The social setting for the conference
Graduate level seminars and conferences like this are often offered on campus at an academic institution, which is a well-known context for all of us. We challenge the familiar and relocate to less familiar surroundings: to the largest fishing village in the Lofoten Islands - Henningsvær. In Henningsvær, the academic discussions will literally take place on the wharf side, although we stay indoors.
Henningsvær is situated in the municipality of Vågan, and the village currently has about 550 residents. In addition to the conference program, we hope to offer you a taste of the nature and culture of Northern Norway. Although the winter is the main season for the famous Lofoten cod fishery, we will try our luck on a local fishing vessel. The traditional fishery of cod has gone uninterrupted every winter, for time immemorial. For more than 10 000 years, the coastal people have caught the tasty Norwegian Arctic cod, eating the fresh fish together with the liver and roes, or producing stockfish and cod liver oil - used for bartering and trading purposes. The Lofoten region was of central importance in this economic process. Even before the year 1000 AD, substantial trade of fish had begun, and fishermen from other parts of the coast traveled to Lofoten to take part in the annual Lofoten cod fishery. So, remember, even if you will see modern fishing vessels in Henningsvær, fishermen have for many thousands of years been fishing the same waters.
We hope that the spectacular and wild nature of this characteristic and historic fishing village in Lofoten will stimulate to inspiring discussions and creativity. We also hope that this experience will help to create and maintain a social network amongst the participants.
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