Studying the Barents Region:
views and experiences from the Russian side
Larissa Riabova
Research DirectorLuzin Institute for Economic Studies
Kola Science Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Apatity, Murmansk region
2021

IES – 30 years of research cooperation across the Barents borders• Luzin Institute for Economic Studies (IES) – part of theKola Science Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences inApatity, Murmansk region, 100 employees• Kola Science Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences(KSC RAS) – 10 research institutes, 1300 employees,
experimental areas on Spitsbergen and Franz Josef Land

The Barents Euro-Arctic Region,
map by the Arctic Centre,
University of Lapland• KSC – the only Federal Research Center in Russia locatedbeyond the Arctic Circle• IES:- in Barents research cooperation since the early 1990s- more than 50 international research projects on the BarentsRegion

Luzin Institute for Economic Studies,
KSC RAS, Apatity, Murmansk region

Barents studies: retrospection from the IES’ perspective• The Barents Region was established in 1993 as a region for cooperation on security and sustainable
development, and knowledge and research contributed in region-building (Tunander 2008, Tennberg
2015)• Researchers participated in region-building through publications, networking, conferences andexchanges with decision-makers (Larner and Walters 2002)

Institute for Economic Studies KSC RAS:
• IES – pioneer of Barents research cooperation

One of the first international
conferences at the IES, Apatity, 1998

• Mid 1990s – boom in establishing ties between Western and Russian researchers• Main themes of joint research:> socio-economic developments in the Barents Region> globalization and its local impacts in the Arctic> sustainable development of resource based communities in the Arctic and the BarentsRegion• Academic exchanges: 2-3 researchers in the early 1990s, by late 1990s altogether 20 researchers
from IES studied abroad• Since 2000 – IES takes part in 4-5 Barents projects yearly, research cooperation on regular basis• After 2014 – political tension increased, but “we will cooperate as we did before”

The Barents International PoliticalEconomy (BIPE) research network,
Rovaniemi, 2012

Joint Barents studies


Globalization from Below. Localized Transformations in the Circumpolar North(2004-2006), The Research Council of Norway, project leader N. Aarsæther

The Barents International Political Economy (BIPE) research network (2012-2014),
Nordic Council of Ministers, project leader M. Tennberg

Neoliberal governance and sustainable development in the Barents Euro-Arcticregion from local communities perspectives – NEO-BEAR (2012-2015), NordRegio,
project leader M. Tennberg

Arctic Urban Sustainability in the High North – ARCSUS (2013-2015), The ResearchCouncil of Norway, project leader A. A. Espiritu

Main partners:> The University of Tromsø, dep. of Sociology, Political Science and Community Planning> The Barents Institute, UiT> Arctic Centre, University of Lapland> Northern Research Institute – Norut> The Norwegian Institute for Urban and Regional research – NIBRLongitudinal research in the Barents coastal communities•

For 20 years – studies of social and economic processes and impacts ofRussian-Norwegian cooperation in fishing villages – Teriberka inMurmansk region and Båtsfjord in Troms og Finnmark county•

Local coping processes and regional development. Social capitaland economic co-operation in Russian and Norwegian coastalcommunities, 1999-2001, funded by INTERREG Barents program,project leader M. Aure•

A new decade: change and continuity in Russian-Norwegiancooperation and labor migration, 2012-2015, funded by the BarentsSecretariat, project leader M. Aure•

Partner – University of Tromsø, dep. of Sociology, Political Scienceand Community Planning•

Published: “Transforming the local” and “The reflexive North” (2001),“International labour migration to Europe’s rural regions” (2021)BåtsfjordTeriberka

Findings of joint research on the Barents Region
There are two major discourses in the research on the Barents Region:
the need to be governed and the need to have an identity (Tennberg 2015)
The need to have an identity

The need to be governed•

Although the Barents Region has a strong educational andresearch basis, today knowledge about the region isfragmented, partial and limited (Tennberg 2015)• In order to govern the region, we need more systematic
knowledge on the Barents Region as a whole andespecially on long-term impact of the Barents cooperation•

The Barents Region is most often described as a resource region(Tennberg 2015)•Also a region to be developed, a European region, peace-andstability region•

Research cooperation – one of important practices of building
Barents regional identity

Findings of joint research on the Barents Region
How to continue the Barents cooperation in the face of geopolitical conflicts?
The answer is that we must go beyond questions of geopolitics and to focus on local-level actors and their everyday lives.
Another challenge that will mark the next decade of cooperation is the question of sustainable development (Espiritu 2015)

Importance of local and community approaches todevelopment and research in the Barents Region

Sustainable development and connections
between Barents and Arctic sustainabilities• Neoliberal policies expose local natural resources in the
Barents Region to broader exploitation•• The Barents Region is home to 5 mln people, most towns andvillages are small. Income leaves especially remote smallcommunities

