CEAD Francisco Suárez invites the entire academic community and the general public to the Open Lecture "Scientific Diplomacy and Paradiplomacy in the Arctic," which will take place on December 9, 2025, at 10:30 AM, in Room C1.1 at Universidade Lusófona – CUP, located on Rua Alexandre Herculano (New Campus).
This session will feature a special guest, Dr. Céline Rodrigues, PhD candidate at NOVA FCSH and Doctoral Researcher at IPRI-NOVA. The lecture will analyze how scientific diplomacy and paradiplomacy shape cooperation in the Arctic within the context of rapid climate change and geopolitical transformations. It will explore the growing involvement of non-Arctic and non-state actors—such as observer countries, Indigenous organizations, regional governments, NGOs, and scientific networks—in the governance and research of the region. Students will examine how these actors contribute to knowledge exchange, environmental protection, and political dialogue through forums such as the Arctic Council and/or other platforms. The suspension of cooperation following the Russia–Ukraine conflict in 2022 poses challenges to traditional mechanisms of collaboration.
Students are invited to reflect on the evolution of cooperation in the Arctic and to consider the future of diplomacy, science, and multilevel governance in a region that is increasingly fragmented yet interconnected with other parts of the world. Participation is free and open to all interested parties.