UArctic has many birthdays, and 2026 marks twenty-five years since the Launch of UArctic in June 2001 in Rovaniemi, Finland.
Sometimes we count from 1997 when the idea of the University of the Arctic was born out of the Arctic Council context, sometimes from 1998 when the Ministers of the eight Arctic Council member states formally announced our establishment through the Iqaluit Declaration. This anniversary, counting from the Launch in 2001, however, is not about the work of the nation states or the Arctic Council in UArctic’s creation history, but it is about our members coming together and planting the seed of what UArctic has become today.
Today, 25 years after its Launch, UArctic has 204 member institutions ranging from the Arctic regions to across continents in 25 countries, a total of 1314 researchers working in 64 Thematic Networks and Institutes, and 33 Fellows and Chairs.
How did we get here? At least partly because UArctic was never a project, dependent on one individual funder, country or institution, but started off as a distributed collaboration effort among many actors who saw the need. UArctic always needed to find ways to ensure the continued interest of Arctic governments, small and large member institutions, Indigenous Peoples, and individual scientists and educators and students who see the value added in international collaboration in and about the Arctic.
I would like to quote the “UArctic at 20” Editorial in the 2017 Shared Voices Magazine (that was 20 years since the idea was born):
“As an investment in human capacity, education is the key component in any effort to create a sustainable future for the North and the globe. UArctic was supposed to have been impossible – some would say the same about peace. Today, most would agree on the need for both.”
UArctic continues with the same shared values that we created at the time of the Launch when UArctic set up its initial governance and program structures. The fundamental goal behind them was always, and still remains, peace.
We would like you to join us in our celebration throughout the year by accepting this virtual anniversary bouquet. It is for all of you who have believed in UArctic and have seen the potential that international collaboration at all levels holds for the future of the Arctic and the well-being of the globe. Thank you to all of you, and congratulations to UArctic!
On February 6, 2026
Outi Snellman
UArctic Secretary General
UArctic at 25 anniversary graphics designed by Caoimhe Cunningham
