Project Aim and Methodology

The “Geopolitics in the High North” project aims to attract international attention to the High North and stimulate a fruitful exchange of views between American, European, and Russian policymakers and scholars on the opportunities and challenges facing this region.

Through a progression of conferences, workshops, and reports, the “Geopolitics in the High North” research program seeks to:

• Identify actors and patterns of cooperation and conflict
• Examine the role of traditional and relevant state actors
• Investigate the impact and importance of energy security, jurisdiction and governance, and climate change for the region

In order to address the multi-dimensional challenges of the High North in the 21st century, this project has been organized into eight “Working Packages” which cover the following clusters of issues and determinants:

• Actors and patterns of cooperation and conflict
• Russia, Norway, and the High North – Past Present, Future
• Defining an interest: The European Union and the High North
• The power of energy
• Law of the Sea and ocean governance
• Climate change and environmental protection

CSIS will take the lead on three “Working Packages” which will tackle the following questions:

• What role will NATO and the EU play in the High North?
• What policies will Nordic countries pursue visa-vi this region?
• What are the U.S. interests in the and how do those interests fit into the American global strategic security framework?