Center for the Study of Europe Hosts Nordic Ways Panel
The Center for the Study of Europe, a regional center at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, hosted a panel discussion with diplomats from five Nordic countries on November 9, 2017. The panel was co-sponsored by Boston University’s International Affairs Association (BUIAA).
The panel included Lars Gert Lose, Denmark’s Ambassador to the United States; Kirsti Kauppi, Finland’s Ambassador to the United States; Leif Pagrotsky, Consul General of Sweden in New York; Marius Dirdal, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Norway in Washington, D.C.; and Aðalheiður Inga Þorsteinsdóttir, Counselor at the Embassy of Iceland in Washington, D.C. The panel was moderated by Cathie Jo Martin, Professor of Political Science and Director of Center for the Study of Europe at Boston University.
The panel discussed how the Nordic countries when considered separately appear small, but as a region, are of great political and economic importance and are among America’s strongest partners in areas including defense, security, counter-terrorism, and even popular culture.
The discussion also highlighted how the region has taken the lead in green growth and has proven that new green technology offers economic growth in a world more populated than ever and more urban than ever, while also protecting public health. The Nordic region is the first area of the world to break the link between economic growth and climate change.