{"id":173670,"date":"2025-02-21T04:53:58","date_gmt":"2025-02-21T03:53:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/storpolitik-traenger-ind-paa-groenlandsstudier-jeg-kan-godt-blive-bekymret-og-utryg\/"},"modified":"2025-02-21T08:16:02","modified_gmt":"2025-02-21T07:16:02","slug":"greenlandic-studies-caught-up-in-geopolitical-tensions-it-makes-me-anxious","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/greenlandic-studies-caught-up-in-geopolitical-tensions-it-makes-me-anxious\/","title":{"rendered":"Greenlandic Studies caught up in geopolitical tensions: \u00bbIt makes me anxious\u00ab"},"content":{"rendered":"

T<\/span>he Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has had its work cut out for it ever since the US president Donald Trump, around Christmas, declared that American \u00bbownership and control over Greenland is an absolute necessity\u00ab<\/a>.<\/p>\n

When Trump’s son, Trump Jr., took the family\u2019s private jet to the Greenlandic capital Nuuk two weeks later, it only added fuel to the diplomatic crisis.<\/p>\n

But something that, for many in Denmark, feels like a plot from a thriller is, for many Greenlanders, a concerning reality. It raises questions about independence, freedom, and the significance of a homeland.<\/p>\n

These thoughts and questions resonate at the North Atlantic House in Copenhagen. It is the home of Greenlandic and Arctic Studies at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH), where several lecturers and many of the 14 students have Greenlandic backgrounds.<\/p>\n

The spring semester had just started when the University Post visits the place, and it is clear that the ongoing conflict is on everyone\u2019s minds\u2014both academically and personally.<\/p>\n

\u00bbOf course, this is something we talk about. Both during breaks and in class. I just attended a lecture where we discussed the discourse surrounding Greenland in the current debate and how it is portrayed in the media,\u00ab says 24-year-old Louise Nuka Str\u00f8b\u00e6k L\u00fctzer.
\n
\nShe was born and raised in Denmark with a Danish mother and a Greenlandic father. Throughout her childhood, she did not think much about her Greenlandic heritage, but as she grew older, it became more significant to her.<\/p>\n

\u00bbThe Greenlandic part of me became more important. But when I am in Greenland, I also become aware of how Danish I am\u2014both because of my appearance and my language. So in a way, I feel more Danish in Greenland than I do in Denmark,\u00ab says Louise Nuka Str\u00f8b\u00e6k L\u00fctzer.<\/p>\n

As part of her studies, she is learning Greenlandic, but she does not speak the language fluently. Unlike her sister, she does not have the same traditional Greenlandic features, such as dark hair, she explains.<\/p>\n

The nutcase from America<\/h3>\n

The current conflict over Greenland’s future weighs heavily on Louise Nuka Str\u00f8b\u00e6k L\u00fctzer\u2019s mind, especially because her older sister and other family members live in Greenland.<\/p>\n

\u00bbIt can be difficult to deal with, and I do worry and feel uneasy about how this will all turn out. Several members of my family have expressed that it is frightening how much attention Greenland is receiving\u2014especially from Trump\u2014because he is such an unpredictable man,\u00ab she says.<\/p>\n

Her sister lives with her husband and child in Greenland’s second-largest city, Sisimiut, about 300 kilometres north of Nuuk. Her husband is Chinese, and the couple is considering whether to move to Denmark, China, or stay in Greenland.<\/p>\n

\u00bbThey have no interest in becoming American citizens, so they are discussing their options if this situation continues,\u00ab says Louise Nuka Str\u00f8b\u00e6k L\u00fctzer.<\/p>\n

She herself arrived in Nuuk just a few days after Trump Jr. had handed out red MAGA caps and dollar bills in the Greenlandic capital.<\/p>\n

\u00bbPeople mostly talked about him as a nutcase. In Sisimiut, I spoke with a shop owner who joked that by the next time I visit, they might have become American citizens. It was said in jest, but with an underlying concern. That was how many people expressed themselves\u2014perhaps because it makes it a little easier to talk about if you joke about it,\u00ab she says.
\n
\nQuestions about Greenland\u2019s future have created internal divisions among the Greenlandic population regarding the direction the country should take. Louise Nuka Str\u00f8b\u00e6k L\u00fctzer also feels this conflict within herself.<\/p>\n

\u00bbThere is a tendency for many to believe that you have to choose between being Danish or Greenlandic. In reality, I feel both Danish and Greenlandic. But the discourse right now is very much one against the other, and I find that difficult to navigate because I want to be both,\u00ab she says.<\/p>\n

