcher and documentary maker

Beate Bursta works independently across multiple fields as a fisher, researcher, and author. Her academic background includes extensive experience as a lecturer and researcher at the Nordic Sámi Institute, the Sámi University of Applied Sciences, and UiT The Arctic University of Norway.

Researcher and documentary maker

Beate Bursta

Researcher and documentary maker

Bursta grew up in Havøysund, a remote fishing village on the outer edge of Norway’s Finnmark coast. She now divides her time between Alta, the region’s largest urban center, and Ingøy, a coastal Sámi fishing community located even farther north. With a background rooted in coastal fishing traditions, Bursta has taken part in seasonal fisheries for the past seven years, serving primarily as crew during the annual king crab harvest.

Trained as a visual anthropologist, she works independently across multiple fields as a fisher, researcher, and author. Her academic background includes extensive experience as a lecturer and researcher at the Nordic Sámi Institute, the Sámi University of Applied Sciences, and UiT The Arctic University of Norway. She has taught and developed courses in media and tourism studies, and her research has primarily focused on cultural and visual expressions, with particular emphasis on Sámi culture. As a documentary filmmaker, she consistently centers Sea Sámi themes in both her creative and scholarly practice.

Her participation in One Ocean II through the Northwest Passage represents an important opportunity to bring Sámi and other Indigenous perspectives into global conversations on ocean stewardship and climate governance.

Yara Hannah Theresa Nieuwenhuis

Yara Hannah Theresa Nieuwenhuis

Student, UiT The Arctic University of Norway

Master student at UiT in Tromsø currently pursuing a masters in both Biology (Freshwater Ecology) and in Political Science.

Mathis Jacob Schulz

Mathis Jacob Schulz

Student, UiT The Arctic University of Norway

Mathis holds a Bachelor’s degree in History from Goethe University in Frankfurt a.M. In addition to his primary field, he also studied Classical Archaeology and Public Law, broadening his academic background.

Student, UiT The Arctic University of Norway

Mathis Jacob Schulz

Student, UiT The Arctic University of Norway

Originally from Germany, Mathis Jacob Schulz is a dedicated academic specializing in history and peace studies. He is currently pursuing his Master’s degree in Peace and Conflict Transformation at the Arctic University of Tromsø (UiT) and writes his Master’s thesis on geopolitical shifts and the securitization in the Arctic.

Mathis holds a Bachelor’s degree in History from Goethe University in Frankfurt a.M. In addition to his primary field, he also studied Classical Archaeology and Public Law, broadening his academic background.

With his keen interests in geopolitics, security, and conflict resolution, Mathis aims for a career in international relations and diplomacy. He is passionate about trying to help make the world a better place, determined to tackle global issues, and especially interested in making new experiences, meeting new people, and expanding his horizon. Therefore, Mathis is excited to take part in the OneOcean Expedition on Statsraad Lehmkuhl, sailing through the North-West-Passage in September 2025.

Soraya Grigourio-Gratton

Soraya Grigourio-Gratton

Student, UiT The Arctic University of Norway

Holds a Master's degree in International and European Environmental Law from Aix-Marseille University, France and is now specializing in Law of the Sea at UiT.