UArctic at the 2025 Arctic Circle Assembly
Pre-event: "Arctic Challenges: Navigating Shared Futures"
This open seminar at the University of Iceland on October 15 at 13:00-17:00 brings together leading scholars, policymakers, and community advocates to discuss urgent challenges facing the Arctic region. This year’s conference focuses on four interconnected themes: Arctic governance and security, the cryosphere, resilience in rural communities, and academic collaboration across the Circumpolar North. There will be speakers from a wide range of backgrounds including those in UArctic Chair positions, Tuija Turunen, Dimitrios Dalaklis, and Hanne H. Christiansen.
As climate, geopolitical, and societal shifts accelerate, the Arctic is increasingly at crossroads. Can Arctic governance structures adapt to mounting security pressures? How are communities coping with the rapid loss of sea ice, glaciers, and permafrost? What are the long-term implications for those living in the Arctic? How can Arctic higher education institutions deepen their collaboration amid geopolitical tensions and build capacity for Arctic youth?
UArctic booth in Harpa
Like in the previous years, UArctic staff will be hosting a booth at the Arctic Circle Assembly 2025, near the catering area on the second floor of Harpa. We encourage our members, colleagues, partners, friends, and anyone interested in UArctic to stop by for a chat and for print materials, including the latest issue of our Shared Voices magazine.
2025 Arctic Academic Action Award - announcing the winner
On the evening of October 17, during the reception open to all participants, 2025 Frederik Paulsen Arctic Academic Action Award winner will be announced. The following day, the winning project will be presented in a dedicated session highlighting its achievements and impact.
UArctic in the Arctic Circle Assembly program
In the list below we highlight the sessions that are organized or co-organized by two of our Thematic Networks or UArctic at large. In addition, many other sessions have UArctic Chairs, Thematic Networks' and Institutes' leads and members, and also UArctic leadership as speakers.
For exact times and the full program, please visit the Arctic Circle Assembly website.
Wednesday, October 15
- Pre-event: Arctic Challenges: Navigating Shared Futures (co-organized by UArctic)
Thursday, October 16
- Session: Trump and Putin are in the same room, can multilateralism survive in the Arctic? (organized by Thematic Network on Geopolitics and Security)
- Session: Balancing Act: Navigating Sustainable Development, Conservation and Governance (co-organized by UArctic)
Friday, October 17
- Session: Bridging Ice: Arctic Confidence – Building in Times of Geopolitical Turmoil (co-organized by Thematic Network on Geopolitics and Security)
- Session: Lighting Talks from Students: The Winners of the My Northern Project Competition (co-organized by UArctic)
- Reception: Announcement of the Winner of the Frederik Paulsen Arctic Academic Action Award (co-organized by UArctic)
Saturday, October 18
- Session: Death of the Arctic? Critical Interventions in Uncertain Times (organized by Thematic Network on Critical Arctic Studies)
- Session: Presentation from the winner of the Frederik Paulsen Arctic Academic Action Award (co-organized by UArctic)
- Session: Connecting the Poles – Lessons from Early Career Science Network (co-organized by UArctic)