Annette Scheepstra

Dr. Annette Scheepstra is a Researcher and Coordinator of External Collaboration at the Arctic and Antarctic studies department within the Faculty of Arts at the University of Groningen. She holds a PhD in Pedagogy (1998) and has extensive experience in Arctic research, stakeholder engagement, and transdisciplinary projects. Her work focuses on Indigenous rights, climate change impacts, and sustainable development in polar regions.

Key roles include Dutch representative in the Arctic Council's SDWG, coordinator of the EU-PolarNet projects, and leader of the SEES.nl expeditions. She has organized over 20 polar expeditions and serves on boards such as the Willem Barentsz Foundation and EU-PolarNet 2. Scheepstra's research emphasizes co-production of knowledge with Indigenous communities and policy advocacy through initiatives like the CO-CREATE roadmap for decolonial Arctic research.

Her projects include GUIDe-BEST (tourism behavior analysis), Svalur (resilience in Svalbard), and contributions to the Arctic Council's adaptation strategies. Scheepstra is also involved in educational outreach, including organizing the Polar Night of Groningen and guiding Waddensea expeditions.