Three new Arctic Six Chairs at Luleå University of Technology

Nordic emergency preparedness, end-of-life care, and infrastructure in the Arctic. These are the topics to which three researchers at Luleå University of Technology will dedicate their Arctic Six Chair.

The three researchers who have been awarded an Arctic Six Chair are Christine Große, Malin Eneslätt, and Nina Lintzén. The Arctic Six Chair programme was developed within the framework of The Arctic Six, a collaboration between Luleå University of Technology, Umeå University, UiT – The Arctic University of Norway, Nord University, the University of Oulu, and the University of Lapland. The Arctic Six Chair programme is aimed at senior researchers at one of the member universities and is primarily intended to strengthen research collaborations within The Arctic Six. The appointed Chair is guaranteed 20 percent of their working hours for the project over a two-year period, with the possibility of a one-year funded extension, as well as funding of approximately 10,000 euros annually during the project period.

Christine Große – Threats in a Changing Security Environment

Christine Große’s project examines how the Nordic countries perceive, interpret, and respond to various threats in a changing—and thus unpredictable—security environment. These threats often arise as unintended consequences of modernisation processes and transcend geographical, social, and political boundaries. Cross-border cooperation is therefore required to address them.

“We live in a new reality where anyone with access to a digital photograph of someone’s face can insert it into a video in any context. These tools create new opportunities for entertainment, such as inserting actor Arnold Schwarzenegger into the musical ‘The Sound of Music’. But they can also be used for malicious purposes and disinformation, such as fake videos depicting a country’s political leaders.”

Increased Polarisation

The geopolitical situation has changed radically in just a few years. But Christine Große emphasises that not all threats are imported. Polarisation, declining trust in societal institutions, increased inequality, and the normalisation of extreme ideologies are growing problems that threaten democracies from within. Furthermore, the perception that society is facing serious threats can in itself reduce trust in society and thus fuel social conflicts, regardless of whether those perceptions are true or not. Such perceptions can be amplified by artificial intelligence.

Christine Große will study how concepts such as “total defense,” “threat,” “security,” and crisis preparedness are interpreted by various institutions, how they are operationalised into different guidelines for action, and how the institutions disseminate information and shape public opinion on these issues. “Institution” should be understood here in a broad sense. It refers both to organisations—such as government agencies, the business sector, and civil society organisations—and to how various systems influence our interpretive frameworks and actions, such as legal systems, organisational culture, and technical systems.

“An important question in the project is how we can build resilience against information influence among citizens without increasing distrust of public information,” says Christine Große.

She notes that societal development is often described in terms of threats, but less often in terms of opportunity and vision.

“As part of the project, I also want to study how we can formulate visions of the future we want.”

Similar and Different

She believes that Sweden, Norway, and Finland are interesting to study because the countries are so similar in terms of history, social systems, and culture. At the same time, there are differences between the countries that are often overlooked.

“In Sweden, we are still in the phase of determining who should do what. Finland has long had a high level of preparedness. In Norway, people are surprised at how openly we in Sweden discuss security threats and cooperation between civilian and military actors.”

The Nordic Arctic is of particular interest, according to Christine Große. The region in the three countries is similar in many ways, including vast distances, rapid climate change, and the fact that it is the subject of growing geopolitical interest.

Christine Große is an Associate professor of information systems specialising in security and stakeholder collaboration, but the project requires an interdisciplinary approach. She will therefore collaborate with researchers in a variety of fields, including:

• Gunhild Gjørv Hoogensen (Professor of Security Studies and Geopolitics at UiT – The Arctic University of Norway, and Arctic Six Chair)
• Corine Wood-Donnelly (Professor of International Relations and the High North at Nord University, and Arctic Six Chair)
• Ossi Kotavaara (Associate Professor of Accessibility to Geospatial Analysis at the University of Oulu)
• Niklas Eklund (Professor of Political Science at Umeå University and Arctic Six Chair 2024–2026)
• Simon Lindgren (Professor of Sociology at Umeå University)
• Sanna Kopra (Professor of International Politics at the University of Lapland)
• Dag Avango (Professor of History at Luleå University of Technology and Director of The Arctic Six 2024–2026)

Malin Eneslätt – End-of-Life Conversations in Minority Languages

Malin Eneslätt is a Senior lecturer in Nursing. She has previously translated the so-called DöBra (DieGood) card deck into Swedish. The DöBra card deck is originally an American concept designed to facilitate conversations about end-of-life issues among the general public.

