The programme concerned with cross-border issues looks at trans-cultural exchange in the circum-Arctic and Barents Region, including obstacles and alleviations to cross-border collaboration, transport, trade and labour mobility. Cross-border studies may also focus the incentives for economic development in the border region, administrative cooperation and conflict prevention. Barents Region bi- or multilateral cooperation in business, regional administration, social care, research and culture are put into their political, historical and global context.

This theme is addressed in the following research programmes at the Barents Institute:

• In the MA and other researchers projects of Anastasia Rogova, Runar Rushfeldt Hansen, Lena Ingilæ Landsem and Annette Kildal
• In the research of BAI senior researcher Victoria Tevlina
• In the research of BAI visiting research fellow Fujio Ohnishi
• In the research of BAI visitng scholar Zhanna Kasparyan, advisor at the Department of International Scientific Collaboration and researcher at the Centre for Humanities of the Kola Science Centre, Apatity.

It has been discussed by BAI researchers and others in this publications intended for outreach:

• Svein Helge Orheim, ed., "Arena bilaget" in: Konjunkturbarometeret for Nord-Norge spring 2006. 20 pp.
• Urban Wråkberg, “The Quest for Authenticity in Narratives of Northern Border Lands,” Nordlit 22 (2007) Autumn, pp. 193-209

It was part of the research and discussions of the 2007 Calotte Academy, a Finnish-Norwegian-Russian series travelling of workshops focussing the New Northern Dimension EU policy. Cross-border issues was the main theme also of the Symposium "The Twin Towns of Kirkenes and Nikel: Visions and Reality" on synergetic regional development. For some further info see: "previous BAI events." BAI scholars are engaged in one research programme in particular that squarely addressing issues of cross-border interaction in the Barents Region based on successful competition for funding: 

• The Construction and Negotiation of Borders: Discourses Related to the Border between Norway and Russia
  In 2008 the University College of Finnmark in Alta and the Barents Institute start a three year joint research programme  based on major funding from the Strategic University College Programme of the Research Council of Norway. Aileen Espíritu and Urban Wråkberg are re-searchers from BAI in this, more information is available under "Research" on this web site.

Russian and Norwegian border posts at Boris Gleb. Photo: Urban Wråkberg