Sustainability in the Barents Region, including highly importanturban sustainability, is an integral part of sustainability in theArctic (Espiritu et al 2014)•• Locals are left to cope with increasing number of new
responsibilities to ensure communities’ well-being (Suopajärvi
2015, Aure and Riabova 2021 and other)

Sustainable development of the Barents Region depends on
Russian Arctic developments. Two main drivers affect thedevelopment of Russian Arctic cities: resource extraction andclimate change•Further Barents and Arctic research need:- to improve our understanding of the drivers and policy-making
process- comparative analysis and focused case studies (Espiritu 2015)• A gap between researchers, business and politicians preventsfrom dealing with neoliberal challenges effectively

Current projects
Adapting to a changing society. The case of civil society in the Murmansk region – VOLRUSS(2020-2022), The Research Council of Norway, project leader V. Nygaard•

Partner – NORCE (The Norwegian Research Centre)•Aim:- to explore how voluntary organizations in the border region of Murmansk adapt tochanging legal, political and social circumstances, and how they address socioeconomic and public health needs in local communities•Covid-19 – shift in research focus to the impacts of the pandemic, digital cooperation

Replay or renew? Learning from 20+ years of Norwegian-Russian collaboration on health andsocial welfare in the Barents region – RE:BARENTS (2021-2024), The Research Council ofNorway, project leader A. Aasland• Partners – OsloMet / NIBR (Oslo Metropolitan University / The Norwegian Institute for Urban andRegional Research), NORCE, Association of Local and Regional Authorities (Norway), Barents Secretariat• Aim:- to gain systematic knowledge on the long-term impacts of 20+ years of Norwegian–Russiancollaboration on health and social welfare in the Barents Region

Barents Studies journal – joint publishing project• Barents Studies: Peoples, Economies and Politics:> peer-reviewed multidisciplinary academic journal discussing social, economic,Since 2019,
the BSJ articles
have beenand political aspects of development in the Barents Region> co-established in 2013 by- Arctic Centre, University of Lapland (M. Tennberg)

downloaded morethan 16 000 times- The Barents Institute, The University of Tromsø (A. A. Espiritu)- Institute for Economic Studies, Kola Science Centre RAS (L. Riabova)> funded until 2016 by Kolarctic Cross Border Cooperation program. Since 2016 –institutional and in-kind resources> aims:- to promote research co-operation and popularization of res. results on the Barents Region- to close the gap between researchers, business and politicians
Editorial Board meeting 1.10.2013,
The Barents Institute, Kirkenes, Norway
A. Viken, A. Espiritu, L. Riabova, T. Orjasniemi,
A. Raja-Hanhela (board secretary),
M. Tennberg and F. LarichkinFuture cooperation – to solve common challenges together
Common challenges• Climate change• Increased volumes of natural resources
extraction• Covid-19• Sustainable development of small
communities and urban centers underneoliberalism• Political tension• Need for systematic knowledge on theBarents Region as a whole and on long-term
impact of the Barents cooperation

Recent developments in the Russian partof the Barents Region and the Arctic – themes for new joint research• RUSNANO will create the first carbon-free territory in the Murmansk Region(agreements signed at SPIEF-2021, 3 June 2021). Pilot carbon-free zone: greenwaste disposal, renewable energy, electric vehicles and energy efficiency
technologies• Governor of the Murmansk region A. Chibis initiated regular online sessions“Barents Euro-Arctic region versus Coronavirus” with the Governors of thecounties of the Barents Region (1st live Youtube stream 10.06. 2020)• Murmansk regional government launched a project ”Live in the North!” (August2019). Priorities – comfortable cities and remote villages, improved living
standards, resolved healthcare problems• Scientific Arctic Council under the RF State Commission on Arctic Development
established in September 2020• “The Russian Arctic” – world-class research, educational and technological centerestablished in February 2021 (partnership of Arkhangelsk region, Murmansk regionand Nenets AO)

What can we learn from Barents research cooperation?
• From the IES’ perspective, Barents research cooperation is a part of our everyday scientific life and successful long-term practice• Key successes of Barents research cooperation as viewed by the Russian researchers:> greatly increased academic cooperation in the region and created sustainable model of international research cooperation> created opportunities for active involvement in interesting, highly international and practically relevant science> increased international scientific competence and expertise of both experienced and young scientists (capacity building)> produced high-trust professional and personal relationships• Success of research cooperation in the Barents Region can be explained by combination of political will, stable financing, active
institutions of cooperation and sustainable collaborative programs•

But most important factor is time and efforts invested in face-to-face relationships – in building relational capital• Barents cooperation practices have broad international relevance, lessons useful for other regions. Barents research cooperation is andshould be inclusive• There is a need to communicate Barents knowledge – we need strengthening information and popularization mechanisms, including
academic journals on the Barents Region• Important – predictable national, regional and institutional resources for sustainable Barents research cooperation

Thank you for your attention!

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larissar@iep.kolasc.net.ru