Here below you can find all master courses the University Centre offers. All courses are taught in 1-3 week modules running from August through June. See how the courses are organised in the teaching schedule for both programs. Usually 2-3 courses are taught at the same time, but students may only enroll in one course at a time.
The master courses are available to you whether you plan to pursue a degree or just take a course or courses. Please review the options for guest studies to determine how you can apply.
For further information, contact the Administrative Director of Education and Teaching.
Arctic Ocean Governance
- Autumn 2026
- Instructor: Dr. Romain Chuffart
About the course
The Arctic Ocean and adjacent seas are undergoing profound transformations due to climatic changes that challenge its ice cover and new forms of economic activity such as deep-sea mining. There are growing questions of governance and justice from Indigenous use of marine spaces and reliance on the oceans for food security to the ecological challenges presented by new resource exploitation and the policies underpinning these practices. Ocean governance has a long history rooted in the evolving relationship between human communities, resource needs, and technological capabilities. Once thought as commons within defined limitations, ocean spaces are subdivided across state territories, with privileges of resource exploitation and responsibility for transboundary challenges (e.g., plastics pollution or sustainable harvesting) incompatible within contemporary challenges, such as states’ needs for security of resource supply, biodiversity protection and Indigenous rights. This course analyzes and discusses present and potential future governance of Arctic states and international collaborations that have been established to foster coordination among these states. It also considers potential future frameworks for Arctic governance and the role of Indigenous people.
Participation in the Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavík, an important international forum for Arctic policy and governance, is an integral element of this course and provides students with a unique and important opportunity to experience high-level discussions of many challenges faced in the region, and potential emerging solutions. Participation in the Assembly also offers students the opportunity to meet and learn more about these issues and challenges from the key leaders of Arctic nations as well as other important players in the Arctic governance and policy community at this forum.
Instructor
Dr. Romain Francois R Chuffart holds the position as the chair and managing director of the Arctic Institute - Center for Circumpolar Security Studies (TAI), a public think tank for policy-making in the Arctic. In addition, he has also held the position as an adjunct in Arctic law at the Faculty of Law of the University of Akureyri. Romain completed his MA degree in Polar Law in Iceland and last year completed his PhD in Law at Durham University.
Learning outcome
On completion of the course a student:
- can recall the evolution of governance in the Arctic to the present, as well as the contemporary governance framework in the Arctic.
- can demonstrate ability in critically evaluating contemporary governance mechanisms.
- can identify and critically evaluate challenges to achieving effective collaboration in the region.
- has learned to develop important networking skills and learned to navigate an international conference successfully and professionally.
- is able to critically evaluate conference sessions orally in front of peers, relating conference topics to Arctic Ocean Governance.