History

1997

  • Arctic Council asks Circumpolar Universities Association (CUA) for a feasibility study on an Arctic university.

1998

  • CUA working group submits Final Report to the Arctic Council.
  • Arctic Council Iqaluit Declaration announces the "establishment of the University of the Arctic, a university without walls..."
  • Interim Council of the University of the Arctic formed; first meeting in Fairbanks, Alaska.

1999

  • UArctic Circumpolar Coordination Office (later the UArctic International Secretariat) established in Rovaniemi, Finland.

2000

  • Release of UArctic Integrated Plan, detailing program implementation of Bachelor of Circumpolar Studies, Arctic Learning Environment, and Circumpolar Mobility Program (later named north2north).

2001

  • Official launch of the University of the Arctic, in Rovaniemi, Finland.

2002

  • First students take Circumpolar Studies courses.
  • First students participate in pilot exchanges in north2north program.
  • Lars Kullerud appointed first UArctic Director (later President).
  • UArctic is granted official observer status at the Arctic Council.

2003

  • UArctic Undergraduate Office established at University of Saskatchewan, Canada to coordinate Circumpolar Studies program and delivery.

2004

  • UArctic north2north Mobility Office established at Finnmark University College, Norway (now part of UiT - The Arctic University of Norway).

2005

  • UArctic publishes the Strategic Plan 2005-2010, endorsing Thematic Networks as core program activities.
  • Thematic Coordination Office established at Thule Institute, University of Oulu, Finland.
  • Planning begins for UArctic’s participation in the International Polar Year.

2006

  • UArctic Russian Information Center established at Sakha State University, Yakutsk, Russia (now North-Eastern Federal University).
  • First degree graduates of Circumpolar Studies program.

2007

  • First UArctic Rectors' Forum held at Dartmouth College, USA.
  • UArctic participation in International Polar Year 2007-2008.

2008

  • Establishment of UArctic Catalog Office, to develop what is now the UArctic Studies Catalogue (education.uarctic.org).

2009

  • Publication of UArctic Strategic Plan 2009-2014.
  • GoNorth program established to support joint marketing, promotion and student recruitment efforts of UArctic member higher education institutions.

2010

  • UArctic’s first Vice-President Indigenous appointed
  • UArctic Research Office established at the Northern (Arctic) Federal University in Arkhangelsk, Russia.

2011

  • UArctic celebrates 10th anniversary at Council meeting in Lapland, Finland.
  • First non-Arctic members join UArctic.
  • IASC, IASSA, and UArctic sign agreement on research cooperation in the Arctic

2012

  • UArctic conducts External Review of its organization and activities, preceding the development of its next Strategic Plan.

2013

  • UArctic publishes its Strategic Plan 2020, reinforcing UArctic as a network organization that supports cooperative activities of its members in order to better serve the Circumpolar North.

2014

  • Relaunch of the UArctic website, including a new student-focussed portal and UArctic Study Catalogue.
  • New management structure, with President and Vice-Presidents Academic, Organization, Research, Interregional Cooperation, Indigenous, and Finance.

2015

  • Kingdom of Denmark (Denmark, Greenland, Faroe Islands) joins the north2north student mobility program.

2016

  • First ever UArctic Congress held in St. Petersburg, bringing together Council, Board, Rectors' Forum and a scientific conference.
  • Launch of the Research Infrastructure Catalogue.
  • UArctic appoints first Vice-President Mobility.

2017

  • UArctic becomes UNESCO partner organization.
  • Marks 20 years since the idea of the University of the Arctic was first proposed to the Arctic Council.
  • Rectors' Forum at University of Aberdeen (Scotland) is first major UArctic meeting at a non-Arctic member.

2018

  • Second UArctic Congress held in Oulu and Helsinki, Finland

2019

  • UArctic Association ry established and registered as non-profit in Finland.

2020

2021

  • UArctic Congress 2021 (originally planned for 2020) held in Iceland
  • UArctic 20 Years Anniversary seminar held in Rovaniemi

2022