Contribution of Northern European universities to the implementation of research policy in the Arctic

The Arctic region has long been at the center of world politics and economy. One of the reasons for the transformation of the global fringe into a center of attraction for the economic, geo-ecological and geopolitical interests of foreign countries is the Arctic is undergoing dynamic transformations. In the socio-political and scientific research agenda of the Arctic States, there are acute issues of accumulation and exchange of knowledge about changes taking place in the natural and socio-economic environment of a non-standard region from the point of view of management. The Arctic strategies of the Northern European States seek to fill the vacuum about the trends of environmental changes in the Arctic, the impact of natural transformations on the environment, socio-economic development, population security, and the use of natural resources by indigenous peoples. This task is planned to be solved through the development of research activities of universities located in the Far North and in the Arctic zone of Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden, as well as Iceland. The article describes the scientific interests of the Northern European States in the Arctic. Using analytical and comparative methods, the goal is achieved - to characterize universities as one of the parts of their scientific and educational space in the Nordic countries. An attempt is made to answer the question: how does educational and research activities contribute to the implementation of state program documents for the development of natural resources in the Arctic and the use of its spaces? The further direction of scientific research may be to compare the educational and research activities of universities in Northern Europe and universities in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation.