The overarching question imparting urgency to this exploration is: Can U.S.-Russian contention in cyberspace cause the two nuclear superpowers to stumble into war? In considering this question we were constantly reminded of recent comments by a prominent U.S. arms control expert: At least as dangerous as the risk of an actual cyberattack, he observed, is cyber operations’ “blurring of the line between peace and war.” Or, as Nye wrote, “in the cyber realm, the difference between a weapon and a non-weapon may come down to a single line of code, or simply the intent of a computer program’s user.”
Featured in the Belfer Center Spring 2021 Newsletter »
The Harvard Arctic Initiative Student Podcast grew out of the disappointing news of summer 2020 that, because of the ongoing pandemic, students across the world would not be retuning to in person teaching in the Fall. Determined that students would not miss out, and inspired by the availability of new technology and remote ways of working, the Arctic Initiative created the podcast project to provide students with an exciting opportunity which they would not have had if they had been on campus. The project was led by one of the Arctic Initiative’s post doctoral research fellows, Dr. Sarah Mackie.
The Arctic Initiative invited students from Harvard Kennedy School and from across the world to apply to take part in the podcast project. All of the students selected had some connection with the Arctic either through birth, upbringing, residency, or study. The students were given training in storytelling, interviewing, audio editing, and behaving in a culturally sensitive manner. They also had the opportunity to work in smaller groups to support each other and, more importantly given the difficult situations in which many of them found themselves, to meet new people, and to make friends.
The cohort was truly international with students located as far East as China and as far West as Alaska. Together they represented 11 nationalities and 20 different universities from 9 countries. Approximately half of the students were living in the Arctic or sub-Arctic (eg Fairbanks, Alaska) at the time of the course. There was a broad spectrum of ages and a wide selection of academic and professional backgrounds, with participants ranging from undergrad right through to PhD students and recent graduates.
Northern Lights launched on March 17, 2021 with an episode about a ground-breaking new collaboration between wildlife biologists and indigenous subsistence hunters to gather data about the size of walruses in Alaska. The episode was written and produced by Emily Becker of the University of Alaska, Anchorage. New episodes will be released regularly, and the Arctic Initiative looks forward to sharing these students’ engaging and interesting stories with you.
Featured in the Belfer Center Spring 2021 Newsletter »
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A wildlife biologist collaborates with indigenous subsistence hunters to monitor the health of walruses in the Alaskan Arctic.
Can Greenland ever fully govern its foreign and security policies itself – and what would the consequences of this be?
The Alaska Native Heritage Center President and a traditional healer on staff discuss how the center is working to utilize Indigenous methods of healing to address mental health issues within the Alaska Native community.
Ramón Hernando de Larramendi and the Inuit Windsled: When Spain Builds the Arctic Bridge Between Traditional Knowledge & Innovation for a Sustainable Future.
In the podcast episode we´ll get to meet a young entrepreneur who has established an innovative biotech company together with his family and get to know how the company focusing on the development and commercialization of natural health products from prawn byproducts.
Barbara Johnson brings us a story of hurt and healing as she discovers one way in which victims of domestic violence in Alaska are supporting each other in their recovery from abuse.
OneTree Alaska is a program in Fairbanks that makes stewards of the forest and citizen scientists of anyone at any age through tree tapping and more.
The creative expression of Norway, Sweden, and Finland 's Indigenous people has long been underrepresented in a contemporary art context, but that is all about to change.
In the first episode of a miniseries on the music scene in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Vickie Rochon speaks with Andrew Morrison, lead singer & songwriter from Iqaluit-based band The Jerry Cans and co-founder of Aakuluk Music record label.
In the second episode of a miniseries on the music scene in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Vickie Rochon talks with Inuk singer & songwriter Aasiva, from Pagnirtung, Nunavut, as she shares on throat singing, Inuit culture & musical talent and using music as a coping mechanism.
From the icy Arctic Ocean to the warmth of university labs and libraries, this episode explores ways in which scientific research in the Arctic can be undertaken sustainably.
Plankton is the foundation of the food system for Arctic marine life. However, rising sea temperatures in the Arctic are having an impact on various plankton species, leading to the risk of food insecurity for communities in the region.
In this guest podcast, students from Harvard Kennedy School discuss possible pathways for the countries in the Arctic to balance the potential economic benefits of mining with its negative impacts on the people and nature in the region.
Four students met with Anders Oskal, the Secretary General of the Association of World Reindeer Herders, to discuss traditional indigenous knowledge and how it differs from, and can complement, Western scientific knowledge.
