A Norwegian pillar in Svalbard: the development of the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS)
ABSTRACT The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) is a unique institution with a history that is closely related to Norwegian policy regarding Svalbard, and to clever development of a highly specialised Arctic university institution by all the Norwegian universities. In practical terms, Norwegian so...
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247417000018 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247417000018 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0032247417000018 2024-04-28T08:11:13+00:00 A Norwegian pillar in Svalbard: the development of the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) Misund, Ole A. Aksnes, Dag W. Christiansen, Hanne H. Arlov, Thor B. 2017 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247417000018 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247417000018 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms Polar Record volume 53, issue 3, page 233-244 ISSN 0032-2474 1475-3057 General Earth and Planetary Sciences Ecology Geography, Planning and Development journal-article 2017 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s0032247417000018 2024-04-09T06:55:12Z ABSTRACT The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) is a unique institution with a history that is closely related to Norwegian policy regarding Svalbard, and to clever development of a highly specialised Arctic university institution by all the Norwegian universities. In practical terms, Norwegian sovereignty on the archipelago as confirmed by the Treaty of Svalbard of 1920 and regulated by the Svalbard Law of 1925, is maintained by the presence of Norwegian civil authorities and communities. Today, the “capital” Longyearbyen with its 2100 inhabitants is a modern hub for industry, education, research, logistics and tourism. Founded in 1993, UNIS has become a main contributor to this community, generating some 20% of the total economic activity. A prime motivation for establishing UNIS was to provide a supplement and alternative to the unprofitable, heavily subsidized coal mining industry, by using the location for research based education. In 2015, the mining company Store Norske Spitsbergen Kullkompani (SNSK) met with deep crisis again and significantly downscaled its coal production and work force. Thus, UNIS may play an even more important role as a cornerstone of the local community in the future. This paper discusses the establishment and development of UNIS, its organisation, capacity, and academic production in terms of student graduation and its scientific output, just as its future potential for growth is evaluated. Finally, we discuss the increasingly important role of science and education in Norwegian Svalbard policy. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Longyearbyen Polar Record Svalbard UNIS University Centre in Svalbard Spitsbergen Cambridge University Press Polar Record 53 3 233 244 |
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Open Polar |
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Cambridge University Press |
op_collection_id |
crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
topic |
General Earth and Planetary Sciences Ecology Geography, Planning and Development |
spellingShingle |
General Earth and Planetary Sciences Ecology Geography, Planning and Development Misund, Ole A. Aksnes, Dag W. Christiansen, Hanne H. Arlov, Thor B. A Norwegian pillar in Svalbard: the development of the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) |
topic_facet |
General Earth and Planetary Sciences Ecology Geography, Planning and Development |
description |
ABSTRACT The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) is a unique institution with a history that is closely related to Norwegian policy regarding Svalbard, and to clever development of a highly specialised Arctic university institution by all the Norwegian universities. In practical terms, Norwegian sovereignty on the archipelago as confirmed by the Treaty of Svalbard of 1920 and regulated by the Svalbard Law of 1925, is maintained by the presence of Norwegian civil authorities and communities. Today, the “capital” Longyearbyen with its 2100 inhabitants is a modern hub for industry, education, research, logistics and tourism. Founded in 1993, UNIS has become a main contributor to this community, generating some 20% of the total economic activity. A prime motivation for establishing UNIS was to provide a supplement and alternative to the unprofitable, heavily subsidized coal mining industry, by using the location for research based education. In 2015, the mining company Store Norske Spitsbergen Kullkompani (SNSK) met with deep crisis again and significantly downscaled its coal production and work force. Thus, UNIS may play an even more important role as a cornerstone of the local community in the future. This paper discusses the establishment and development of UNIS, its organisation, capacity, and academic production in terms of student graduation and its scientific output, just as its future potential for growth is evaluated. Finally, we discuss the increasingly important role of science and education in Norwegian Svalbard policy. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Misund, Ole A. Aksnes, Dag W. Christiansen, Hanne H. Arlov, Thor B. |
author_facet |
Misund, Ole A. Aksnes, Dag W. Christiansen, Hanne H. Arlov, Thor B. |
author_sort |
Misund, Ole A. |
title |
A Norwegian pillar in Svalbard: the development of the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) |
title_short |
A Norwegian pillar in Svalbard: the development of the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) |
title_full |
A Norwegian pillar in Svalbard: the development of the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) |
title_fullStr |
A Norwegian pillar in Svalbard: the development of the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) |
title_full_unstemmed |
A Norwegian pillar in Svalbard: the development of the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) |
title_sort |
norwegian pillar in svalbard: the development of the university centre in svalbard (unis) |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247417000018 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247417000018 |
genre |
Arctic Longyearbyen Polar Record Svalbard UNIS University Centre in Svalbard Spitsbergen |
genre_facet |
Arctic Longyearbyen Polar Record Svalbard UNIS University Centre in Svalbard Spitsbergen |
op_source |
Polar Record volume 53, issue 3, page 233-244 ISSN 0032-2474 1475-3057 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0032247417000018 |
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Polar Record |
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53 |
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3 |
container_start_page |
233 |
op_container_end_page |
244 |
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