Rikke Østergaard is a PhD candidate in Arctic Studies at the University of Greenland – Ilisimatusarfik. She holds an undergraduate degree in business economics and a masters degree in Social Science from the same institution. Østergaard has worked at the Joint Arctic Command in Nuuk, where she served as a Research Coordinator, focusing on civil and military cooperation. Her research interests include arctic environmental and social sustainability, gender studies, and interdisciplinary methodologies.