Reality reshapes the curriculum<\/h3>\n

It is not just Trump that has brought in major foreign policy issues to the small study programme. Greenland has in recent years become increasingly important on the international stage. This is largely due to Russian and Chinese military build-ups in the Arctic, climate change opening up new shipping routes in the Arctic Ocean, and valuable raw materials in the Greenland underground.<\/p>\n

The international focus has set off a growing interest in the field\u2019s researchers and students, and recent developments will naturally be incorporated into the teaching this semester. This is according to Frank Sejersen, associate professor and programme director of Greenlandic and Arctic Studies.<\/p>\n

\u00bbEverything currently happening in this field needs to be brought into our teaching and placed within a theoretical framework. Trump’s statements have fueled Greenlandic aspirations for independence, and questions and dilemmas about independence are, in many ways, central to the study of indigenous peoples,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n

The programme is also in the process of developing a new curriculum that will allow the current political realities in Greenland to be integrated even more into teaching.<\/p>\n

\u00bbWe also want to engage in larger practical collaborations with stakeholders who have an interest in Greenland. We can serve as their think tank, expanding our own network and hopefully becoming an even bigger player in the community working on Greenlandic issues,\u00ab says Frank Sejersen.
\n
\nAccording to Louise Nuka Str\u00f8b\u00e6k L\u00fctzer, the current focus on Greenland could also give more momentum to the study programme, even if it, in her viewpoint, comes from a bleak place.<\/p>\n

\u00bbOf course, it’s great that we’re getting attention and that people are starting to notice that we exist, because we tend to be forgotten at UCPH since we are such a small programme. There is also talk about pushing a bit and using this momentum to attract more students. But at the same time, this conversation also highlights just how little focus there was on Greenland before all of this took off,\u00ab says Louise Nuka Str\u00f8b\u00e6k L\u00fctzer.<\/p>\n

\u00bbKayak wogs\u00ab<\/h3>\n

The limited attention Danes paid to Greenland before Trump is something Louise Nuka Str\u00f8b\u00e6k L\u00fctzer recognizes.<\/p>\n

\u00bbMost people don\u2019t know very much. But I also think that those who approach me usually have a genuine desire to learn more about Greenland. And ignorance doesn\u2019t necessarily come from a bad place, but it is often what leads to ignorant remarks,\u00ab she says.<\/p>\n

A study by the Danish Institute for Human Rights<\/a> has shown that four out of five Greenlandic students in Denmark experience prejudice and discrimination.<\/p>\n

Recently, when Trump expressed his desire for American control over Greenland, he also criticised Denmark\u2019s treatment of Greenlanders, arguing that they are regarded as second-class citizens.<\/p>\n

Louise Nuka Str\u00f8b\u00e6k L\u00fctzer has also personally experienced discrimination and racism because of her Greenlandic heritage.<\/p>\n

\u00bbComments with words like \u2018drunk as a Greenlander\u2019 if you\u2019re at a party or that I should wear more fur. Small remarks that may be meant as jokes, but that are unpleasant to hear,\u00ab she says.<\/p>\n

In high school, she participated in a volleyball tournament where her team was named \u2018The Kayak Wogs\u2019<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u00bbI don\u2019t know if it was because I\u2019m Greenlandic, but it definitely wasn\u2019t nice, and it made me withdraw a little because I didn\u2019t want to be part of that,\u00ab says Louise Nuka Str\u00f8b\u00e6k L\u00fctzer.<\/p>\n

Looking at the research, Frank Sejersen describes it as \u00bbshocking\u00ab how little Danes in general know about Greenland.<\/p>\n

\u00bbThat\u2019s why I also believe Danmark has work to do in terms of rethinking its relationship with Greenland, however this relationship turns out, but also in expanding our knowledge base and actively working to eradicate the stereotypes we have maintained for so many years,\u00ab says Frank Sejersen.
\n<\/p>\n

Eternal ties between Denmark and Greenland<\/h3>\n

The question of Greenland\u2019s future has become the central theme of the Greenlandic parliamentary election, which will take place on 11 March .<\/p>\n

Despite Trump\u2019s numerous claims that most Greenlanders want to become American citizens, a new poll conducted by Verian for Berlingske and the Greenlandic newspaper Sermitsiaq<\/a> shows that only a very small minority supports becoming part of the United States.<\/p>\n

The current debate has also led Louise Nuka Str\u00f8b\u00e6k L\u00fctzer to reflect more on Greenland\u2019s future. She hopes that, in time, Greenland will become independent.<\/p>\n

\u00bbBut I think it\u2019s something that will take longer if we want to maintain the same welfare system. And I also hope there will still be some form of cooperation with Denmark after independence. There are so many of us who, like me, have ties to both countries,\u00ab she says.<\/p>\n

