UArctic celebrates fifth birthday

On June 12, 2001 the University of the Arctic officially came into being.

That day, about 200 people gathered together in Rovaniemi, Finland to celebrate the launch of the “university without walls.”

“In five short years we have grown from an academic cooperation to an educational community,” said Sally Webber of Yukon College, who recently stepped down as chair of the Council of UArctic. “Our students now circle the North, and we have begun to create a new generation of leaders for this great global region.”

The organization now has about 100 member institutions, including Nunavut Arctic College, and offers 13 programs.

UArctic’s Circumpolar Studies Program has so far received 1,300 student registrations since 2001, while north2north has sent 236 students on exchanges.

“UArctic is one important tool for creating a strong, sustainable circumpolar region,” said Mary Simon, Canada’s former ambassador of circumpolar affairs, and a member of UArctic’s board of governors.