Arctic Institute of North America: Building Knowledge, Strengthening Communities
The Arctic Institute of North America (AINA), founded in 1945 and based at the University of Calgary, has spent 80 years advancing Arctic knowledge through research, education, and partnerships that bridge science, policy, and lived experience.
On the shores of Lhù’ààn Mân in Yukon, researchers, students, and community members gather at the Kluane Lake Research Station, just one part of the enduring legacy of the Arctic Institute of North America (AINA), Canada’s first and longest-standing Arctic research institute. Founded in 1945 by an Act of Parliament and affiliated with the University of Calgary since 1976, the Arctic Institute of North America has been advancing understanding of the Arctic for nearly 80 years. Its mission is clear yet ambitious: to provide leadership and coordination for advancing Arctic knowledge and information synthesis to enhance research, communication, education, and innovation for the benefit of all.
A Legacy Rooted in the North
Arctic Institute of North America’s Executive Director, Dr. Maribeth Murray, emphasizes that research must not only describe and improve our understanding of the Arctic but also benefit the people who live there. “In the Arctic, the challenges posed by climate change, development, and geopolitics are great, but they are not insurmountable,” she says. “Through cooperation and collaboration with partners from around the circum-Arctic and the world, we are striving to co-develop the knowledge that is needed for adaptation, sustainability, and prosperity for all who call the Arctic home.”
Through partnerships with Indigenous governments, Northern organizations, and international networks, the Arctic Institute of North America is a research institute and a bridge between science, policy, and lived experience. Its role as a Permanent Non-State Observer at the Arctic Council ensures that Canadian expertise and community perspectives inform global decisions on Arctic issues.
Community Impact and a Vision Forward
The institute’s influence extends beyond academia. Through fostering partnerships with Indigenous and Northern organizations, and engagement with the broader research community, the Arctic Institute of North America seeks to strategically support Indigenous and national research priorities Indigenous self-determination in research and data sovereignty, and ensure that research reflects lived realities. Institute staff and researchers seek to support local capacity for research, education, and social enterprise, empower youth to see themselves in science, and bring community voices into international forums where decisions about the Arctic’s future are made.
This year marks the 80th anniversary with a bold vision: “A world where Arctic information and expertise support change for the better.” That vision underpins every project, from climate monitoring and experimental off-grid horticulture in Yukon to the development of the international Arctic Observing System and digital education initiatives that reach classrooms across Canada and beyond.
The Arctic is changing environmentally, socially, and culturally. Yet through its commitment to research, education, and collaboration, the Arctic Institute of North America continues to show how knowledge can be a tool for resilience, equity, and positive change.