Frank Sejersen also believes that Denmark and Greenland will remain connected regardless of what the future holds.<\/p>\n

\u00bbWe will always have shared histories. And that is not something you can simply shake off,\u00ab he says.
\n
\nHe is convinced that within a few years, Greenland will hold a referendum on independence. However, this does not necessarily mean that Greenland will become independent right away or completely withdraw from the Danish commonwealth of Denmark, the Faroe Islands, and Greenland.<\/p>\n

\u00bbSuch a referendum can be structured in many ways. And it is something that Greenlanders themselves will have to decide following the independence debate that will continue in the coming years,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n

Do you see a realistic scenario in which Greenland ends up under American control, as Trump envisions?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00bbI won\u2019t pretend to understand Trump\u2014he is a mystery. But Denmark has received significant support from various NATO and EU countries, all of which emphasize the importance of territorial sovereignty and the right to self-determination. And that is precisely what he is radically challenging. But what he actually means by it, we simply don\u2019t know,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n

The fragile conversation about the future<\/h3>\n

With his call for US control over Greenland, it is as if the US president has, according to Frank Sejersen, burst a bubble in the Danish commonwealth. It is a longstanding and growing issue: the lack of understanding and interest from Denmark in maintaining and developing its relationship with Greenland.<\/p>\n

\u00bbThis has been a wake-up call<\/em> for Denmark, reminding us that we need to take Greenland seriously because we have not been attentivc. In the renewed conversation that Denmark must now have with Greenland, economists, military and legal experts will all be important. But just as crucial will be historical understanding, cultural traditions, and the deeper societal relations between Greenland and global players \u2014 and that is what we specialize in here,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n

Louise Nuka Str\u00f8b\u00e6k L\u00fctzer also believes that discussions about the relationship with Denmark and Greenland\u2019s future position in international politics must take place in a respectful manner.<\/p>\n

