Through this panel we will explore the geopolitical, environmental, and strategic challenges shaping the Arctic region today. As climate change accelerates ice melt, new shipping routes and resource opportunities emerge, intensifying competition among Arctic and non-Arctic states.
The discussion will examine the region’s evolving security dynamics, including military buildups, territorial claims, and the role of multilateral cooperation through institutions like the Arctic Council and NATO. Our panelists will assess how major powers—such as the United States, Russia, and China—navigate these shifts and what implications they hold for global stability.
Jennifer Spence is the Director of the Arctic Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, with expertise related to sustainable development, international governance, institutional effectiveness, and public policy.
Ríkey Hauksdóttir is a Predoctoral Research Fellow with the Belfer Center's Arctic Initiative and a PhD Candidate at the University of Iceland, researching China-Russia Arctic relations. She is a former Project Manager at the Centre for Arctic Studies and has worked as a journalist and a radio broadcaster.
AUDIENCE: These conversations are open to any member of the Harvard community.
OFF-THE-RECORD: In keeping with our long tradition at the IOP to ensure honest and candid discussions of politics, all IOP study groups are off-the-record.
