The renowned academic Dr Robert W. Corell has accepted a position as Professor in this new UArctic Institute. Dr. Corell brings an impressive resume and unparalleled experience to this new position, which is to be funded jointly by the Sami University College and the International Centre for Reindeer Husbandry. Corell was chair of the Arctic Council Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA), is chair of the Climate Action Initiative (CAI), is a senior advisor to Global Environment and Technology Foundation and on leave Vice President of the H .John Heinz II Centre for Science, Economics and Environment.

Dr. Corell has been engaged in research on the science of climate and global change as well as the interaction between science and public policy; particularly research activities focused on global and regional climate change and related environmental issues. Dr Corell chaired the Vice president Al Gore and the Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre meeting, Melting Ice and Snow in Tromsø in April 2009, and he has collaborated with reindeer herders and researchers in Kautokeino / Guovdageaidnu since 2000. He had the original idea to the EALÁT research project: Reindeer herders vulnerability networks study: Reindeer Pastoralism in a changing climate, which was later initiated by Association of World Reindeer Herders. He has been a member of the EALÁT research team since 2005 and has co-published several articles with this research team. Dr. Corell is also the Principal Investigator of a multi-donor international study entitled The Arctic Governance Project.

The professoriate to Dr Corell is in honour and recognition for his willingness to include Arctic indigenous peoples and their knowledge and insights into investigations of the effects of global change. Reindeer herding communities across the Arctic and Sub-arctic regions are facing profound changes in their societies. The challenges of climate change, increased development and globalisation are of such proportions that we need to use the best available knowledge to be able to adapt for the future. But what and whose knowledge will be that be? Obviously, scientific based knowledge has been and will continue to be very important. But often the best available knowledge is actually the knowledge of reindeer herding peoples themselves – the traditional knowledge developed by their close observation of reindeer and nature, handed down from generation to generation, and utilized every single day by herders in both the tundra and taiga. Dr. Robert Corell is acknowledged for his support in including Arctic indigenous peoples into research and assessments and with this position he will be better able to continue to support this ongoing work on developing adaptation strategies to future climate changes in Arctic societies.

For further information:

Professor Svein D. Mathiesen +4790524116 IPY EALAT
Director Anders Oskal +5794450010 International Centre for Reindeer Husbandry
Director Anders J H Eira, +4797678339 Sami University College
Dr Robert Corell +14439943643
President Lars Kullerud University of the Arctic +4790870099.