\u00bbI hope we can continue to make space for all voices\u2014both on the international stage and within our small study programme. We students are very different; we have Danes, Greenlanders, and those of us in between. So my hope is that we can maintain a positive and productive dialogue, and that all of this won\u2019t divide us.\u00ab
\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At one of the smallest study programmes at the University of Copenhagen they feel the great power rivalry up close \u2014 both academically and personally.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":106,"featured_media":173399,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3792],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-173670","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-student-life","expression-portrait_article"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\nGreenlandic Studies caught up in geopolitical tensions: \u00bbIt makes me anxious\u00ab \u2014 University Post<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/greenlandic-studies-caught-up-in-geopolitical-tensions-it-makes-me-anxious\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Greenlandic Studies caught up in geopolitical tensions: \u00bbIt makes me anxious\u00ab \u2014 University Post\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"At one of the smallest study programmes at the University of Copenhagen they feel the great power rivalry up close \u2014 both academically and personally.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/greenlandic-studies-caught-up-in-geopolitical-tensions-it-makes-me-anxious\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"University Post\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uniavis\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-02-21T03:53:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-02-21T07:16:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/louise1-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1707\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Martin Juhl\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/louise1-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Uniavisen\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Uniavisen\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Martin Juhl\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/greenlandic-studies-caught-up-in-geopolitical-tensions-it-makes-me-anxious\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/greenlandic-studies-caught-up-in-geopolitical-tensions-it-makes-me-anxious\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Martin Juhl\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ff6534f5b2402ad00c090ce725c33b27\"},\"headline\":\"Greenlandic Studies caught up in geopolitical tensions: \u00bbIt makes me anxious\u00ab\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-02-21T03:53:58+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-02-21T07:16:02+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/greenlandic-studies-caught-up-in-geopolitical-tensions-it-makes-me-anxious\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1875,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/greenlandic-studies-caught-up-in-geopolitical-tensions-it-makes-me-anxious\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/02\\\/louise1-scaled.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Student life\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/greenlandic-studies-caught-up-in-geopolitical-tensions-it-makes-me-anxious\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/greenlandic-studies-caught-up-in-geopolitical-tensions-it-makes-me-anxious\\\/\",\"name\":\"Greenlandic Studies caught up in geopolitical tensions: \u00bbIt makes me anxious\u00ab \u2014 University Post\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/greenlandic-studies-caught-up-in-geopolitical-tensions-it-makes-me-anxious\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/greenlandic-studies-caught-up-in-geopolitical-tensions-it-makes-me-anxious\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/02\\\/louise1-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-02-21T03:53:58+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-02-21T07:16:02+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ff6534f5b2402ad00c090ce725c33b27\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/greenlandic-studies-caught-up-in-geopolitical-tensions-it-makes-me-anxious\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/greenlandic-studies-caught-up-in-geopolitical-tensions-it-makes-me-anxious\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/greenlandic-studies-caught-up-in-geopolitical-tensions-it-makes-me-anxious\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/02\\\/louise1-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/02\\\/louise1-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1707},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/greenlandic-studies-caught-up-in-geopolitical-tensions-it-makes-me-anxious\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Greenlandic Studies caught up in geopolitical tensions: \u00bbIt makes me anxious\u00ab\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/\",\"name\":\"University Post\",\"description\":\"Independent of management\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ff6534f5b2402ad00c090ce725c33b27\",\"name\":\"Martin Juhl\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/1797e6a2f5504b0011d25ea810ff777cf9961880304ebea2975858e118970e05?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/1797e6a2f5504b0011d25ea810ff777cf9961880304ebea2975858e118970e05?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/1797e6a2f5504b0011d25ea810ff777cf9961880304ebea2975858e118970e05?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Martin Juhl\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/author\\\/martin_juhl_petersen\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Greenlandic Studies caught up in geopolitical tensions: \u00bbIt makes me anxious\u00ab \u2014 University Post","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/greenlandic-studies-caught-up-in-geopolitical-tensions-it-makes-me-anxious\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Greenlandic Studies caught up in geopolitical tensions: \u00bbIt makes me anxious\u00ab \u2014 University Post","og_description":"At one of the smallest study programmes at the University of Copenhagen they feel the great power rivalry up close \u2014 both academically and personally.","og_url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/greenlandic-studies-caught-up-in-geopolitical-tensions-it-makes-me-anxious\/","og_site_name":"University Post","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uniavis","article_published_time":"2025-02-21T03:53:58+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-02-21T07:16:02+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1707,"url":"http:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/louise1-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Martin