UArctic Assembly 2025
Program Overview

07:00 - 08:30

Assembly Officers (Toyon) meeting (Closed, Wilderness Juutua Hotel)

08:30-11:00

Registration open (Sámi Educational Institute)

Coffee and tea available through the morning

09:00 - 10:00

Tour of SAKK (Sámi Educational Institute)

Welcome by Janne Näkkäläjärvi, Development Director, SAKK

In two/ three groups, led by Janne Näkkäläjärvi and Mika Aromäki, Coordinator, SAKK

Introduction videos on Sámi culture

10:00 - 12:00

10:00 - 10:30

10:30 - 11:00

11:00 - 12:00

11:00 - 12:00

12:00 - 13:45

Lunch at Aanaar Restaurant (Wilderness Juutua Hotel)

• Regional Centres lunch meeting (invitation only)
• U.S. and Canadian members lunch meeting (open to all Canadian and U.S. member representatives)

13:30 - 15:00

Registration for UArctic Assembly at Sámi Cultural Center Sajos

14:00

Guided tour of Sajos

• Presentation on the work of the Sámi Parliament, Tauno Ljetoff, member of Sami Parliament

15:15 

Visit to The Sámi Museum and Nature Centre Siida and guided tour

• Welcome speech by Chief Curator Anni Guttorm

17:00 - 19:30

Lake Inari Cruise including light snacks (Weather permitting) (Inari Harbour (Siida - Sámi Museum and Nature Center side)

Registration and information desk

Meet UArctic at Sajos (Dolla Auditorium)

Coffee break

UArctic Assembly Meeting at Sajos (Dolla Auditorium)

• 1 Opening of Assembly
  Presenters:
  • Liisa Holmberg, Assembly Chair
  • Eeva-Liisa Rasmus-Moilanen, Rector of Sámi
    Education Institute
  • Tauno Ljetoff, member of Sami Parliament
  • Petteri Vuorimäki, Ambassador for Arctic and
    Antarctic Affairs
  • Tommi Kasurinen, Mayor of Inari municipality
• 2 Introduction to meeting rules & Voting Procedures:
  Validity, rights, proposals & voting procedures
  Presenter: Janette Peltokorpi, Director of Governance and
  Finance Support
• 3 Approval of meeting Agenda and Selection of Examiners
  Presenter: Liisa Holmberg, Assembly Chair
• 4 UArctic Reports
  
  • 4.1 Report from the Board
    Presenter: Frederik Paulsen, Board Chair
  • 4.2 Report from the President
    Presenters: Lars Kullerud, President

Lunch at Café-Restaurant Čaiju

• Canadian members lunch meeting (open to all Canadian member representatives)
• Board Chair & Leadership Lunch Meeting (invitation only)

UArctic Assembly Meeting at Sajos (Dolla Auditorium)

• 5    UArctic Membership 
  • 5.1 Introduction to new member applicants  Presenter: Liisa Holmberg, Assembly Chair and representatives of new member applicants 

Group Photo

Coffee break

UArctic Assembly Meeting at Sajos (Dolla Auditorium)

• • 5.2 Approval of new Arctic members of UArctic
    Presenter: Liisa Holmberg, Assembly Chair
  • 5.3 Approval of new Non-Arctic members of UArctic
    Presenter: Liisa Holmberg, Assembly Chair
  • 5.4 Removal of UArctic Membership
    Presenter: Liisa Holmberg, Assembly Chair
• 6 Election of Board members
  
  • 6.1 Election of the Board Chair
    Presenter: Lindsay Whaley, Chair of Nominations
    Committee
  • 6.2 Election of Board members
    Presenter: Lindsay Whaley, Chair of Nominations
    Committee
  • 6.3 Election of Board student representative
    Presenter: Lindsay Whaley, Chair of Nominations
    Committee

Reindeer Farm Visit (Inari Reindeerfarm, 14 km from Inari) -- two groups, buses leave from Sajos. This excursion includes stops at Näkkäläjärvi Gift Shop and Jäniskoski Rapids, with light refreshments for participants. Note: Näkkäläjärvi Gift Shop offers a 5% discount upon presentation of an Assembly participation card.

Dinner at Ukko Restaurant (Wilderness Hotel Inari)

Concert by Áilu Valle & Mikkâl Morottaja (Amoc) at Ukko Restaurant

• Bus back to Hotel Inari and Wilderness Juutua Hotel after dinner (around 23:00).

Information and Registration Desk at Sajos

Wilderness Hotel Juutua Breakfast

• Founders breakfast meeting (invitation only)

UArctic Assembly Meeting at Sajos (Dolla Auditorium) 

• 7. UArctic Finances
  • 7.1 Approval of Financial Statements and Auditor’s Report 2024
    Presenter: Lars Kullerud, President
  • 7.2 Approval of UArctic Annual Report 2024
    Presenter: Lars Kullerud, President
  • 7.3 Verification of UArctic Operating Budget
    Presenter: Lars Kullerud, President
  • 7.4 Approval of UArctic Membership Fees 2026
    Presenter: Lars Kullerud, President
• 8 Plans for the UArctic Congress and Assembly 2026
  Presenter: Outi Snellman, Secretary General and
  representatives of the University of the Faroe Islands

Coffee break

UArctic Assembly Meeting at Sajos (Dolla Auditorium) 

• 9 Impact study
  Presenters: Stephen Heal, member of the President’s Circle; Jouko Niinimäki, Executive Vice-President
• 10 Breakout session info
  Presenter: Outi Snellman, Secretary General

Lunch at Café-Restaurant Čaiju  

• Congress International Steering Committee lunch meeting (invitation only)

Breakout sessions in Sajos (rooms announced before lunch)

10 Breakout sessions

• UArctic Membership Impact
  Leads: Stephen Heal, Jouko Niinimäki

UArctic is first and foremost a membership organisation that delivers for and through its members. We would like to engage participants in a workshop to discuss the impacts of its different membership activities (such as the Assembly, Congress, Funding programs etc.).  What do you see as their most useful outcomes and impacts on your institution and on the Arctic more broadly? What examples would you cite? How should such things be measured? Come and discuss and find out how these questions fit into a new approach to impact reporting and assessment that UArctic is developing.    

