33 Northern University Presidents and Leaders Gather at the Arctic
Circle to Sign the Charter for the University of the Arctic
For more information, please go to:
http://www.uarctic.org/
33 university leaders, Presidents, Vice-Presidents and Rectors from
throughout the Circumpolar North, representing member universities of
the University of the Arctic gathered at Rovaniemi, Finland, to attend
the Second University of the Arctic Rectors' Forum, 17-19 February 2008.
This was the first time such a large number of northern university
leaders have assembled to address common issues and cooperation. Mauri
Yla-Kotola, Rector of the University of Lapland in Rovaniemi commented,
"It is a privilege to be hosting such a prestigious and historic event
here in Rovaniemi, but, then again, Rovaniemi has often played a
significant role in Arctic cooperation." The University of the Arctic
itself was launched at the University of Lapland in 2001. The University
of Lapland has hosted the UArctic International Secretariat ever since.
The Rectors' agenda included plans for joint influence on arctic policy,
as well as cooperation in research and education. The meeting highlight
was the signing of the Charter for the University of the Arctic. "The
Charter will clearly lay out the commitment of UArctic's higher
education members, currently at 84, to cooperation in research, education
programming, marketing as well as mobility," mentioned Steve Jones,
Chair of the UArctic Rectors' Forum, and Chancellor of the University of
the Alaska, Fairbanks, US. He continued, "this is a momentous event in
university cooperation in the Circumpolar North: big research intensive
institutions and small northern colleges and indigenous institutions,
all united behind the same Charter and commitment. This is a unique
document between such a diverse group of institutions."
The second day of the Forum was dedicated to a joint seminar with the
Standing Committee of Arctic Parliamentarians. The seminar gathered the
Rectors' Forum and parliamentary delegations from the Arctic Council
member countries to address two topical issues for the Arctic today:
adaptation to climate change in the Arctic and Borders and Access to the
Sea in the Arctic.
Lars Kullerud, President of UArctic, stressed the importance of the
gathering: "It is important that university leaders work with policy
makers to ensure that also the south realizes that the Arctic is an
extremely important region for them: it has most of the untapped energy
and mineral resources, it is rich in fish and forest, and it has the
largest pristine nature areas in the world. It has a diverse population,
both indigenous and non-indigenous. The universities in the eight Arctic
countries as well as the parliaments need to join forces to tackle big
issues like adaptation to climate change before it is too late. The
universities as generators of knowledge and institutions responsible for
capacity building in the region need to be active players in developing
the Arctic. What happens in the Arctic is extremely relevant for the
whole globe."
For more information, please go to:
http://www.uarctic.org/
Or contact:
Lars Kullerud
President, University of the Arctic
Phone: +47-9087-0099
E-mail: lars.kullerud [at] uarctic.org
Steve Jones
Chancellor of the University of Alaska Fairbanks
Phone: 907-474-7112
E-mail: chancellor [at] uaf.edu
Outi Snellman
UArctic Director of Administration and University Relations
University of the Arctic
Phone: +358-40-501 0209
E-mail: outi.snellman [at] uarctic.org