Juhl","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_image":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/louise1-scaled.jpg","twitter_creator":"@Uniavisen","twitter_site":"@Uniavisen","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Martin Juhl","Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/greenlandic-studies-caught-up-in-geopolitical-tensions-it-makes-me-anxious\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/greenlandic-studies-caught-up-in-geopolitical-tensions-it-makes-me-anxious\/"},"author":{"name":"Martin Juhl","@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/#\/schema\/person\/ff6534f5b2402ad00c090ce725c33b27"},"headline":"Greenlandic Studies caught up in geopolitical tensions: \u00bbIt makes me anxious\u00ab","datePublished":"2025-02-21T03:53:58+00:00","dateModified":"2025-02-21T07:16:02+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/greenlandic-studies-caught-up-in-geopolitical-tensions-it-makes-me-anxious\/"},"wordCount":1875,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/greenlandic-studies-caught-up-in-geopolitical-tensions-it-makes-me-anxious\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/louise1-scaled.jpg","articleSection":["Student life"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/greenlandic-studies-caught-up-in-geopolitical-tensions-it-makes-me-anxious\/","url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/greenlandic-studies-caught-up-in-geopolitical-tensions-it-makes-me-anxious\/","name":"Greenlandic Studies caught up in geopolitical tensions: \u00bbIt makes me anxious\u00ab \u2014 University Post","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/greenlandic-studies-caught-up-in-geopolitical-tensions-it-makes-me-anxious\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/greenlandic-studies-caught-up-in-geopolitical-tensions-it-makes-me-anxious\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/louise1-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2025-02-21T03:53:58+00:00","dateModified":"2025-02-21T07:16:02+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/#\/schema\/person\/ff6534f5b2402ad00c090ce725c33b27"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/greenlandic-studies-caught-up-in-geopolitical-tensions-it-makes-me-anxious\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/greenlandic-studies-caught-up-in-geopolitical-tensions-it-makes-me-anxious\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/greenlandic-studies-caught-up-in-geopolitical-tensions-it-makes-me-anxious\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/louise1-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/louise1-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1707},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/greenlandic-studies-caught-up-in-geopolitical-tensions-it-makes-me-anxious\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Greenlandic Studies caught up in geopolitical tensions: \u00bbIt makes me anxious\u00ab"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/#website","url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/","name":"University Post","description":"Independent of management","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/#\/schema\/person\/ff6534f5b2402ad00c090ce725c33b27","name":"Martin Juhl","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1797e6a2f5504b0011d25ea810ff777cf9961880304ebea2975858e118970e05?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1797e6a2f5504b0011d25ea810ff777cf9961880304ebea2975858e118970e05?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1797e6a2f5504b0011d25ea810ff777cf9961880304ebea2975858e118970e05?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","caption":"Martin Juhl"},"url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/author\/martin_juhl_petersen\/"}]}},"advancedCustomFields":{"expression":{"term_id":14,"name":"Portrait Article","slug":"portrait_article","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":14,"taxonomy":"expression","description":"","parent":0,"count":798,"filter":"raw"},"enable_comments":true,"align_content":"aligncenter","feature_color":"#ef1524","article_updated":"","layout_group":[{"acf_fc_layout":"Headline","use_post_title":true,"headline":"","style":"default","highlighted_words":"","text_size":"small"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Image","image":{"ID":173398,"id":173398,"title":"Louise1","filename":"louise1-scaled.jpg","filesize":583338,"url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/louise1-scaled.jpg","link":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/storpolitik-traenger-ind-paa-groenlandsstudier-jeg-kan-godt-blive-bekymret-og-utryg\/louise1-2\/","alt":"","author":"106","description":"","caption":"","name":"louise1-2","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":173361,"date":"2025-02-12 12:05:28","modified":"2025-02-12 12:06:14","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":2560,"height":1707,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/louise1-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/louise1-480x320.jpg","medium-width":480,"medium-height":320,"medium_large":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/louise1-768x512.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":512,"large":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/louise1-1280x853.jpg","large-width":1280,"large-height":853,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/louise1-1536x1024.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1024,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/louise1-2048x1365.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1365,"featured-soft":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/louise1-290x193.jpg","featured-soft-width":290,"featured-soft-height":193,"featured-hard":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/louise1-290x180.jpg","featured-hard-width":290,"featured-hard-height":180,"narrow":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/louise1-700x467.jpg","narrow-width":700,"narrow-height":467,"extended":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/louise1-990x660.jpg","extended-width":990,"extended-height":660}},"style":"full","text_placement":"metadata-below","image_link_url":"","image_link_title":"","caption_prefix":"","enable_alternative_caption":true,"alternative_caption":"\u00bbSeveral family members have said they find it scary that there is such a focus on Greenland, especially from Trump, because he is unpredictable,\u00ab says UCPH student Louise Nuka Str\u00f8b\u00e6k L\u00fctzer."