Hóf ferilinn í norðurslóðamálum í Kína

Egill Þór Níelsson starfar hjá Rannís sem sérfræðingur á rannsókna- og nýsköpunarsviði og leiðir verkefni tengd Uppbyggingarsjóði EES og norðurslóðasamstarfi. Hann er frá Akureyri en bjó í Evrópu á meðan hann menntaði sig og fluttist síðan til Kína til að starfa í norðurslóðamálum. Hann segir samstarf Kína og Íslands tengt málefnum norðurslóða hafi verið í umræðunni þegar hann fluttist til Shanghai og fannst því kjörið að nýta tækifærið verandi uppalinn á norðurslóðum.

Áhuginn kviknaði í Kína

In 2011, Egill moved to China when he was completing his second master's degree. "I needed to find something useful and interesting to do, so I started exploring Iceland-China relations. Then it became apparent that the first Chinese Arctic expeditionary delegation was going to visit Iceland in August 2011 to discuss potential cooperation, including the establishment of a China-Icelandic/Nordic Arctic centre (later established as CNARC) for social science cooperation and a joint China-Icelandic Arctic Observatory (later CIAO) for aurora research and more. I proposed a project related to economic and social development in the Arctic, which fit into a larger project being undertaken by the Polar Research Institute of China (PRIC). I was appointed as a visiting scholar at PRIC for six months, which later extended. I stayed there for eight years, including five years as the executive secretary of the China-Nordic Arctic Research Center (CNARC)," says Egill.

Málefni norðurslóða hafa mikla þýðingu fyrir Ísland

Egill mentions that he has always been aware of these issues, especially as a native of Akureyri. "My interest grew when I started to explore the diverse and fascinating issues related to the Arctic and their significant importance for Iceland's international cooperation. It is also a platform where we have a lot to offer, and many stakeholders want to collaborate with us. Being present in the region and having expertise in the field is crucial. Alongside geothermal energy and fisheries, it seemed that the most interesting field for potential Chinese partners to look into was economic and social development in the Arctic, where Iceland has a leading role," says Egill.

Sigldi með Snædrekanum

In 2012, the Chinese icebreaker Snow Dragon embarked on a research expedition along the Northeast Passage through the Arctic Ocean, passing Russia and Norway. It made a port call in Iceland, and Egill was one of the two Icelanders on board. On the return journey from Iceland to China through the Central Arctic Route, Ingibjörg Jónsdóttir, a marine scientist, was on board. Egill describes the expedition as a remarkable experience and one of the highlights of his time in China. It was the first Chinese Arctic expedition, and among other things, they examined the impacts of climate change on sea ice. The voyage to Iceland took seven weeks, and there were 120 participants, including scientists and other expedition members. The Snow Dragon concluded its journey in Iceland and was welcomed in the harbours of Reykjavík and Akureyri, where the public had the opportunity to visit the ship. This expedition reflects the cooperation between the countries on Arctic matters, and during the voyage, Egill, along with others, was involved in drafting statements of intent towards the Sino-Nordic Center and the research station at Kárhóll in Reykjadalur. "There were conferences and meetings surrounding this visit, which I was involved in organizing in collaboration with Rannís and under the guidance of my predecessor, Þorsteinn Gunnarsson, who played a key role, along with the Arctic Affairs Department of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Office of the President. But the voyage, seeing this region and experiencing being on board with nearly 120 Chinese scientists and expedition members and one French master's student, was a great adventure," says Egill and laughs.

Leggur stund á doktorsnám í alþjóðasamskiptum og sagnfræði

Egill holds master's degrees in anthropology and international business. Currently, he is pursuing a Ph.D. in international relations at the University of Lapland and history at the University of Iceland. His doctoral research focuses on China-Nordic cooperation on Arctic issues in the 21st century when the activity has been at its highest. "I have been working on my dissertation based on my previous experience and putting it into a theoretical context. It's a collection of articles, and three out of four have already been published," he says.

Leiðandi í verkefnum Rannís tengd norðurslóðamálum

Eftir átta ára dvöl við Heimskautastofnun Kína flutti Egill aftur til Íslands. „Ég ákvað að koma til baka til að vera nær vinum og fjölskyldu. Ég hafði líka verið í burtu í um það bil tíu ár og búið í Shanghai, París og London og saknaði þess að vissu leyti að vera á Íslandi,“ segir Egill.

Honum bauðst starf hjá Rannís árið 2019 og gegnir þar stöðu sérfræðings á rannsókna- og nýsköpunarsviði. Egill segir starf sitt hjá Rannís vera víðfeðmt. Hann er að hluta í verkefnum tengdum norðurslóðum. Þar af er stuðningur við Rannsóknar- og nýsköpunaráætlun Evrópusambandsins (Horizon Europe) sem hefur reynst stærsta einstaka fjármögnunarleið gagnvart styrkjum tengdum norðurslóðarannsóknum á Íslandi undanfarinn áratug. Egill er einnig fulltrúi Íslands í Norðurskautsvísindanefndinni (IASC) en Rannís hýsir skrifstofu hennar í Borgum á Akureyri. Ásamt því er hann í aðalstjórn í Heimskautaráði Evrópu (European Polar Board), fulltrúi í stjórn Norðurslóðanets og þátttakandi í samvinnunefnd um málefni norðurslóða. „Þetta eru ansi margir vettvangar að koma saman og ekki allt upptalið,“ segir Egill.