How do microplastics, climate change, and environmental pollutants affect the Arctic? These were among the key questions explored by 19 early-career researchers from four countries during the ArcSolution Summer School at NMBU this August.
Through lectures, group work, and international collaboration, participants developed new strategies to address pressing environmental issues in the northern regions—focusing on the One Health approach and Arctic environmental forensics.
The summer school was hosted by the research project ArcSolution, in collaboration with the University of the Arctic (UArctic) from 18 to 22 August at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) in Ås.
– Beyond the academic content, the summer school fostered cross-border collaboration, interdisciplinary exchange, and network-building among young researchers and senior scientists. It served as a dynamic platform for advancing knowledge and strategies related to One Health and environmental forensics in the Arctic, says NMBU-professor Roland Kallenborn.
A total of 19 early-career researchers from four countries—China (11), Norway (5), Denmark (2), and Hungary (1)—participated in the summer school. The group included postdoctoral fellows, PhD candidates, and master’s students. Among them, 8 students from NMBU, Agroscope, Aarhus University, and Nord University represented the ArcSolution Early Career Network. Additionally, two senior scientists from Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT) accompanied the Chinese delegation and actively contributed to the academic discussions.
Academic programme and topics
The summer school covered a broad spectrum of topics under the umbrella of One Health and Arctic Environmental Forensic Strategies, including:
- • Introduction to the One Health concept
- • Analytical methods for contaminant detection and their application in Arctic monitoring and research
- • Overview of international Arctic collaboration within the framework of the Arctic Council
- • Insights into UArctic’s programmes and networks
The teaching team featured leading experts from the ArcSolution project:
- • Roland Kallenborn (NMBU)
- • Arja Rautio (University of Oulu, Finland)
- • Katrin Vorkamp (Aarhus University, Denmark)
- • Lars-Otto Reiersen (Arctic Knowledge, Norway)
- They were joined by:
- • Leo Yeung (Örebro University, Sweden)
- • Jan Ludvig Lyche (NMBU)
- • Marianna D’Amico (Aarhus University), who presented the ArcSolution Early Career Researchers Network
- • Gabrielle Haddad-Weiser (NMBU), who delivered a lecture on microplastic analysis
Student projects and group work
Based on the lectures and an initial literature review, students selected topics from a catalogue of 24 suggested project themes related to One Health in the Arctic. Working in groups of 3–4, they explored the following five priority questions:
- Contaminants of Tomorrow: Developing early warning systems for the Arctic
- Microplastics in the Arctic: Risk assessment gaps and mitigation strategies
- Climate-Driven Exposure: Snow, ice, and contaminant pathways in Arctic communities
- Ecosystem Resilience: A One Health perspective on Arctic contaminants
- Human Exposure: From ice to blood—tracking Arctic pollutants in humans
Each group presented their preliminary findings in 15-minute presentations on the final day. These results will be further developed into written reports, to be submitted by 5 October 2025.
