Lise Øvreås elected as new Board Member of the Polar Academy#

At the Annual Meeting held in Tromsø on 15 April 2026, Professor Lise Øvreås MAE was elected as a new Board Member of the Polar Academy. At the same meeting, Brit Lisa Skjelkvåle was elected as the Academy’s first Deputy Board Member following an amendment to the Academy’s statutes introducing the possibility of electing up to two deputy members to the Board.




The new arrangement is intended to strengthen continuity and ensure the Board remains fully operational when ordinary Board members are unable to attend meetings. Deputy members may be called upon to serve in place of Board members when required and may also participate in Board meetings as observers.

Both Øvreås and Skjelkvåle emphasise the growing importance of polar research at a time when the Arctic is experiencing rapid environmental change and increasing geopolitical attention.

“Polar regions are changing rapidly and play a key role in global climate and environmental processes. The complexity of these challenges requires close collaboration across disciplines and national borders. That is why both polar research and strong academic networks are more important than ever,” says Lise Øvreås.

Øvreås has more than 25 years of research experience in the Arctic, focusing on climate and biodiversity. She previously served as President of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters (DNVA) and is currently President of the European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC). She looks forward to contributing her experience from the academy sector, international collaboration, and science-for-policy work to the Academy’s future activities. Prof. Øvreås was elected as member of the Ecology and Evolution Section of Academia Europaea in 2022.

For Brit Lisa Skjelkvåle, the appointment represents an opportunity to continue a long-standing engagement with Arctic issues that began during fieldwork in Svalbard in the early 1980s.

Both newly elected representatives highlight the importance of independent research and international academic cooperation in addressing the major environmental and societal challenges facing the polar regions. Through their complementary expertise and experience, they will contribute to strengthening the Academy’s work in promoting knowledge about the Arctic and Antarctic and the role of science in society.

About the Polar Academy#

The Norwegian Scientific Academy for Polar Research was founded in Oslo on March 27th 2008 by 11 Norwegian polar researchers. It is the world’s sole scientific academy focused on polar regions, interdisciplinary challenges, and global perspectives. Norway’s King Harald is the Academy’s patron.

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