},{"acf_fc_layout":"Standfirst","subject":"","text":"This is a story about what will follow","use_post_excerpt":true},{"acf_fc_layout":"Byline","is_author":true,"contributors":false},{"acf_fc_layout":"Content","content":"<p><span class=\"dropcap\">T<\/span>he Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has had its work cut out for it ever since the US president Donald Trump, around Christmas, declared that American <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/posts\/113698764270730405\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u00bbownership and control over Greenland is an absolute necessity\u00ab<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>When Trump’s son, Trump Jr., took the family\u2019s private jet to the Greenlandic capital Nuuk two weeks later, it only added fuel to the diplomatic crisis.<\/p>\n<p>But something that, for many in Denmark, feels like a plot from a thriller is, for many Greenlanders, a concerning reality. It raises questions about independence, freedom, and the significance of a homeland.<\/p>\n<p>These thoughts and questions resonate at the North Atlantic House in Copenhagen. It is the home of Greenlandic and Arctic Studies at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH), where several lecturers and many of the 14 students have Greenlandic backgrounds.<\/p>\n<p>The spring semester had just started when the University Post visits the place, and it is clear that the ongoing conflict is on everyone\u2019s minds\u2014both academically and personally.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbOf course, this is something we talk about. Both during breaks and in class. I just attended a lecture where we discussed the discourse surrounding Greenland in the current debate and how it is portrayed in the media,\u00ab says 24-year-old Louise Nuka Str\u00f8b\u00e6k L\u00fctzer.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Quote","quote":"When I am in Greenland, I become aware of how Danish I am","quotee":"Louise Nuka Str\u00f8b\u00e6k L\u00fctzer, student of Greenlandic and Arctic Studies","style":"extended"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Content","content":"<p>She was born and raised in Denmark with a Danish mother and a Greenlandic father. Throughout her childhood, she did not think much about her Greenlandic heritage, but as she grew older, it became more significant to her.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbThe Greenlandic part of me became more important. But when I am in Greenland, I also become aware of how Danish I am\u2014both because of my appearance and my language. So in a way, I feel more Danish in Greenland than I do in Denmark,\u00ab says Louise Nuka Str\u00f8b\u00e6k L\u00fctzer.<\/p>\n<p>As part of her studies, she is learning Greenlandic, but she does not speak the language fluently. Unlike her sister, she does not have the same traditional Greenlandic features, such as dark hair, she explains.<\/p>\n<h3>The nutcase from America<\/h3>\n<p>The current conflict over Greenland’s future weighs heavily on Louise Nuka Str\u00f8b\u00e6k L\u00fctzer\u2019s mind, especially because her older sister and other family members live in Greenland.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbIt can be difficult to deal with, and I do worry and feel uneasy about how this will all turn out. Several members of my family have expressed that it is frightening how much attention Greenland is receiving\u2014especially from Trump\u2014because he is such an unpredictable man,\u00ab she says.<\/p>\n<p>Her sister lives with her husband and child in Greenland’s second-largest city, Sisimiut, about 300 kilometres north of Nuuk. Her husband is Chinese, and the couple is considering whether to move to Denmark, China, or stay in Greenland.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbThey have no interest in becoming American citizens, so they are discussing their options if this situation continues,\u00ab says Louise Nuka Str\u00f8b\u00e6k L\u00fctzer.<\/p>\n<p>She herself arrived in Nuuk just a few days after Trump Jr. had handed out red MAGA caps and dollar bills in the Greenlandic capital.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbPeople mostly talked about him as a nutcase. In Sisimiut, I spoke with a shop owner who joked that by the next time I visit, they might have become American citizens. It was said in jest, but with an underlying concern. That was how many people expressed themselves\u2014perhaps because it makes it a little easier to talk about if you joke about it,\u00ab she says.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Image","image":{"ID":173400,"id":173400,"title":"Louise2","filename":"louise2-scaled.jpg","filesize":789726,"url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/louise2-scaled.jpg","link":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/storpolitik-traenger-ind-paa-groenlandsstudier-jeg-kan-godt-blive-bekymret-og-utryg\/louise2\/","alt":"","author":"106","description":"","caption":"","name":"louise2","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":173361,"date":"2025-02-12 12:05:33","modified":"2025-02-12 12:06:00","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":2560,"height":1707,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/louise2-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/louise2-480x320.jpg","medium-width":480,"medium-height":320,"medium_large":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/louise2-768x512.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":512,"large":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/louise2-1280x853.jpg","large-width":1280,"large-height":853,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/louise2-1536x1024.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1024,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/louise2-2048x1365.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1365,"featured-soft":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/louise2-290x193.jpg","featured-soft-width":290,"featured-soft-height":193,"featured-hard":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/louise2-290x180.jpg","featured-hard-width":290,"featured-hard-height":180,"narrow":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/louise2-700x467.jpg","narrow-width":700,"narrow-height":467,"extended":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/louise2-990x660.jpg","extended-width":990,"extended-height":660}},"style":"extended","text_placement":"metadata-below","image_link_url":"","image_link_title":"","caption_prefix":"","enable_alternative_caption":true,"alternative_caption":"On her fingers Louise Nuka Str\u00f8b\u00e6k L\u00fctzer has traditional Inuit tattoos. The dots on her left hand symbolize medical amulets that she got during her grandmother's illness. Her right hand is adorned with Arctic willow \u2013 a hardy Greenlandic plant."},{"acf_fc_layout":"Content","content":"<p>Questions about Greenland\u2019s future have created internal divisions among the Greenlandic population regarding the direction the country should take. Louise Nuka Str\u00f8b\u00e6k L\u00fctzer also feels this conflict within herself.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbThere is a tendency for many to believe that you have to choose between being Danish or Greenlandic. In reality, I feel both Danish and Greenlandic. But the discourse right now is very much one against the other, and I find that difficult to navigate because I want to be both,\u00ab she says.