The foreign ministers of Iceland and Norway, Össur Skarphédinsson and Jonas Gahr Stoere, announced in Akureyri, north Iceland, on Thursday the establishment of a new three-year professorial position at the University of Akureyri in Arctic studies.
From left to right: Skarphédinsson, Stoere and rector of the University of Akureyri Stefán Sigurdsson. Courtesy of the Icelandic Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
The position is part of an agreement between Iceland and Norway on cooperation in the affairs of the Arctic regions which they signed at an open meeting at the culture center Hof in Akureyri on Thursday, a press release states.
The professorial position is named after the Norwegian Arctic explorer Fridtjof Nansen and is intended to further strengthen the two countries’ cooperation on research and education in matters concerning the Arctic.
The agreement also involves support for student exchange and cooperation between Icelandic and Norwegian scientists.
At a meeting the same day, the ministers discussed Arctic and European affairs where the countries have common interests, such as search and rescue and protection against oil pollution.
Click here to read about Iceland’s and Russia’s potential cooperation on the affairs of the Arctic regions.
ESA
