Early-career researcher report from UArctic Congress 2026: Andrew Roebuck
Andrew Roebuck from Yukon University received an early-career researcher travel grant to participate in the UArctic Congress 2026. In this report, Andrew reflects on the outcomes that resulted from attending the event.
Summarizing my experiences at the UArctic Congress in the Faroe Islands is honestly a bit of a challenge. Not for any negative reason, rather, it far exceeded my expectations and I’m sure I’ll have missed important aspects the event.
Working as an academic at Yukon University in Whitehorse, Northerness is an aspect of everyday life personally and professionally. Thus, when I planned my trip, I had three major goals across scholarship & research, academic programming in the North, and community building.
From the research and scholarship side, I had hoped to connect with other mental health and food security researchers and practitioners familiar with working in the Northern context. At my field specific conferences there are few researchers from the North. I find that I spend a significant amount of time explaining the nature of working in remote northern communities and community involvement and less time talking about the nuances of our work in more detail. In contrast, at the UArctic Congress, these perspectives were more implicitly valued and understood. This organically led to richer conversations and discussions with my colleagues from across the world. For example, I was able to connect with researchers working on new methods to evaluate socioeconomic status (SES; an important predictor of health outcomes) more relevant to Northern communities. Coming from the Yukon, most large-scale data sets collect data using methods suitable for urbanized environments, but less suitable for the unique circumstances of the North. Through these discussions I left with several new methodologies for assessing SES that we hope to employ in our own work.
Another area of particular importance to Yukon University is the development and expansion of our academic programs. We’re preparing to launch a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies next year. It can be difficult to find qualified academics with knowledge and experience teaching in small northern institutions. They must understand the value, and challenges, of community involvement, small classes/programs, flexibility, adaptability, and co-development with indigenous partners. Through discussions with colleagues at the UArctic Congress we were able to get early feedback and support and identify potential reviewers for more formal evaluations. We were also able to learn from others challenges and success in their own similar program. Further, we were able to identify potential locations/opportunities for course and program delivery across institutions.
The last goal I had was to connect more broadly with the Northern research community. As described above, there is considerable need to understand how my own academic pursuits are shaped and challenged by the unique context of the Canadian North. However, I’m hardly the only academic in this situation. But, as an early career researcher in the North, I did not have the same breadth of colleagues who understood our context and how it differs from southern institutions. This was an opportunity to learn from my peers and mentors. Throughout the UArctic Congress I connected with dozens of academics from across the North and have exchanged emails with the hope to arrange future collaborations, talks, and institutional visits. I feel much more connected to the Northern research and education community and look forward to continuing to develop these relationships.
The travel support provided by UArctic allowed me to grow significantly as a Northern academic. My research, teaching, and understanding of the North expanded greatly. I have a greater appreciation for the integral role that the North, and UArctic, plays in science, sovereignty, education, and community. In short, this was my first Congress, and I’m already excited for what I will learn in 2028.
The last thought I want to leave with is a sentiment echoed many times throughout the event. In a time of political, environmental, and social uncertainty it is human connection that will allow us to persevere. We cannot leave it solely to heads of states and diplomats to build connections between, for example, Northerners living in Canada, Alaska, and Greenland. This connection must happen at the individual and community level. There is great solidarity in the North, and opportunities like Congress allow us to connect in a way to stand more united in these “unprecedented times”.
Thank you again for all the support and see you in 2028!
Andrew's travel grant was funded by Global Affairs Canada.