This special volume of NGP contains papers derived from the iEast meets North/i conference arranged at the University of Eastern Finland (UEF) in November 2013. From the discussions of the iEast meets North/i conference we can identify four strong areas of research connected with the northern and eastern borderlands, their northern way of life and their significance as locations for contacts on various levels: 1) cross-border historical, cultural and economic contacts, 2) welfare, 3) the peoples of the North and their rights, and 4) crises occurring in northern regions and their consequences. The papers published here provide examples of these points of strategic focus that can be expected to gain in emphasis in the future.