Lakehead University researchers Dr. Sudip Rakshit and Dr. Chris Southcott have been appointed international research chairs with the University of the Arctic (UArctic), supporting sustainable development and resilience in the Circumpolar North.
Dr. Sudip Rakshit
Dr. Rakshit is Chair in Integrated Sustainability Analysis and Circular Bioeconomy and Dr. Southcott is Chair in Resources and Sustainable Communities. As UArctic chairs, they are leading initiatives to advance knowledge and strengthen international partnerships in and for the North for the next five years.
A professor in chemical engineering and Canada Research Chair (Tier I) in Bioenergy and Biorefining Processes, Dr. Rakshit's work addresses critical environmental challenges with a focus on resource recovery, waste reduction, and materials reuse, all of which hold significant implications for the Arctic region and beyond.
"In the Arctic region there are lots of marine and terrestrial resources available, but how do we use them in a manner that is technically, economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable and limits climate change," he said.
Alongside international collaborators, Dr. Rakshit is exploring the potential of using marine and terrestrial products like algae and grasses to produce biofuels and other bioproducts. "I hope to develop efficient and sustainable biorefining processes that meet the tough conditions of the Arctic and contribute to sustainable resource utilization and security."
Dr. Chris Southcott, a professor of sociology with close to 40 years of northern research experience in Canada and other Arctic countries, is looking at the impact of resource development - particularly mining, forestry, and oil and gas - on Arctic and Northern communities and how those communities can have more say in the development of resources that take place in their region and how they can benefit from them.
"There have been negative impacts from resource development in Northern communities," he explained, "so my research looks at how to lessen those negative impacts and enable communities to gain more control, first of all, of the development that goes on in their region, and secondly, reap the benefits from the development to help make them sustainable."
"My main job as a UArctic Chair is to do anything I can to try and make sure that research being done on the Circumpolar North is done with more of a focus on the needs of the people that live in the region."
The UArctic is a network of 200 universities, colleges, research institutes, and other organizations concerned with education and research in and about the North. The network promotes a multidisciplinary approach to learning about the Circumpolar North, which includes understanding its lands, seas and environments; peoples and cultures; and the contemporary issues facing the region. Lakehead University is pleased to be a partner in the UArctic chair program.
Dr. Chris Southcott
"Having two international research appointments is a testament to the high quality of research happening at Lakehead University," explained Dr. Andrew P. Dean, Vice-President of Research and Innovation. "It shows that Lakehead is a leader when it comes to research on and for the North; it's fabulous that we have esteemed researchers taking part in this international effort."