<\/p>\n<h3>Reality reshapes the curriculum<\/h3>\n<p>It is not just Trump that has brought in major foreign policy issues to the small study programme. Greenland has in recent years become increasingly important on the international stage. This is largely due to Russian and Chinese military build-ups in the Arctic, climate change opening up new shipping routes in the Arctic Ocean, and valuable raw materials in the Greenland underground.<\/p>\n<p>The international focus has set off a growing interest in the field\u2019s researchers and students, and recent developments will naturally be incorporated into the teaching this semester. This is according to Frank Sejersen, associate professor and programme director of Greenlandic and Arctic Studies.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbEverything currently happening in this field needs to be brought into our teaching and placed within a theoretical framework. Trump’s statements have fueled Greenlandic aspirations for independence, and questions and dilemmas about independence are, in many ways, central to the study of indigenous peoples,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n<p>The programme is also in the process of developing a new curriculum that will allow the current political realities in Greenland to be integrated even more into teaching.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbWe also want to engage in larger practical collaborations with stakeholders who have an interest in Greenland. We can serve as their think tank, expanding our own network and hopefully becoming an even bigger player in the community working on Greenlandic issues,\u00ab says Frank Sejersen.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Quote","quote":"Danmark has work to do in terms of rethinking its relationship with Greenland, however this relationship turns out","quotee":"Frank Sejersen, Associate Professor and Programme Director for Greenlandic and Arctic Studies","style":"extended"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Content","content":"<p>According to Louise Nuka Str\u00f8b\u00e6k L\u00fctzer, the current focus on Greenland could also give more momentum to the study programme, even if it, in her viewpoint, comes from a bleak place.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbOf course, it’s great that we’re getting attention and that people are starting to notice that we exist, because we tend to be forgotten at UCPH since we are such a small programme. There is also talk about pushing a bit and using this momentum to attract more students. But at the same time, this conversation also highlights just how little focus there was on Greenland before all of this took off,\u00ab says Louise Nuka Str\u00f8b\u00e6k L\u00fctzer.<\/p>\n<h3>\u00bbKayak wogs\u00ab<\/h3>\n<p>The limited attention Danes paid to Greenland before Trump is something Louise Nuka Str\u00f8b\u00e6k L\u00fctzer recognizes.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbMost people don\u2019t know very much. But I also think that those who approach me usually have a genuine desire to learn more about Greenland. And ignorance doesn\u2019t necessarily come from a bad place, but it is often what leads to ignorant remarks,\u00ab she says.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/menneskeret.dk\/nyheder\/flertallet-groenlandske-studerende-danmark-oplever-fordomme-eksklusion\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A study by the Danish Institute for Human Rights<\/a> has shown that four out of five Greenlandic students in Denmark experience prejudice and discrimination.<\/p>\n<p>Recently, when Trump expressed his desire for American control over Greenland, he also criticised Denmark\u2019s treatment of Greenlanders, arguing that they are regarded as second-class citizens.<\/p>\n<p>Louise Nuka Str\u00f8b\u00e6k L\u00fctzer has also personally experienced discrimination and racism because of her Greenlandic heritage.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbComments with words like \u2018drunk as a Greenlander\u2019 if you\u2019re at a party or that I should wear more fur. Small remarks that may be meant as jokes, but that are unpleasant to hear,\u00ab she says.<\/p>\n<p>In high school, she participated in a volleyball tournament where her team was named <em>\u2018The Kayak Wogs\u2019<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbI don\u2019t know if it was because I\u2019m Greenlandic, but it definitely wasn\u2019t nice, and it made me withdraw a little because I didn\u2019t want to be part of that,\u00ab says Louise Nuka Str\u00f8b\u00e6k L\u00fctzer.<\/p>\n<p>Looking at the research, Frank Sejersen describes it as \u00bbshocking\u00ab how little Danes in general know about Greenland.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbThat\u2019s why I also believe Danmark has work to do in terms of rethinking its relationship with Greenland, however this relationship turns out, but also in expanding our knowledge base and actively working to eradicate the stereotypes we have maintained for so many years,\u00ab says Frank Sejersen.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Image","image":{"ID":173413,"id":173413,"title":"Frank Sejersen","filename":"franksejersen-scaled.jpg","filesize":737918,"url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/franksejersen-scaled.jpg","link":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/storpolitik-traenger-ind-paa-groenlandsstudier-jeg-kan-godt-blive-bekymret-og-utryg\/frank-sejersen\/","alt":"","author":"106","description":"","caption":"","name":"frank-sejersen","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":173361,"date":"2025-02-12 13:10:55","modified":"2025-02-12 13:11:06","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":2560,"height":1709,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/franksejersen-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/franksejersen-480x320.jpg","medium-width":480,"medium-height":320,"medium_large":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/franksejersen-768x513.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":513,"large":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/franksejersen-1280x855.jpg","large-width":1280,"large-height":855,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/franksejersen-1536x1025.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1025,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/franksejersen-2048x1367.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1367,"featured-soft":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/franksejersen-290x194.jpg","featured-soft-width":290,"featured-soft-height":194,"featured-hard":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/franksejersen-290x180.jpg","featured-hard-width":290,"featured-hard-height":180,"narrow":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/franksejersen-700x467.jpg","narrow-width":700,"narrow-height":467,"extended":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/franksejersen-990x661.jpg","extended-width":990,"extended-height":661}},"style":"extended","text_placement":"metadata-below","image_link_url":"","image_link_title":"","caption_prefix":"","enable_alternative_caption":true,"alternative_caption":"Frank Sejersen has been associate professor at Greenlandic and Arctic Studies since 2003."