For the first time, a joint education and research conference was integrated into the Council meeting. The conference, “Arctic Dialogue in the Global World” (www.adgw2015.bsu.ru) concludes the Council meeting, giving an opportunity for representatives and other international colleagues to engage on a number of interdisciplinary topics relevant to the Arctic regions.
The Council meeting is the annual general assembly of the UArctic network, bringing together representatives of universities, colleges, and other organizations that are committed to higher education and research in the North. During the meeting, the Council took key decisions about the University of the Arctic’s future development, including welcoming additional institutions and organizations as Council members, bringing UArctic’s total membership to 176.
A key piece of Council business at the meeting start was the confirmation of Pål Markusson from UiT- The Arctic University of Norway, as Council Chair, following UNBC’s James MacDonald who sadly passed earlier this year. Liisa Holmberg, rector of the Sami Education Institute (Finland), was elected Vice-Chair of Council.
Buryat State University’s Professor Lubov D. Radnaeva, who also serves as the Secretary of the Council of UArctic, welcomed her fellow Council members, “It was a unique pleasure to welcome so many friends from across the Circumpolar North and beyond to our home in Buryatia. The strong attendance in both the Council meeting and joint Science and Education Conference demonstrates the continued commitment to international cooperation in higher education and science in the Arctic region.”
The meeting also welcomed six new Thematic Networks to UArctic, including networks on Arctic Telecommunications and Networking (led by the University of Alaska Fairbanks), Working in the Arctic (Northern Arctic Federal University), Model Arctic Council (University of Alaska Fairbanks), Northern Nursing Education (University of Saskatchewan), Teacher Education for Social Justice and Diversity in Education (University of Lapland), and World Ensemble (UiT- The Arctic University of Norway).
The next Council meeting of the will take place in the context of the first ever UArctic Congress to be held in Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation in September 2016, where the Board, Rectors’ Forum and Thematic Networks of UArctic all meet together with the Council.
- Total participants (Council meeting): 87
- Participant countries: 13
- Member institutions represented: 47
- New members: 12 (11 Arctic, 1 Non-Arctic)
- Total membership: 176
- New Thematic Networks: 6
- Total Thematic Networks: 33
The University of the Arctic (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 that enables member institutions to better serve their constituents and their regions. Through cooperation in education, research and outreach we enhance human capacity in the North, promote viable communities and sustainable economies, and forge global partnerships.
For more information:
UArctic International Secretariat
secretariat@uarctic.org
www.uarctic.org