A Multilingual Doctor Who Walks Wherever He Needs to Go

“I was born in Belgium and have lived, worked, and studied in many countries, including the United Kingdom, Denmark, Iceland, Greenland, Russia, Japan, and Norway. But it wasn’t until I came to Akureyri in 2015 that I began studying the Arctic in the Polar Law program — and there was no turning back,” says Romain, reflecting on what led him to the Arctic and Iceland.

Romain speaks three languages — English, Danish, and French — reads Russian, and understands German and Dutch. “I'm also trying to learn Icelandic, but I'm not sure how that's going... sometimes I think I'm accidentally creating a new language!”

How Japan Led to Iceland

After completing his master’s degree in Akureyri, Romain started a PhD in law at the University of Lapland. However, he had to pause his studies due to a lack of funding and went to work in St. Petersburg, translating for organizations focused on Arctic awareness and education.

“After that, I went to Japan to work as a research fellow at the Polar Cooperation Research Centre at Kobe University. That experience opened my eyes to the importance of international collaboration in Arctic research and in securing research funding,” says Romain about how he got involved in polar research.

“Since 2022, I have served as Managing Director of The Arctic Institute – Center for Circumpolar Security Studies, a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., where I lead research on security, governance, and environmental challenges in the Arctic. Our goal is to support Arctic policymaking in the context of climate change and to ensure that academic research informs decision-making,” Romain adds. In 2019, Romain started afresh with a new PhD in law, this time at Durham University in the UK, which he completed completed in 2023. His Durham doctoral research focused on the intersection of human rights, environmental governance, and Indigenous participation in Arctic decision-making.

Law Is Never Neutral

“Today, I am a Nansen Professor at the university, a visiting professorship in polar studies. Here I get to work on research that spans multiple disciplines. Through research, teaching, and policymaking, I want to contribute to shaping the future of Arctic governance with an emphasis on justice, sustainability, and genuine cooperation.

I am trained as a legal scholar and examine how law and politics can adapt to address growing challenges from climate change, ecosystem degradation, and inequities in marine resource governance in the Arctic,” Romain explains. He continues:

“I use an interdisciplinary approach that brings together law, political science, international relations, and geography. The reality is that laws are not created in a vacuum — they are shaped by those in power, historical legacies, and conflicting interests. I study how these factors intertwine, both from theoretical and practical perspectives.

The core of my research — and what I find most important — is examining whether human rights treaties can empower Indigenous peoples to have greater control over environmental policies that affect their territories and communities in the Arctic. We need to understand how Indigenous rights and knowledge can be integrated to strengthen governance in their regions, but currently, these voices are often ignored.”

Romain also emphasizes the need to focus more on research related to environmental and marine governance, and how international law must evolve to address ecological crises. “Although these research themes may sound theoretical, I believe academic research must be connected to practice and respond to the needs of communities. Theories must shape real solutions to create fairer and more effective ways of protecting both people and nature. Ultimately, research and practice should be combined to improve the legal frameworks that serve those impacted by these issues.”

Either in the Office or at the Gym

“I teach, and what I enjoy most is encouraging students to be critical of law and its structure — to question what is taken for granted and to grapple with complex concepts. The reality is that laws, often presented as neutral, are shaped by people and can never be completely impartial.

At the same time, teaching presents challenges. International law — and especially Arctic governance — is very technical and often an ambiguous field. Some concepts, like sovereignty, legal pluralism, and self-determination, can be difficult to grasp without a strong academic foundation. The challenge is to make these concepts accessible without oversimplifying them and to ensure students engage with the depth and nuance they require.

For me, teaching is also a research and collaborative process, where we can question our own assumptions and develop new perspectives.” This is how Romain describes his approach to teaching. He teaches in the Polar Law program at the university and also teaches Arctic Ocean Governance at the University Centre of the Westfjords.

Still, Romain occasionally steps away from his office and looks up from his research: “I really enjoy sports in all forms and love discussing them. I'm always up for a chat about professional cycling, rugby, or the latest triathlon race! You can also often find me at the local gyms here in Akureyri. The best thing about Akureyri is how close it is to nature, and I can walk everywhere I need to go!”