These five researchers will battle in a new PhD contest

Sustainable cruise ship tourism, children's problems with eyesight, and urban development in Tasiilaq are some of the topics the researchers will present at the big show in Nuuk

By Ole Ellekrog, Arctic Hub

The finalists in the new science dissemination contest Paasisavut 2023 have been found. Five researchers were chosen, and three of them are associated with Ilisimatusarfik, University of Greenland. 

Paasisavut is a new competition for PhD students researching topics related to Greenland. At a live show in March, the researchers will compete in disseminating their research to the Greenlandic population. The winner will be the one who can speak in a way that everyone understands. The show will be broadcast at KNR, the Greenlandic Broadcast Corporation, and the winner will receive a prize of DKK 25,000 - sponsored by Brugseni.

"Now we hope that Paasisavut will help the five finalists reach a broader audience", says Anna-Sofie Skjervedal, head of the secretariat at Arctic Hub.

The five finalists come from very different branches of science. One has researched nitrate in the Greenlandic tundra, another how to make cruise ship tourism sustainable, a third has investigated how to prevent problems with eyesight in Greenlandic children, a fourth has studied urban development in the town of Tasiilaq, and the fifth finalist has looked into what it means to live a good life in Greenland. They have one thing in common: their ability to talk engagingly about their research.

It is the first time Paasisavut will happen. The show will take place on March 1st in Katuaq, the cultural center in Nuuk. The competition is arranged by Arctic Hub and Ilisimatusarfik. Head of secretariat at Arctic Hub, Anna-Sofie Skjervedal, says: 

"It is the first time ever that a competition like Paasisavut will occur in Greenland, and we are overwhelmed by how many applications we have received. It is wonderful to see that so many researchers want to share their knowledge with the public. Now we hope that Paasisavut will help the five finalists reach a broader audience".