UArctic’s work for the healthier and stronger Arctic contains very similar themes and perspectives what are associated within the field of Environmental and Resource management. For that, UArctic seemed an appropriate place for me to carry out the internship. I found UArctic’s work very interesting and valuable. I got to know the Arctic matters more deeply and the internship sparked my interest for Arctic issues, including indigenous people, resource management and the political activities amongst the Arctic regions. The more I focused on the topic, the more I got interested in it. In addition to theoretical knowledge, I gained a great amount of practical skills; I learned about the administration of work and got a view how such a large and diverse organization works and is managed. I have also improved my analytical and professional communication proficiency as well as enhanced my team working abilities.
During the three months I was provided opportunities to travel around the North and so on experience the fascination of Lapland and its nature. Hiking in the wilderness area of Lapland and the conquest of impressive Saana, the sacred fell of Sami people, proved me once again the power and sheer beauty of nature. Furthermore, the unique hiking trail in the beautiful Oulanka National park in Kuusamo offered me a perfect view to autumn colors. One of the greatest assets of staying in Lapland was to explore its unique and rugged nature; it provided me a great variety of different sport activities. In addition, the calm surrounding of the north gave me the perfect conditions to find a peace of mind and rest.
Time flied in Rovaniemi and the people there were extremely welcoming and friendly. In the end, I am very grateful for what I experienced during the three months; it was a great opportunity for developing personal networking activities and making contacts, which may prove of value in the future. I really had a blast working with the fantastic UArctic International Secretariat team in Rovaniemi.