The meeting was organized to get to know each other and to discuss new ideas and actions, and how to organize Chairs’ work in the future.

Bing Chen, UArctic Chair in Marine and Coastal Environmental Engineering from Memorial University highlights the importance of the meeting and of the collective voices of the UArctic Chairs as academic drivers: "Through this meeting, we have gained better understanding of each other's expertise and shared interests around Arctic research, education policy, and community engagement. With UArctic, we will make collective voices and efforts to synergize our expertise and experience and closely work with stakeholders across sectors and Indigenous people to develop and implement solutions to help address environmental, social and economic challenges and support sustainable development of the Arctic and the communities".

“Chairs would want to develop some integrated program among themselves. Such a potential program will be designed around Arctic issues, which might bring interest from an interdisciplinary perspective”, says Kamrul Hossain, UArctic Chair in Arctic Legal Research and Education from the University of Lapland. “The UArctic Chairs could be a more robust platform for creating awareness of the Arctic’s concerns.”

“The UArctic Chairs meeting was both a moment to connect with other Chairs as well as a time to connect with - and hear from - the thousands of Arctic knowledge holders, government leaders, and academic interests attending Arctic Circle Assembly,” says Melody Brown Burkins, UArctic Chair for Science Diplomacy and Inclusion at Dartmouth College. “It is a privilege to represent the diverse membership of the UArctic network as well as our home institutions as a UArctic Chair. It is also a privilege to work with UArctic leadership to ensure the Arctic remains a place of peaceful cooperation in these challenging times: a place in which we tirelessly practice inclusion, respect, and the support of fundamental human rights, including the right of self-determination, for all Arctic peoples.”

In the photo (left to right): Kamrul Hossain (UArctic Chair in Arctic Legal Research and Education, University of Lapland), Kirk Anderson (UArctic Chair in School Effectiveness and School Improvement, Memorial University of Newfoundland), Karl Kreutz (UArctic Chair in Arctic Ice, Climate and Environmental History, Climate Change Institute - University of Maine), Tuija Turunen (UArctic Chair in Education for Social Justice and Diversity, University of Lapland), Roland Kallenborn (UArctic Chair in Arctic Environmental Pollution Research, Norwegian University of Life Sciences), Melody Brown Burkins (UArctic Chair in Science Diplomacy and Inclusion Dartmouth College), Arja Rautio (UArctic Vice-President Research, University of Oulu), Bing Chen (UArctic Chair in Marine and Coastal Environmental Engineering (Arctic-MCEE), Memorial University of Newfoundland), David Anderson (UArctic Chair in Anthropology of the Arctic, University of Aberdeen), Jan Borm (UArctic Chair in Arctic Humanities, University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines). 

Online particpiants: Odd Jarl Borch (UArctic Chair in Societal Safety and Security, Nord University), Timo Jokela (UArctic Chair in Arctic Art, Design and Culture, University of Lapland) and Philip Steinberg (UArctic Chair in Political Geography, Durham University).

UArctic Chairs are highly qualified academics who will serve as academic drivers in a broad area of relevance to the Arctic. They implement and drive collaborative actions in research and education among UArctic members and Thematic Networks, and build partnerships with the broader Arctic community.

Read more about the UArctic Chairs here.