Arctic circles: Transprofessional networking and international governance

Arctic-focused networking events are gaining prominence as sites of transnational and transprofessional governance. Central among such events is the Arctic Circle Assembly, an annual conference that takes place in Reykjavik in October. This paper uses Arctic conferences in general and the Arctic Circle Assembly in particular to examine transnational and transprofessional knowledge-creation, a process that requires regular interaction across national and professional boundaries. Conceptually, the paper draws on political geography, international relations, and anthropology to investigate interaction, socialization, and sociability in international governance. Empirically and methodologically, it combines participant observation at eight major Arctic meetings in 2022-25 with over thirty in-person interviews with those who organize and attend such events. My principal focus is not on the big picture of the meetings’ goals but on the small details of their social milieu. I seek to give a ‘peopled' or ethnographic account of the events to foreground the social workings of transprofessional interaction. The question to ask is not only how Arctic networks work and how they matter but also how the Arctic networking events work and how they matter. Beyond the Arctic, the paper advances our understanding of the spaces and practices of international governance.