NArFU students received their BCS diplomas

Representatives of both, NArFU and University of Nordland, as well as Honorary Consul in Arkhangelsk, Andrew Shalev, and Director of the National Park "Russian Arctic", Roman Ershov, took part in the ceremony. Elena Kudryashova, Rector of NArFU, emphasized that the program gave to the students not only valuable knowledge in the field of Circumpolar Studies, but also a unique experience and skills that will be useful for the further strengthening of international cooperation in the Arctic and its sustainable development. She added that experts of this level will be in demand in the field of regional administration, tourism, higher education, and by enterprises involved into foreign economic activities.

Marina Kalinina, Vice-rector of International Cooperation, NArFU, noted that interdisciplinary program "Bachelor of Circumpolar Studies" is one of the priority programs for NArFU, and is popular among university students. At the moment it involves more than a hundred students, undergraduates and graduate students from 14 institutions of NArFU.

Marit Sundet, Associate Professor, Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Nordland in her speech stressed that the Northern (Arctic) Federal University takes an active role in the development of a joint program Bachelor of Circumpolar Studies.

Andrey Shalev, Honorary Consul in Arkhangelsk, congratulated graduates of the program with successful completion of their studies and in his speech stressed the need for international cooperation in the Arctic: “Arctic countries have a lot of problems that they can solve together. For example, the extraction of natural resources, development of transportation, protection of the fragile environment, the preservation of traditional lifestyles of indigenous peoples. There are all possibilities for cooperation”.

In the end of the ceremony students took the floor and sang the song "I will be there for you" by The Rembrandts to thank their teachers