HARC Science Workshop 2003 | Overview
25-26 October 2003
The Edgewater Hotel, Seattle, WA
Research into human/environment interactions in the arctic system encompasses many potential research topics that require interdisciplinary approaches. These projects frequently require collaboration with arctic residents or users of arctic resources. Thus, human/environment interactions science is complex, and scientists who conduct this research must use established methods and approaches as well as developing new ones to meet the particular demands of a given project. The project teams for this type of science are similarly complex, often requiring large teams that draw on a number of disciplines, plus input and direction from Arctic communities.
An open science workshop to discuss patterns, connections, and methods in conducting human/environment interactions research in the arctic system will be held Saturday and Sunday, 25-26 October 2003 in Seattle, Washington. This workshop aims to further develop a research community interested in human/environment studies in the Arctic, share findings and lessons learned from current investigations, and highlight promising directions for future research. Two primary questions will provide the overall focus for the workshop:
How do we define the field of Human-Environment Interactions?
What is needed to advance the field, with emphasis on the Arctic?
This meeting is being sponsored by the Human Dimensions of the Arctic System (HARC) program, a component of the National Science Foundation's Arctic System Science (ARCSS) Program. The primary purposes of the meeting are to:
- Identify challenges, compare experiences, and discuss ideas about solutions for conducting interdisciplinary human-dimensions research in the Arctic.
- Provide a common forum for investigators to outline ongoing research, discuss results, and receive feedback from colleagues.
- Compare theoretical and practical observations regarding diverse methodological and conceptual approaches applied to human/environment interactions research in the Arctic.
The workshop will include presentations, extended discussions, and poster sessions.
"There is an inseparable link between humans and the environment, and the study of one without the other can go only halfway to finding solutions to the challenges that face us."
--Caleb Pungowiyi, President, Robert Aqqaluk Newlin Sr. Memorial Trust