As part of her Arctic Six Chair project, she will translate and test the digital version of the card deck (the DöBra app) into the minority languages of Northern Sami, Lule Sami, Pite Sami, Ume Sami, Southern Sami, and Meänkieli. The work will be carried out in collaboration with the NThe National Association of Swedish Tornedalians, Tornionlaaksolaiset and the Knowledge Network for Sami Health (Kunskapsnätverket för samisk hälsa). Malin Eneslätt believes there is a need for this conversation tool in minority languages because it can often feel safer for a dying person to discuss these issues in their own native language. This is especially true for people with early-stage dementia.

Cultural Differences

When the DöBra app is translated, she may also need to address cultural differences. Malin Eneslätt explains that translating the American card deck into Swedish required some cultural adaptation:

“The original deck contains 37 statements. It includes several phrases where the focus is entirely on the immediate family. In the Swedish version, we’ve translated it to ‘those close to me’ because there may be people other than family members with whom the dying person has a close relationship. We also added two cards that we felt were missing after discussions with an interfaith council.”

In addition to the DöBra app, she will dedicate her Arctic Chair to developing her Nordic network for education in palliative care. Together with Adam Graham, a doctoral student in health sciences and technology at the University of Oulu, she will work on a project exploring how AI can be used for communication training in end-of-life care. She will also continue her collaboration on educational issues with Petter Fjellström and Susanna Pusa, MD and associate professor, respectively, at Umeå University, and is currently looking for a partner in Norway.

“It will be exciting to delve deeper into this. In the Nordic Arctic, we have unique conditions due to our vast distances and our minority cultures, which influence how we need to approach issues related to palliative care,” says Malin Eneslätt.

Nina Lintzén – Climate Change Makes Arctic Infrastructure Unpredictable

Nina Lintzén’s project focuses on how climate change affects infrastructure in the Arctic and how to compensate for constantly shifting conditions through better forecasting tools.

Historically, winter has been an asset in the Arctic. Much transportation took place in the winter because it was easier to get around then. Even today, winter roads are important. But changing climate conditions are having a negative impact, not only on winter roads but also during the snow-free period.

“I have an ongoing project where I’m looking at how forest roads are affected by thawing. The plan with my Chair is to expand the project to look at infrastructure in the north in general,” says Nina Lintzén, a senior lecturer in Experimental mechanics.

Many people depend on functional roads

It is not just the forest industry that needs passable roads. The railways in the north are the lifeblood of the mining industry. The major industrial projects currently underway in Norrbotten and Västerbotten depend on functioning logistics. Reindeer herders have, since time immemorial, traveled along trails that have now become unsafe due to climate change. A predictable infrastructure is crucial for, among other things, medical transport, the tourism industry, military transport, and, of course, the general public.

Just 20 years ago, one could assume that ice and snow roads would be passable throughout the winter season. As climate change progresses, most rapidly at the poles, we must expect increasingly unpredictable winters with periods of mild weather and bare ground, treacherous ice, and an increased risk of avalanches.

To improve predictability, Nina Lintzén will develop forecast models that integrate climate parameters such as temperature, precipitation, and the layer structure of snow and ice.

“Ice roads are harder to forecast than roads on land because currents beneath the ice affect its load-bearing capacity,” explains Nina Lintzén.

Further developing and seeking new collaborations

Within the framework of her Arctic Six Chair, she will deepen the collaboration she already has with the University of Oulu. Her ambition is to find collaborations at the other partner universities as well.

“My goal is to establish a permanent network for research on Arctic infrastructure within The Arctic Six that extends beyond my term as Chair.”

Nina Lintzén has ongoing or planned collaborations with the following researchers:

• Perttu Niskanen, Senior Lecturer, University Lecturer, Machine and Vehicle Design, University of Oulu (ongoing collaboration)
• Veikko Pekkala, University Teacher, Civil Engineering, Faculty of Technology University of Oulu (ongoing collaboration)
• Pertti Ala-Aho, Associate Professor, Water, Energy, and Environmental Engineering, University of Oulu (planned collaboration)
• Marko Leinonen, Adjunct Professor and Research Director, Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, University of Oulu (planned collaboration)
• Matilda Marshall, Senior Lecturer in Ethnology, Department of Culture and Media Studies, Umeå University (planned collaboration)

• Learn more about The Arctic Six Chairs
• All Arctic Six Chairs appointed 2026

Contact

• Christine Große
• Malin Eneslätt
• Nina Lintzén