Rasmus Gjedssø Bertelsen

Prof. Rasmus Gjedssø Bertelsen is Professor of Northern Studies and inaugural Barents Chair in Politics at UiT The Arctic University of Norway. A Danish scholar raised in Iceland, he directs work package 2 on Power with Science Diplomacy in the H2020 InsSciDE consortium, collaborating with Prof. Maria Rentetzi. His research spans transnational knowledge flows between USA-Europe-Middle East-East Asia-Arctic and focuses on elite socialization, epistemic communities, and science diplomacy’s role in adapting Arctic governance to global shifts.

• Education: PhD (Cambridge, with year at Sciences Po), postdoc (Harvard, UNU), studies in Copenhagen, Reykjavik, Geneva, Lausanne, Amsterdam
• Key Research Areas: Arctic International Relations, Science Diplomacy, Brain Circulation, Transnational Knowledge Networks, Power Transition, GCC Triple-Helix Relations

His 15 most recent articles (2012–2024) examine Arctic governance, Sino-Arctic engagement, energy systems, and science diplomacy. Trends include historical learning for policy adaptation, China’s Arctic strategies, and the Arctic as a laboratory for global governance models. Bertelsen initiated UiT’s UNFCCC observer status and participated in COP15 (2009) and COP21 (2015). He coordinates the Norwegian-Russian PhD course Society and Advanced Technology in the Arctic and the Norway-EU Science Diplomacy Network. Additional roles include advising on EU Arctic policy, analyzing US-China-Russia Arctic dynamics, and exploring space science applications in Arctic development.