Discussions at the Forum will be centered on two thematic sessions:

University/Business Partnership – Forging University-Industry-Business partnerships to increase sustainability of northern universities, regional context of university development, trans-boundary cooperation in educational programmes, intellectual resources needed for a modern economy, and university-industry working partnerships for stimulating innovation.

and

Indigenous Peoples of the North – Focusing on modern forms of education for traditional trades and crafts, knowledge improvement and exchange for small-business development, information technology and distance-learning, support for indigenous enterprises, and ecological aspects of traditional trade development.

There will also be cultural activities and tours of the Khanty-Mansiysk area.

The Rectors’ Forum is intended for the leaders of UArctic’s Higher Education Institution members. It brings together college Presidents, Rectors, Provosts, Chancellors and Vice-Presidents in order to discuss specific themes. The Forum is reserved for institutional leadership and is not intended as an institutional representative forum; the Council of UArctic serves that function.

The inaugural Rectors’ Forum was held at Dartmouth College, in Hanover, US, in March 2007 and included representatives from 15 institutions. The second Forum, hosted by the University of Lapland, Finland in February 2008, was much larger with leaders from 33 member institutions, as well over 35 invited experts, guest speakers and observers.

More information on the program and registration for the forum will be available at the end of November. For further information, please contact the UArctic International Secretariat at secretariat@uarctic.org.