Arctic Winter School
UNIVERSEH Arctic Winter School in Kiruna - a week of exciting lectures and study visits based on space, culture and the Arctic. You will study together with students from Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Germany and Poland. All program students are welcome to apply.
When: February 23-27, 2026
Where: Luleå University of Technology, Space Campus, Kiruna
Language: English.
All program students are welcome to apply, you must have at least 7.5 completed credits at LTU. The selection is based on selection criteria for exchange studies, with an even distribution across different programs and departments as a starting point.
The course is given during one week at the Space Campus in Kiruna and two weeks of homework with some distance learning.
Accommodation and return travel to Kiruna are paid by UNIVERSEH. Some lunches and dinners are also included in the course. Travel is within Sweden.
Apply by: December 11, 2025.
The course program includes among others:
- Environment and society in the changing Arctic.
- Nutti Sámi Siida - meet reindeers and experience the rich Sámi culture.
- Polar atmosphere and its significance for solar-terrestrial interactions, space weather.
- Auroral physics and observations.
- Optical phenomena in the Polar Regions.
- Snow and ice in different perspectives.
- Arctic climate systems and climate change.
- Nano satellites, rockets and balloons for polar research.
How to apply
- Apply to the Arctic Winter School docx, 38.8 kB.
Apply by December 11 - More information about the course
Examination
The school is assessed through assignments, practical and project work. In order to pass the course it is required that all compulsory tasks are completed satisfactory with a grade "Pass". The final grade for the course reflects the results obtained for all compulsory tasks and is given after all compulsory tasks are approved. The grading scale for the course is 3, 4, 5.
Draft Programme
5 February 16:30 Team building via Zoom. |
Saturday and Sunday 21–22 February Arrival to Kiruna. Accommodation reserved from 22 February. |
Monday 23 February 8:15 Bus to Space Campus. 9:15–10:00 Ongoing research activities at the Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF). 10:10–10:30 Ongoing research activities at EISCAT.10:30–11:00 Ongoing research activities at the Division of Space Technology.11:00–12:30 Tour to the research facilities at IRF and LTU. 12:30 –13:30 Lunch (paid by LTU). 13:30–17.30 Environment and society in the changing Arctic. Resource extraction and sustainable Arctic communities – D. Avango. 17:40 Bus to the hostel. 18:00 Dinner and interactive session at Ann's kök in Malmfältens Folkhögskola (paid by LTU). |
Tuesday 24 February 8:15 Bus to Space Campus 08:45–10:20 Polar atmosphere and space weather. Auroral practical – V. Barabash 10:40–12:15 Snow and ice clouds – T. Kuhn. 12:15 Lunch. 13:15 Snow and ice in different perspectives – N. Lintzén. 15:00 Hot dog barbecue. 17:45 Bus to the hostel. |
Wednesday 25 February 08:15 Bus to Space campus. 8:45–10:20 Arctic climate systems and climate change – M. Milz. Lecture room C/B. Swedish fika with cinnamon buns - kanelbullar. 10:40–12:15 Nano satellites and balloons for Arctic research – R. Laufer, T. Kuhn. Lecture room C/B. Lunch to go. 13.00–15:00 Site visit to Esrange. 15:45 Nutti Sámi Siida in Jukkasjärvi, meet reindeers and experience the rich Sámi culture.17:15 Bus to the hostel |
Thursday 26 February 08:15 Bus to Space campus. 08:45–11:30 Product Innovation Workshop, part 1 – P. Törlind. 12:00 Lunch at LKAB. 13:00–15.00 Vist to LKAB iron ore mine. 15:30–16:30 Product Innovation Workshop, part 1 – P. Törlind. 16:30 Dinner at Campus. 18:00 Bus to the hostel. |
Friday 27 February 8:15 Bus to Space Campus. 8:45–10:15 Product Innovation Workshop, part 2 – P. Törlind, lecture room C/B. 10:15–11:15 Fika 11:15–12:00 Evaluation (paper format) and feedback from the course participants. Questions related to the assignments – V. Barabash & A.C. Larsson (Aula). 12:00–13:00 Lunch (paid by LTU). 13:00–15:00 Visit to the Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi. 15:00 Bus to the hostel. |
Saturday 28 February
Departure from Kiruna or own excursion possible, at own costs. For example, the lovely village Abisko is nearby for a day trip.
Contact AnnaCarin Larsson
AnnaCarin Larsson, International Office, Luleå University of Technology
E-mail: annacarin.larsson@ltu.se
Phone: +46(0)920 492224
UNIVERSEH brings you seven European universities on one campus. We are diverse, multilingual and inclusive. You can take courses, participate in events or study for a semester at one of our partner universities.
We are UNIVERSEH: Université de Toulouse (France), University of Luxembourg (Luxembourg), Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf (Germany), Akademia Górniczo-Hutnicza im. Stanisława Staszica w Krakowie (Poland) University of Rome, Tor Vergata (Italy), University of Namur (Belgium) and Luleå University of Technology (Sweden).
Grant agreement number: 101124303 / Funding Scheme: Erasmus+ / European Universities. This project has been funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
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