The goal of the symposium is to celebrate the breadth and depth of NEAN research engagement in the Arctic and High North, as well as explore partnerships for future collaboration with UArctic member institutions. The symposium will highlight the work of emerging researchers through a panel discussion and will also feature key note speaker Trevor Bell, Ph.D. of Memorial University and SmartIce.

NEAN formed in 2018 in response to the US National Science Foundations’ “Growing Convergence Research” and “Navigating the New Arctic” Big Ideas. It is founded on inclusive membership, open exchange of information and resources, and solutions-oriented approaches to research and community engagement. With more than 25 institutional members from across New England (Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine), NEAN addresses links between Arctic change and the natural, social, and built systems throughout the Arctic and the North Atlantic Arctic region.

NEAN combines the wealth of academic expertise in Arctic research across New England with researchers, stakeholders, and external partners concerned with environmental, economic, and social impacts, providing an ideal community for anticipating and responding to Arctic change and its impacts on the eastern coast of North America.  

The symposium is a celebration of not only New England’s rich history of research collaboration the North, but also of the deep cultural and economic connections the region has with the Arctic.  Humanists, social scientists, artists, and physical scientists have all be invited to participate. From Arctic explorers navigating Maine-built schooners through Arctic ice to today’s researchers, undergraduate and graduate students engaging in research with Indigenous Arctic communities, New England’s is a long history of collaboration and connection.

Please join us as we identify synergies and future collaborations between NEAN research teams and the UArctic thematic networks, educational initiatives, and international leadership.