The course targets PhD students and recent PhDs and is designed as a two-week journey in the North-Western Russia: from St. Petersburg through Karelia to Murmansk with lectures, seminars, and excursions to several important sites along the way. Established scholars, young scholars and PhD students will discuss current tendencies of social sciences in conceptualizing space and power and will apply this knowledge to the field experiences of the Russian North. This research training course deals with the complex issues of social production of space in the context of processes of industrialisation and globalization in northern territories. How is 'the North' produced and consumed, practiced and performed at different scales by different actors is the main research agenda engaged during the two week field course. The categories of 'space' and 'power', 'society' and 'nature', 'local' and 'global' and their intersecting relationships are the central themes to be addressed.

We welcome PhD students and recent Post-docs from the disciplines of social anthropology, sociology, human and cultural geography and history, engaged in qualitative research and interested in the North (not exclusively in the Russian North).

For participants from Nordic countries, Baltic States and North-Western Russia all expenses will be covered by a grant from Nordforsk (the Nordic Research Board); some partial financial support can also be provided for candidates from other regions with projects strongly related to the topic of the course.

To apply, please send the following documents in English before 15 March 2007:
1. curriculum vitae
2. statement about current research relevant to the theme of the school (1-2 pages)
3. the names and e-mail addresses of two referees

Candidates will be informed in mid-April whether they have been accepted.
Course participants are expected to present a paper; papers (3000-4000 words) should be sent by the end of June to be distributed to the other participants.