Empower the North…
Empower the residents of the Circumpolar North, by building human capital through higher education.
University of the Arctic programs strive to provide northern residents with a unique and diverse education that will open opportunities for growth, research and sustainable practices in the North. Our graduates are familiar with various regions of the Arctic and will have an in-depth understanding of the problems and concerns facing the indigenous groups of those regions. By the end of the program the students will have determined what tools are needed to sustainably maintain or develop the Arctic while protecting the environment and peoples, as well as, acquire the skills and the knowledge to actively participate in Arctic issues.
Reduce barriers to higher education in the North in order to provide increased opportunities for northerners.
The realities of the Arctic region's geography: vast distances, great cultural diversity, and small communities and institutions, require a special effort to deliver education that is accessible to all northerners - an education that is committed to the sustainability of this region and the needs of the people who have built their lives there.
Accessibility to post-secondary education has long been a concern for northern residents. In addressing this issue, UArctic has developed innovative, unique courses offered in the classroom, in the field or delivered online, making relevant curriculum more readily available to northern learners. Our commitment to reducing barriers to education in the North is demonstrated in programs of Access and Mobility, including the north2north student exchange program, and the Arctic Learning Environment.
Develop initiatives in partnership with our community, and particularly with indigenous peoples, that are responsive to their needs and support their aspirations.
The University of the Arctic's programs are comprehensive and address a wide variety of issues in the Arctic. Our programs promote the development of shared knowledge and understanding, access to education, and sustainable practices in the Arctic. A comprehensive program of northern-relevant curriculum, the Bachelor of Circumpolar Studies, provides new and innovative content for member institutions.
The University of the Arctic also aims to promote cultural diversity, language plurality, and gender equality while highlighting the partnership between the region's indigenous peoples and other northerners. Our organization focuses on the sharing of knowledge and history, as well as provides for quality discussion on contemporary issues related to the circumpolar North.
Create Shared Knowledge and provide for quality discussion on contemporary issues related to the Circumpolar North.
UArctic's priorities are education, knowledge generation and cultural/environmental awareness in the Arctic, and each member of the UArctic community plays a unique role in addressing these issues. Through UArctic, indigenous groups in the circumpolar North have the opportunity to work collaboratively on relevant Arctic issues and develop educational material for UArctic students, while educational institutions have the opportunity to share resources, increase teaching capacity and enrich northern curriculum. UArctic can provide opportunities for faculty members, to travel and build connections with other northern scholars through programs such as the UArctic Field School and PhD Networks. Northern students benefit most from UArctic, as the programs offer opportunities to study at home, in the classroom and on other northern campuses around the world.
Build a shared regional identity, while valuing inclusiveness and respect for diversity across the region.
UArctic aims to make the distances between Arctic communities smaller by creating a network of member institutions and giving them the opportunity to provide unique experiences for their students. For example, students at one institution can interact with other UArctic students and faculty members around the world via the web or by participating in a UArctic northern exchange program. These opportunities close the distances between Arctic communities and build a sense of identity and fraternity for the many diverse regions of the North. In this way, the University of the Arctic is able to forge a shared identity between northerners who learn and work together in order to build a better future for the region.
Strengthen the Circumpolar North's Role in the World by increasing knowledge about Arctic issues
UArctic provides a voice for the North in the rest of the world, through the encouragement of arctic research and knowledge networks like the Northern Research Forum and Circumpolar Universities Association, and through processes of open learning. This concept supports relevant training for northerners addressing contemporary issues like adaptation to global change, integrated ecosystem management (co-management), applied traditional subsistence, eco-tourism etc. This knowledge not only benefits the participants in the programs, but also provides a base for educating the general public on the values, issues and qualities of the North.
UArctic activities are currently implemented and supported by an International Secretariat, hosted in Rovaniemi, Finland by the University of Lapland.