"Dancing with the Cryosphere: Science, Security, and 'Arctic' Climate Change";" Department of Political Science";"2026-06-19";"10:00";"";"13:00";"Faculty of Social Sciences, room 1.1.18, Øster Farimagsgade 5, 1353 Copenhagen";"Public PhD defence by Lin Alexandra Mortensgaard.";"Public PhD defence by Lin Alexandra Mortensgaard. Photo by: Jette Mariboe, Danish Institute for International Studies Abstract The cryosphere – the frozen parts of the Earth system – has been the object of human exploration, strategic interests, and scientific curiosities for centuries. Today, climate scientists strive to understand how the cryosphere is changing, and what the implications are for the Arctic region and globally. This PhD dissertation investigates how climate science produces knowledge about the changing ‘Arctic’ climate, who participates in this scientific practice, and what the implications are for the knowledge produced and for those involved. The dissertation’s frame offers a methodological contribution on how to ‘dance’ as social scientists with natural scientists. It also places the project in relation to key literatures in International Relations and Science and Technology Studies and argues that it is problematic to assume that we can escape the human-nature binary and become more secure as a result. Rather, we must pay analytical attention to those who produce this binary: Climate scientists, but also security actors. By zooming in on cryospheric climate science at a point in time (2023-2025) where the Arctic region is experiencing continued climatic changes alongside major geopolitical shifts, the dissertation contributes three single-authored articles, each exploring a cryospheric ‘dance of agency’: First, with permafrost scientists in Fairbanks, Alaska, second, with Greenland ice sheet glaciologists, and third, with sea ice experts in Europe and Canada. Together, the articles show that climate science contains powerful security actors at the heart of its scientific practice. This symbiotic knowledge production between climate science and security politics has direct impacts on what we come to know about climate change. Resume (in Danish) Kryosfæren – den frosne del af vores økosystem – har været genstand for menneskelig udforskning, strategiske interesser og videnskabelig nysgerrighed i århundrede. I dag forsøger klimaforskere at forstå, hvordan kryosfæren forandrer sig, og hvad det betyder for den arktiske region og på globalt plan. Denne Ph.D.-afhandling undersøger, hvordan klimavidenskaben producerer viden om ’arktiske’ klimaforandringer, hvilke aktører denne videnskabelige praksis involverer, og hvad implikationerne er for den viden, som produceres. Afhandlingens kappe udfolder det metodiske bidrag: Hvordan samfundsvidenskabelige forskere kan ’danse’ med naturvidenskaben og dens forskere. Kappen placerer også projektet i relation til nøglelitteratur i international politik og videnskabs- og teknologistudier og argumenterer for, at det er problematisk at antage, at vi kan undslippe menneske-natur dikotomien og blive mere sikre af den grund. Vi må i stedet engagere os analytisk med dem, der producerer denne dikotomi: klimaforskere, men også sikkerhedspolitiske aktører. Ved at zoome ind på kryosfærisk klimaforskning på et tidspunkt (2023-2025) hvor den arktiske region oplever fortsatte klimatiske forandringer i samspil med geopolitisk opbrud, bidrager afhandlingen med tre videnskabelige artikler, som hver især undersøger en kryosfærisk ’agens-dans’: Først med permafrostforskere i Fairbanks, Alaska, dernæst med glaciologer på den grønlandske indlandsis, og til sidst med haviseksperter i Europa og Canada. Tilsammen viser artiklerne, at klimavidenskaben indeholder magtfulde sikkerhedspolitiske aktører centralt i den videnskabelige praksis. Denne symbiotiske vidensproduktion mellem klimavidenskab og sikkerhedspolitik har direkte konsekvenser for, hvad vi i sidste ende ved om klimaforandringer. Assessment committee Professor Michele Merrill Betsill, Department of Political Science, University of Copenhagen (chairperson) Professor Klaus Dodds, Middlesex University, United Kingdom Professor Rocco Bellanova, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium Supervisors Professor Christian Bueger, Department of Political Science, University of Copenhagen Ulrik Pram Gad, Danish Institute for International Studies (co-supervisor) Kristian Søby Kristensen, Royal Danish Defence College (co-supervisor) "
"Call for papers: The 6th Nordic Political Behavior Workshop";"Peter Thisted Dinesen (University of Copenhagen)<br>Mikael Persson (University of Gothenburg)<br> Love Christensen (University of Gothenburg and Aarhus University)<br> Henning Finseraas (Norwegian University of Science and Technology)";"2026-09-24";"";"2026-09-25";"";"Department of Political Science, University of Copenhagen";"We are happy to invite proposals for the 6th Nordic Political Behavior Workshop.";"We are happy to invite proposals for the 6th Nordic Political Behavior Workshop taking place in the Department of Political Science, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, on 24-25 September, 2026. Aim The two-day workshop is dedicated to in-depth feedback on a smaller set of papers researching political behavior broadly defined (including, but not limited to, the adjacent subfields of political psychology, public opinion, and political representation). We welcome scholars applying all types of methods and data, and the workshop has no specific regional emphasis. Format and participants We expect to discuss approximately 10 papers. Each paper will be assigned an hour for discussion. Non-presenting scholars are also welcome as the discussion of the papers will be of broader relevance. The workshop is intended to bring together Nordic and international scholars within the field and we strongly encourage participation from people of all ranks and backgrounds. In addition to providing feedback, the workshop is intended to provide an opportunity to connect with new people – especially for junior scholars. Funding Thanks to funding from the Carlsberg Foundation, participation in the workshop is free of charge and meals and refreshments during the workshop are provided for participants. Accommodation for presenters (up to two nights) is also covered. Participants will have to cover their own travel. Deadline and submission Please submit your abstract to the workshop on the link below by 29 May, 2026. We expect to communicate decisions on acceptance of papers by mid-June. Submit your abstract."