Meet the New Interns at the International Barents Secretariat

Amanda is a master’s student in international relations at Tampere University, with a strong interest in security and defence related issues. She is currently writing her thesis on Arctic security dynamics, focusing on Russia and NATO, thus living in the Arctic provides a valuable opportunity to explore how local perspectives connect with global security dynamics. During her internship at the International Barents Secretariat, she is eager to learn more about multilateral cooperation in the Barents Region.

Though Kirkenes is smaller than her previous places of residence in Tampere, Paris, and Salzburg, she is excited to experience life in the High North. Beyond her academic interests, she looks forward to discovering all that Kirkenes has to offer, including the unique joy of being wrapped up in a blanket during the long, cold, and dark winter nights.

Sofie has a background in international relations and has a strong interest in small states and the High North. She is excited to be learning more about multilateral cooperation in practice, especially in a time when cooperation is so desperately needed. The current geopolitical climate in the north as well as all the political developments in Arctic and High North strategies make this an especially interesting time to be here, she notes.

Sofie has lived in places such as The Hague, Oslo, London, and most recently: Tórshavn. Though Kirkenes is the smallest town she has lived in, she has already started to discover how much it has to offer. With a love of the outdoors, she is ready to take on hiking in Finnmark. Though she is nervous about the winter darkness, she hopes that the winter night sky will weigh up for it – especially in an area with relatively little light pollution.

Welcome to Kirkenes, Amanda and Sofie!