Book Launch: Greenland and the International Politics of a Changing Arctic

On December 13, Centre for Military studies, in co-operation with Center for War Studies SDU, held a seminar on Greenland's international relations in a changing Arctic. The seminar celebrated the release of the anthology  "Greenland and the International Politics of a Changing Artic", edited by Kristian Søby Kristensen and Jon Rahbek-Clemmensen.

The panel speakers from the right: Ulrik Pram Gad, Associate Professor, Aalborg University, Marc Jacobsen, Ph.d. Fellow, University of Copenhagen, Camilla N. Sørensen, Assistant Professor, The Royal Danish Defence College, Klaus Dodds, Professor, Royal Holloway University of London.

The speakers at the seminar were four of the book's contributors each giving a summary of their chapters followed by a broader debate about Greenland's foreign policy and the Arctic.

Greenland's foreign affairs can be seen as a way of diversifying the postcolonial dependency relations. But Greenlandic para-diplomacy is also about high politics, as Jon Rahbek-Clemmensen stated. Greenland faces both opportunities, such as attracting investments, and challenges from Danish and US involvement constraining Greenlandic autonomy.

When it comes to investment, Greenland looks towards China, and one of the changes in the Arctic region is China's increased focus on the region.

This engagement is not only about resources and economics, as Assistant professor from the Royal Danish College, Camilla N. Sørensen emphasized, but also about developing a science diplomacy by creating networks that legitimize and strengthen China's role. This engagement is not only about resources and economics, as Assistant professor from the Royal Danish College, Camilla N. Sørensen emphasized, but also about developing a science diplomacy by creating networks that legitimize and strengthen China's role.