Dr. Corine Wood-Donnelly is Professor of International Relations and the High North. At Nord University, she is the coordinator for Nord Arctic, a cross faculty platform for Arctic research. She leads the IASSA Working Group on Arctic Justice and co-leads the GEO-Security Research Group. She is a current Arctic Six research chair.
Corine's current projects include:
Corine has regional expertise in the Arctic with substantive knowledge of governance frameworks, maritime law and state practices. Corine received her Ph.D. in Government Research and her M.A. in International Relations from Brunel University London. She is a member of the Norwegian Scientific Academy for Polar Research. In 2016, she became an accredited Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and in 2017 became a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. She was the Scientific Coordinator for JUSTNORTH (EU project 869327) from 2020-2024. Her main scientific focus is on normative evolution in the international system, with research interests including maritime search and rescue, maritime territory and resource sovereignty, performative geopolitics, values in sustainability and Arctic justice.
As a scholar of the Arctic, Corine conducts interdisciplinary work within International Relations and geography, but also draws from public international law, history and theories of justice. She is co-editor of Arctic Justice: Environment, Society & Governance (Bristol University Press) and the Routledge Handbook of Arctic Governance.
Research Interests:
Arctic, Subarctic & Cryosphere: Political and legal geography of the Arctic and Antarctica. Including: Governance and the relationship of Arctic states with non-Arctic states and non-state actors. Sovereignty and practices of (neo) imperialism/postcolonialism in the Polar Regions in territorial eveolution. Policy and mechanisms for managing climate change, economic development and environmental concerns.
International Law & Governance: Issues of sovereignty over maritime territory and the spatial conceptualisation of territory within legal frameworks which permit resource exploitation. Use of extra-territorial legal mechanisms in safety/environmental issues. Implications of the Polar Code on the development of policy for the Arctic Maritime. Transboundary water law/policy and global glacial water resources. Issues related to state practice in maritime search & rescue.
Normative Theory: Development and transformations within the international system. Issues of the analysis and conceptualisation of behaviour within international relations between agents with different interests, identities and political reckoning. Rules (including international law) of the international system and how they are introduced, maintained or invalidated. Evolution of the sovereign state. The role of normative justice and values in Arctic futures.
Corine's current projects include:
- ICE BRIDGE Bridging Ice Climate Technologies and Governance for Biodiversity in the Arctic (IS, NO, FI, ES, DE). Funded by Biodiversa+/NFR. 2026-2028
- AUTO-MARE Autonomous Technologies for Ocean Governance: Maritime Autonomy, Responsibility, and Environment. Funded by Nordforsk 2026-2028
- INFRAPOL INFRAPOLITICS: Strengthening Critical Infrastructure Governance of Resilience and Security. Funded by NFR 2025-2028
- SiDnet Science in Diplomacy Network: Implementing Multilateral Policymaking in Intersectoral, Cross-Disciplinary & Strategic Domains. Funded by CA 24169 (Management Committee Member for Norway) 2025-2027
Corine has regional expertise in the Arctic with substantive knowledge of governance frameworks, maritime law and state practices. Corine received her Ph.D. in Government Research and her M.A. in International Relations from Brunel University London. She is a member of the Norwegian Scientific Academy for Polar Research. In 2016, she became an accredited Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and in 2017 became a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. She was the Scientific Coordinator for JUSTNORTH (EU project 869327) from 2020-2024. Her main scientific focus is on normative evolution in the international system, with research interests including maritime search and rescue, maritime territory and resource sovereignty, performative geopolitics, values in sustainability and Arctic justice.
As a scholar of the Arctic, Corine conducts interdisciplinary work within International Relations and geography, but also draws from public international law, history and theories of justice. She is co-editor of Arctic Justice: Environment, Society & Governance (Bristol University Press) and the Routledge Handbook of Arctic Governance.
Research Interests:
Arctic, Subarctic & Cryosphere: Political and legal geography of the Arctic and Antarctica. Including: Governance and the relationship of Arctic states with non-Arctic states and non-state actors. Sovereignty and practices of (neo) imperialism/postcolonialism in the Polar Regions in territorial eveolution. Policy and mechanisms for managing climate change, economic development and environmental concerns.
International Law & Governance: Issues of sovereignty over maritime territory and the spatial conceptualisation of territory within legal frameworks which permit resource exploitation. Use of extra-territorial legal mechanisms in safety/environmental issues. Implications of the Polar Code on the development of policy for the Arctic Maritime. Transboundary water law/policy and global glacial water resources. Issues related to state practice in maritime search & rescue.
Normative Theory: Development and transformations within the international system. Issues of the analysis and conceptualisation of behaviour within international relations between agents with different interests, identities and political reckoning. Rules (including international law) of the international system and how they are introduced, maintained or invalidated. Evolution of the sovereign state. The role of normative justice and values in Arctic futures.