The mission of the Northern Dimension is to bring together partners in the Northern European area to achieve common practical goals in a number of areas important to us all. Academic cooperation has been a part of the Northern Dimension framework since 2009 when the Northern Dimension Institute (NDI) was set up. This autumn marks major new steps to reinvigorate the work of the NDI.
As the new coordinators have taken the helm, work to reshape the activities of the Institute is well under way. The Steering Group of the NDI is being recomposed and the Action Plan to steer the work is being updated. A new website has been launched to increase the visibility of the Northern Dimension. This Newsflash aims at sharing information on the latest developments in a compact format.
The Northern Dimension Institute pools expertise in the four priority sectors of the Northern Dimension as well as business and economy. While focusing on the European Arctic and Baltic Sea regions, the NDI should strengthen contacts with the business community and boost its contribution to practical cooperation in the Northern Dimension Partnerships in transport and logistics, environment, culture, and in public health and social well-being. The NDI also has an important role in disseminating information on ND cooperation and supporting the ND cooperation forms through research projects, events and other activities. Finland believes that the NDI can provide an important contribution in support of the common policy goals in the Northern Dimension region. The needs to develop practical cooperation and people-to-people contacts in Northern Europe have not diminished but remain high.
Marja Liivala
Director, Unit for Regional Cooperation
Department for Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia
Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland
