The new entity named ”the Bakhtin-Kant Institute” will promote the philosphy of the two Russian thinkers, Mikhail Bakhtin and Emmanuel Kant, and be a key unit in the two universities’ joint MSc in Borderology, an academic programme etablished in 2012.
According to the Norwegian and Russian initiators, the center aims at becoming a hub also for various other activities in the area. ”With the center as a starting point, we will seek to develop more joint study programs and research in the border zone”, Professor Viggo Rossvær from the University of Nordland said in the opening ceremony last week.
Public interest in the Norwegian-Russian borderlands has picked pace as border-crossing has become easier and the number of cross-border travelers grown significantly. In 2012, the two countries added new dynamics to the border regime with the establishment of a local border traffic arrangement, which includes local inhabitants’ possibility to cross the border in a 30 km radius without visa. The higher activity level in the area has made the Norwegian Foreign Ministry aim for the establishment of a local honorary consulate in Nikel, a town of about 12 thousand people.
As previously reported, the two universities have since last year operated a master programme in Borderology. The study explores the way cooperation in border areas can produce tools for solving conflicts both locally and on the global scene. Half of the study program take place in Kirkenes, Norway, and the other half in Nikel and Murmansk in Russia.
The Bakhtin-Kant Institute can function as a model for cross-border cooperation also in other parts of Europe, the Nordland University says in a press release.
