The UArctic Assembly 2026 convenes in Tórshavn
Around 150 participants joined the UArctic Assembly 2026 in Tórshavn, the Faroe Islands, on 29 May 2026. The Assembly meeting was held as part of the UArctic Congress 2026, hosted by The University of the Faroe Islands, in collaboration with The Faroe Marine Research Institute and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Fisheries. This year set again a new record of new members approved in one year, reflecting UArctic’s expanding reach and collaborative strength.
The Assembly is UArctic’s highest decision-making body, bringing together representatives from member institutions to shape the network’s strategic direction through shared governance. Key decisions in 2026 included the approval of highest ever number of new members, endorsement of new Thematic Networks, election of new leadership and financial matters.
Record Number of New Members approved
The Assembly approved 28 new members, representing both Arctic and non-Arctic regions, bringing UArctic total membership to 226. This milestone reflects UArctic’s increasingly inclusive and interdisciplinary approach to Arctic issues.
New Arctic members:
- Aalto University
- Brock University
- Cégep de Sept-Îles
- Finnish Defence University
- First Nations University of Canada
- Polytechnique Montréal
- Southern Alberta Institute of Technology
- Université du Québec en Abitibi Témiscmaingue (UQAT)
- University of Vaasa
- University of Windsor
- Columbia Climate School
- Arctic Indigenous Film Fund (AIFF)
- Center for Polar Studies, Augustana College
- Danish Meteorological Institute
- Ocean Visions
- Statens Serum Institut
- Sustainability Research Institute, George Washington University
- Svalbard Museum
- Woodwell Climate Research Center
- Athabasca University (returning member)
- University of Manitoba (returning member)
- Anchorage Museum (returning member)
New non-Arctic members:
- Euclid University
- University of Tokyo
- Polish Polar Consortium
- Real Ice
- SKEMA Center for Sustainability Studies
- Swiss Polar Institute
Leadership and Governance
The Assembly elected the following people as members of the Board for a three-year term (2026-29):
- Michel S. Beaulieu of University of Northern British Columbia
- Dag Rune Olsen of UiT The Arctic University of Norway
Three student representatives were elected, all for a three-year term (2026-29). Each student representative shall serve as the primary representative for one year and as alternate representative for the other two years, as follows:
- Mirkka Ollila of University of Helsinki (primary rep 2026-27)
- Alex Payne of University of Edinburgh (primary rep 2027-28)
- Ester Olofsson of Umeå University (primary rep 2028-29)
David Hik of Polar Knowledge Canada (new member) and Laila Hedegaard Pedersen of Ilisimatusarfik / University of Greenland (second term) were elected to the Nominations Committee for three year terms (2026-29).
Thematic Networks
The Assembly endorsed several new and provisional UArctic Thematic Networks, platforms that promote cross-institutional collaboration around key Arctic challenges.
New Provisional Thematic Networks:
- Thematic Network on Arctic AI, hosted by Umeå University, Sweden
- Thematic Network on Arctic Food Transitions, hosted by Umeå University, Sweden
- Thematic on Arctic Water Network (ArcticWater), hosted by University of Oulu, Finland
- Thematic Network on Natural Hydrogen, hosted by University of Oulu, Finland
- Thematic Network on Northern & Arctic Land Transport, hosted by, Robert Gordon University, Scotland
- Thematic Network on Preservation and Promotion of Indigenous and Minority Languages, hosted by Collège nordique francophone, Canada
- Thematic Network on Solid Waste Management in the Arctic, hosted by University College of the North, Canada
- Thematic Network on Sustainable Arctic: Futures, Education, and Research (SAFER), hosted by University of Alaska Anchorage, USA
Granted Full Thematic Network Status:
- Thematic Network in the Environmental Humanities, hosted by UiT The Arctic University of Norway
- Thematic Network for Terrestrial Biodiversity Monitoring, hosted by University of Oulu, Finland
- Thematic Youth Network, hosted by Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada
Finance
The Assembly approved UArctic’s 2025 Financial Statements, Auditor’s Report, Annual Report, and verified the 2026 Operating Budget and Work Plan. The membership fee structure for 2027 was confirmed.
Next Meetings
The Assembly approved the dates for the UArctic Assembly 2027, to be held on 7-9 June 2027 in Reykjavík, Iceland, hosted by the University of Iceland. The time and location were also announced for the UArctic Congress and the Assembly 2028, to take place in June 2028 in Umeå, Sweden.