Strategic Plan 2020 uarctic.org Who We Are Photo James David Broome

UArctic (University of the ) was created through an initiative of the (Iqaluit Declaration 1998) and was officially launched in 2001. UArctic is a cooperative network of universities, colleges, research institutes and other organizations concerned with education and research in and about the North. UArctic builds and strengthens collective resources and collaborative infrastructure, thereby enabling member institutions to better serve their constituents and their regions. Cooperation in education, research, outreach and engagement enhances human capacity in the North, promotes Our Vision 5 viable communities and sustainable economies, and engages partners from Our Mission 6 outside the region. Our Values 8

UArctic Strategic Plan 2020 How We Serve the North 12 UArctic International Secretariat University of Box 122, 96101 , [email protected] Tel. +358-16-341 341 Our 2020 Goals 16 Fax. +358-16-362 941 www.uarctic.org

Graphic Design & Layout Background 22 Puisto Design & Advertising

Printer Erweko Oy, 2014

Printed on Munken Pure by Arctic Paper Cover 240g/m2, contents 150g/m2

UArctic Strategic Plan 2020 UArctic Strategic Plan 2020 Photo Haukur Sigurðsson

An Empowered North – With Shared Voices

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Empower the people of the Circumpolar North by providing unique educational and research opportunities through collaboration within a powerful network of members.

6 UArctic Strategic Plan 2020 UArctic Strategic Plan 2020 7 Photo Mette Randem

Circumpolar Inclusive Reciprocal

UArctic promotes northern UArctic promotes cultural UArctic promotes respectful voices in the globalizing diversity, language plurality relationships in education, world, reflecting common and gender equality while science, research and policy values and interests across highlighting the partnership based on reciprocity, equality all eight Arctic states and between the region’s and trust between northerners among all northern peoples indigenous peoples and and other partners. This and cultures. other northerners. approach values the inclusion of traditional and indigenous knowledge systems, together with multidisciplinary perspectives from the arts, social and natural sciences.

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Photo Haukur Sigurðsson

Petri Teppo Petri Photo

10 UArctic Strategic Plan 2020 UArctic Strategic Plan 2020 11 Photo Alexander Lembke

UArctic benefits students, public and private sectors, and the North as a region by creating strong international collaboration among its members that:

• Creates shared knowledge, competences and resources by matching capacity to needs

• Connects traditional and indigenous knowledge systems with modern academia

• Partners with northern communities and indigenous populations to respond to their educational aspirations and requirements

• Bridges dialogue across different sectors and regions of the North, and with the world

• Builds shared services that facilitate and promote cooperation and collaboration

• Increases collaboration opportunities for our community of faculty, staff and students

• Promotes the collective views of its members and broadens the voice of the North in the world

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Photo Todd Paris (UAF)

Svein Disch Mathiesen, (EALAT/ICRH) Mathiesen, Disch Svein Photo

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Tommy Hansen (UiT) Hansen Tommy Photo

Educational Access Research Representation for Northern Students in the North

Students in the North have access to the best UArctic members are the key participants in and most relevant instructional and training Arctic research. resources. • UArctic maintains the foremost inventory of • UArctic leads student mobility efforts among Arctic research capacity the Arctic states • UArctic members are involved together in • Northern students have easy access to and addressing critical Arctic research issues participate in top-quality undergraduate and graduate programs throughout the Arctic • The Arctic Council and others look to UArctic and its members as their shared infrastructure • Northern students have easy access to field to address relevant research needs schools and joint programs among UArctic member institutions • UArctic Thematic Networks link educational and research programs that identify and • Northern students can participate in degree respond to the strategic needs of the Arctic programs, shared courses or field schools states initiated by UArctic Thematic Networks • UArctic develops new methods to combine • UArctic members combine student and faculty academic research and traditional knowledge mobility with research cooperation adding through participation by and with northern values to learning environments communities.

• UArctic works with IASC, IASSA and other partners to build strong northern-relevant and collaborative research capacity in the North

16 UArctic Strategic Plan 2020 UArctic Strategic Plan 2020 17 Expanding Knowledge Engaged Membership

Photo Arto Liiti (ULapland) of the North Network

UArctic is a leader in expanding knowledge UArctic members gain value by their about the North. participation in the organization.

