This part of Finnmark is not only a geopolitical hotspot, it is also a very rich site for exploring the interplay of landform, interspecies relations and politics. Drawing on excursions into the Pasvik valley and along the Pasvik river, we studied landscapes that bear traces of multiple layers of land-use, state promoted agricultural regimes, military operations, hydropower projects, brown trout cultivation, mineral extraction and rural abandonment.
Students from more than 12 different countries spanning four continents contributed to methodological experiments in how to study the role of political, ideological and agricultural projects in reshaping terrains, and to understand how political, social, ecological and abiotic processes are intertwined.
The course was funded by the Research Council of Norway, and developed in collaboration with key partners from the Network for Interdisciplinary Environmental Studies.