• Small and Northern Members
  Leads: Sheila Downer, Janne Näkkäläjärvi, Samuel Valkeapää

How does UArctic serve Indigenous Peoples and Northern Communities? How do we incorporate traditional knowledge in our degree recognition structures?  How would it be possible to recognise and give exams to candidates trained by non-degree organisations in the Arctic (for example PP’s). How might southern special competency degrees be given via training by non-degree organisations in the Arctic and collaboration with small northern higher education institutions? The aimed output of this session is a task force to follow up the initial brainstorming session and deliver suggestions to UArctic membership.

• UArctic and the Geopolitical Situation
  Leads: Melody Burkins, Lars Kullerud

For 30 years International collaboration in the Arctic has managed to grow from a vision to realty in spite of global challenges. The role of the Arctic Council and in particular the clear leadership mandated to Arctic Indigenous Peoples has been instrumental, while science diplomacy, including higher education collaboration is Also an important part of the success formula.

Global, and regional conflicts have now severally altered the possibility for peaceful collaboration in the Arctic.

• UArctic Regional Centres
  Lead: Outi Snellman

UArctic Regional Centres are formed by one or more member institutions in order to support UArctic, facilitate member engagement, and provide regional dialogue and engagement. These roles include liaison activities with national or regional administrations and other local stakeholders. Regional Centres can also perform specific administrative functions (for example, act as a north2north national agency). During this session, existing and potential future Regional Centres will discuss different models for Regional Centres, how UArctic might serve them better, and the possibilities for cooperation among the Centres. 

• Improving UArctic member communication: the role of the
  Assembly representative
  Leads: Natalia Nikolaeva, Lisa Goulet, Hannele Palviainen

The main role of an Assembly representative is to promote UArctic and UArctic activities within their home institution. Among other things, representatives should facilitate the expansion of UArctic contacts and networking; ensure that key UArctic messages and requests are followed up; and communicate decisions and announcements to their home institution. However, it’s not always easy to know how to best accomplish this. The aim of this session is to help Assembly representatives, especially those new in the role, to better communicate locally, and to share helpful tips and best practices.

• Antarctic Research and opportunities for collaboration
  Lead: Keith Larsen

This breakout session will take as its point of departure the study Patterns and Emerging Trends in Antarctic and Southern Ocean Academic Publishing (2016–2024), which analyzes 29,831 peer-reviewed publications on Antarctic and Southern Ocean (ASO) topics from 2016 to 2024. It reveals a peak in publication volume in 2021, followed by a decline. China has become the leading contributor in total and high-impact publications, surpassing the US. Traditional leaders like the US, UK, Australia, and Germany have seen a decline in output. International collaboration rates remain high but have plateaued, with France, Canada, and Norway showing high collaboration rates, while China, India, and Russia exhibit lower levels. The study highlights the dominance of STEM disciplines and the underrepresentation of humanities and social sciences. Key institutions include the British Antarctic Survey and the University of Tasmania. The findings underscore shifting global leadership, evolving collaboration networks, and China's growing role in polar science, with implications for policy and geopolitics.

• Growing Academic Cooperation across UArctic
  Leads: Heather Nicol and Diane Hirshberg

In this breakout we will explore ways to grow academic cooperation across UArctic institutions and with our communities. What are innovative ways UArctic institutions are collaborating on courses, degrees, and offerings? What are the barriers to more joint efforts? How might we rethink some of our offerings to better meet the needs of our local communities and potential partners?

Break 

Breakout session reports at Sajos (Dolla Auditorium)

Optional Evening Excursion: Sulaoja Nature Trail (Kevo Nature Park). Duration: 4-5 hours. Bus departs from Sajos.

Registration and Info Desk at Sajos

UArctic Assembly Meeting at Sajos (Dolla Auditorium)  

• 11 Endorsement of UArctic Thematic Networks
  • 11.1 Introduction to New Thematic Network Applications

Presenter: Heli Niittynen, Manager of Thematic Networks and New Thematic Network Applicants

• • 11.2 Approval of new Thematic Networks 2025
    Presenter: Heli Niittynen, Manager of Thematic networks
  • 11.3 Endorsement of provisional Thematic Networks 2024
    Presenter: Heli Niittynen, Manager of Thematic networks
• 12 Approval of Amendment to Bylaws
  Presenter: Outi Snellman, Secretary General
• 13 Election of Assembly Secretary
  Presenter: Lindsay Whaley, Nominations Committee  

Break

Project presentations from the host institution (Sajos)

UArctic Assembly Meeting at Sajos (Dolla Auditorium)  

• 14 Election of Nominations Committee member
  Presenter: Outi Snellman
• 15 Invitation to Join the Friends of UArctic
  Presenter: Outi Snellman
• 16 Other Business / Announcements
• 17 Closing

Lunch at Café-Restaurant Čaiju

Afternoon Excursions  

Motorboat Trip to Ravadas Waterfalls (Lemmenjoki River) Paltto Elämysretket Website. Duration: 7 hours 

Self-Guided Hikes:

• Otsamo Fell Trail
• Juutua Trail
• Tuulijärvi Trail
• Pielpajärvi Wilderness Church (9 km round trip). Duration: 5 hours 

Departures