• UArctic’s is the • UArctic members cooperate with each leading curriculum for overall circumpolar other on multiple levels, focusing on faculty, understanding institutional leadership and international collaboration • UArctic members use the network to attract students interested in the North • Past and present UArctic students form a community who share pride in their • UArctic members’ research results are knowledge accessible to researchers, policy makers and the public • UArctic represents its members’ interests internationally by promoting their diverse • UArctic members share instructional, training and shared capacity to serve northern and research resources to expand northern communities and interests knowledge • UArctic has a sustainable business model • UArctic Thematic Networks communicate providing necessary infrastructure to support their efforts to the broader public the network

• The Arctic Council, the Standing Committee of Arctic Parliamentarians and other Arctic leadership institutions recognize UArctic and its members as the educational, training and research engine of the North

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Alexander Lembke Alexander Photo

Photo Tim Swanky (UNBC)

20 UArctic Strategic Plan 2020 UArctic Strategic Plan 2020 21 With Shared Voices How We Operate Our Context

UArctic works in partnership with UArctic’s organization and operations The world, particularly the Circumpolar knowledge with modern academic modest outtake of the region’s resources. indigenous peoples, recognizing their model are geared towards maximizing North, is in a period of rapid change. approaches at northern academic The challenge is, however, how to integral role in northern education, training, value for its members and impact Similarly, the world of international institutions represents an opportunity safeguard the natural and social values in knowledge generation and transfer, and for students and the region. UArctic higher education and research is unique to the Arctic. Northern the North and develop opportunities for seeks to engage their perspectives and programs are based on northern changing. These changes include climate competence needs to be strengthened its peoples while making sensible use of participation in all of its activities. needs and member priorities, and change, increased socio-economic and utilized to deal as effectively as the available surplus in order to meet the they are expressions of our goals and interdependence, heightened economic possible with the opportunities and needs of a growing global population. Representatives of the Arctic indigenous values. UArctic carries out its mission interest in northern natural resource challenges that the region faces. With a peoples have been strong partners in the through collaborative activities that extraction, internationalization, changes small, dispersed and shifting population, The sustainable use of northern resources development of UArctic through both build joint education and research in higher education, and the accelerating northerners must work together, as well can serve the growing global need. The their organizations, who are Permanent through Thematic Networks, Institutes, use and spread of information and as with external partners. peoples of the North have the right Participants to the Arctic Council, and their mobility and shared services, and by communication technologies. to choose a path to their own future. higher education institutions. During the representing the interest of its members The North has roughly 0.1 percent of the Respect, knowledge, and building feasibility study phase, the (then) three in circumpolar cooperation. UArctic’s The Arctic region is rich in resources and global population, ten percent of the northern competence can ensure indigenous peoples permanent participant activities, leadership and organization has a small and dispersed population. surface of earth, and is estimated to hold northerners have a strong say and receive organizations drafted a statement of are distributed among its members. With the global population approaching over twenty percent of undiscovered fair benefits from the export value of support and a challenge to the new UArctic is fully controlled by its members ten billion, the world’s need for northern petroleum resources. The region has northern resources. organization entitled “With Shared Voices.” who elect the Board of Governors. To the resources is evident, producing both some of the world’s most important UArctic took this phrase as its motto to be Arctic Council and other international opportunities and challenges. At the fisheries, minerals, and supply of fresh The University of the Arctic will work to a constant reminder of the organization’s fora, UArctic represents the educational, same time, climate change in the Arctic water. The vast boreal forest, which strengthen knowledge and capacity that commitment to the views and forms of training and research engine of the North. is twice the global average. The world surrounds the Arctic region, is the largest meets the needs of the North and the knowledge of the region’s indigenous influences and is dependent on the Arctic; terrestrial ecosystem in the world, and world. UArctic believes that a sustainable peoples. what we do in the Arctic influences the represents forty percent of the world’s future for the North and its people lies world. forestry economy. The North also holds in a competent northern population, a UArctic remains committed to the particular large areas of land unaffected by modern strong northern knowledge base, and education needs of northern indigenous The North possesses a vast set of human activity and unique ecosystems partnerships with the non-Arctic world. peoples and must act to ensure indigenous knowledge and skills, built over of global significance, and is an attractive The key elements of this vision include perspectives are meaningfully represented generations by indigenous peoples destination for tourists. The North is strengthening the voice of the Arctic in all its activities and structures. and other northerners. This capacity essential to the global climate system. in the world and likewise the world’s is manifested in the region’s modern It is evident that the resources and understanding of the Arctic, as well as institutions of learning and in the ecosystems of the North could easily cooperating across borders in the North indigenous knowledge held by support its population in a sustainable to leverage experience, knowledge, communities. Combining traditional manner and build a modern future with competence, investment and influence.

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UArctic International Secretariat University of Lapland Box 122, 96101 Rovaniemi, FINLAND uarctic.org [email protected]