Venäjän Ukrainaan tekemän hyökkäyksen vaikutus Suomen ja Japanin toimiin ja näkemyksiin Arktisella alueella

Short Summary of the Project:

This project explores how Finland and Japan can collaborate to address the evolving geopolitical and security challenges in the Arctic. The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and the subsequent war have challenged the fundamental structures of Arctic governance and the collaboration that has emerged since the end of the Cold War. Formal ties between states and regions, as well as daily people-to-people exchanges involving Indigenous peoples of the North, have deteriorated. The way the Arctic is approached, both within and outside the region, has also evolved significantly. Decisions that significantly impact the Arctic are increasingly influenced, either directly or indirectly, by outside actors, such as Japan, which is far from the region. Notably, the economic presence of Japanese entities in the Arctic and Japan’s contributions to Arctic research have grown. Japan’s growing interest in Arctic stewardship provides an opportunity to strengthen the bilateral partnership, particularly by engaging with Finland's extensive Arctic expertise. The project ultimately aims to sustain and deepen Finland-Japan cooperation by offering new strategies for navigating the complex and shifting Arctic geopolitical landscape. This project is based on the long-standing academic collaboration between the Arctic Centre at the University of Lapland in Finland and the Arctic Research Center at Hokkaido University in Japan.

Project objectives:
• To analyze the possibilities, limitations, structural dynamics, and challenges of current and future collaborations between Arctic and non-Arctic actors in the context of rapidly changing geopolitical and environmental realities.

• To develop innovative perspectives on the emerging Arctic security paradigm, the shift-ing geopolitical landscape, and potential coordinated responses between Finland and Japan.

• To promote academic mobility and research collaboration through scholar exchanges and joint research activities between Finland and Japan.

Project duration:
• Fall 2025-Spring 2027

Partners:
• Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, Finland (www.arcticcentre.org)
• Hokkaido University, Japan (https://www.global.hokudai.ac.jp/why-hu)

Project leads:
• Finland: Dr. Kamrul Hossain, Professor, Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, Finland
• Japan: Dr. Juha Saunavaara, Associate Professor, Hokkaido University, Japan


The expected outcomes:
• Academic exchange and mobility
• Scientific publications
• Policy brief preparation
• Workshops and seminars
• Presentations at international conferences/events

Funding Agency:
• Research Council of Finland / Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
• Joint Funding: 60 000 €

Contact person:
Kamrul Hossain, Research Professor
Arctic Centre, University of Lapland
[email protected], +35840 484 4281