},{"acf_fc_layout":"Content","content":"<h3>Eternal ties between Denmark and Greenland<\/h3>\n<p>The question of Greenland\u2019s future has become the central theme of the Greenlandic parliamentary election, which will take place on 11 March .<\/p>\n<p>Despite Trump\u2019s numerous claims that most Greenlanders want to become American citizens, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.berlingske.dk\/politik\/overvaeldende-flertal-i-ny-maaling-groenlaenderne-afviser-trump?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AerBZYPGmHEt4TgmmRcBCe6o739L0QlhC51ccRRkUIyzt5uPwwoQodPHZJREv7IOkoU%3D&gaa_ts=67aca64b&gaa_sig=LHnio-9kKMfrDqZdJITvq2IgbaFSpH3J3zh66lhwWQIJl6VrLpqLHiZg1pFTOs_XK4T_L7Kp0AUX4zGhJzgCqA%3D%3D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a new poll conducted by Verian for Berlingske and the Greenlandic newspaper Sermitsiaq<\/a> shows that only a very small minority supports becoming part of the United States.<\/p>\n<p>The current debate has also led Louise Nuka Str\u00f8b\u00e6k L\u00fctzer to reflect more on Greenland\u2019s future. She hopes that, in time, Greenland will become independent.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbBut I think it\u2019s something that will take longer if we want to maintain the same welfare system. And I also hope there will still be some form of cooperation with Denmark after independence. There are so many of us who, like me, have ties to both countries,\u00ab she says.<\/p>\n<p>Frank Sejersen also believes that Denmark and Greenland will remain connected regardless of what the future holds.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbWe will always have shared histories. And that is not something you can simply shake off,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Quote","quote":"I am not going to try and understand Trump. He is a mystery","quotee":"Frank Sejersen, Associate Professor and Programme Director for Greenlandic and Arctic Studies","style":"extended"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Content","content":"<p>He is convinced that within a few years, Greenland will hold a referendum on independence. However, this does not necessarily mean that Greenland will become independent right away or completely withdraw from the Danish commonwealth of Denmark, the Faroe Islands, and Greenland.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbSuch a referendum can be structured in many ways. And it is something that Greenlanders themselves will have to decide following the independence debate that will continue in the coming years,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n<p><em>Do you see a realistic scenario in which Greenland ends up under American control, as Trump envisions?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u00bbI won\u2019t pretend to understand Trump\u2014he is a mystery. But Denmark has received significant support from various NATO and EU countries, all of which emphasize the importance of territorial sovereignty and the right to self-determination. And that is precisely what he is radically challenging. But what he actually means by it, we simply don\u2019t know,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n<h3>The fragile conversation about the future<\/h3>\n<p>With his call for US control over Greenland, it is as if the US president has, according to Frank Sejersen, burst a bubble in the Danish commonwealth. It is a longstanding and growing issue: the lack of understanding and interest from Denmark in maintaining and developing its relationship with Greenland.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbThis has been a <em>wake-up call<\/em> for Denmark, reminding us that we need to take Greenland seriously because we have not been attentivc. In the renewed conversation that Denmark must now have with Greenland, economists, military and legal experts will all be important. But just as crucial will be historical understanding, cultural traditions, and the deeper societal relations between Greenland and global players \u2014 and that is what we specialize in here,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n<p>Louise Nuka Str\u00f8b\u00e6k L\u00fctzer also believes that discussions about the relationship with Denmark and Greenland\u2019s future position in international politics must take place in a respectful manner.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbI hope we can continue to make space for all voices\u2014both on the international stage and within our small study programme. We students are very different; we have Danes, Greenlanders, and those of us in between. So my hope is that we can maintain a positive and productive dialogue, and that all of this won\u2019t divide us.\u00ab<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"ArticleEnd"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Newsletter","lang_select":"en","identifier":"Newsletter","headline":"Get an email with our top stories","button_text":"Sign up here","class":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"OtherStories","headline":"","hand_picked_posts":false,"references":false,"category":false,"theme":false,"number_of_posts":"4","style":"default"}]},"taxonomyData":{"category":[{"term_id":3792,"name":"Student life","slug":"student-life","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":3792,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":160,"filter":"raw"}],"post_tag":[],"post_format":[],"expression":[{"term_id":14,"name":"Portrait Article","slug":"portrait_article","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":14,"taxonomy":"expression","description":"","parent":0,"count":798,"filter":"raw"}],"translation_priority":[{"term_id":5468,"name":"Optional","slug":"optional-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":5468,"taxonomy":"translation_priority","description":"","parent":0,"count":672,"filter":"raw"}]},"featured_media_url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/louise1-1280x853.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/173670","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/106"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=173670"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/173670\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":173750,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/173670\/revisions\/173750"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/173399"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=173670"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=173670"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=173670"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}