UArctic Chair Jan Borm participated in the Science Diplomacy Forum in Istanbul

UArctic Chair in Arctic Humanities, Jan Borm, participated in the Science Diplomacy Forum “Narrating the Arctic from Afar” organised by Dr Eda Ayaydin (Malaurie Institute of Arctic Research Monaco-University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines) and Dr Andreas Raspotnik (Director of the High North Center, Nord University) at Yeditepe University in Istanbul, Turkey, on November 6, 2025 within the framework of a Franco-Turkish Hubert Curien partnership project bringing together researchers and PhD students from the Malaurie Institute, Norway and Turkey.

Abstract of the event:
How is the Arctic imagined, narrated, and claimed from outside its borders? This panel, held in Istanbul, brings together scholars to explore “outsider geopolitics”, the ways in which non-Arctic states and organizations narrate the Arctic as a strategic, scientific, economic, or symbolic space, and how these framings shape the region’s governance, security, and cooperation. Holding this discussion in Istanbul is timely: Turkey has ratified the Svalbard Treaty, shown growing scientific interest in the Arctic, and positioned itself as a bridge between regions, making it a natural site to reflect on how the Arctic is imagined from outside. Such narratives are not only driven by material interests but also by status-seeking, identity aspirations, and normative claims that frame how actors see their role in the Arctic and the global order. As global interest intensifies, these narratives carry political weight — shaping international perceptions, steering policy priorities, and fostering either cooperation or tension.