The University at the Artic Circle Assembly

A large group of University of Iceland staff and students will take part in the Arctic Circle Assembly, which takes place at Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre from 8-10 October.

The Arctic Circle Roundtable is one of the world's largest annual gatherings focused on Arctic affairs and has been held at Harpa since 2013. Each year, around 3,000 participants from across the globe come together to discuss the future of the Arctic and its significance for the wider world. Participants include representatives of Indigenous peoples, governments, organisations, businesses, universities, research institutions, think tanks, environmental organisations and the public.

A central aim of the Roundtable is to foster dialogue and cooperation on the future development of the Arctic. The region is expected to become increasingly important in the coming decades, not least because of climate change. Since the event was established, researchers from the University of Iceland across a wide range of disciplines have played an active role, both by organising their own sessions and by contributing to sessions hosted by other institutions.

As in previous years, the University of Iceland will host a side event in advance of the Roundtable. On 7 October, the University of the Arctic (UArctic) and the University of Iceland will jointly organise a symposium in the University's Ceremonial Hall on Arctic challenges and adapting to a changing reality, bringing together researchers, experts and practitioners from a variety of fields.

There will be a live stream from the symposium.

At the Roundtable itself, the University and several of its faculties and institutes, including the Institute of International Affairs, the Centre for Arctic Studies and the School of Humanities, will organise a range of sessions in collaboration with Icelandic and international universities and organisations. Numerous University of Iceland researchers and experts will contribute to these discussions.

Topics include:

• Security threats and military tensions in the Arctic
• United States Arctic policy and its implications for cooperation within NATO
• The future of green hydrogen
• Identity, power and governance in the Arctic
• Environmental humanities and creative practice in the Arctic
• The European Union's Arctic policy
• Icelandic-Japanese cooperation on Arctic affairs
• Glaciers and ice, their interaction with a changing climate, and their impacts on communities

University of Iceland researchers will also take part in sessions organised by other universities and institutions, including discussions on information warfare and hybrid threats in the Arctic.

The University of Iceland will also have a booth in the exhibition area, where visitors can learn more about Arctic research at the University. Staff and students will be on hand to discuss their work, while videos and other materials will showcase a wide range of research projects and initiatives.

Further information on Arctic-related study programmes and research at the University of Iceland is available on the University's website.

The full programme of the Arctic Circle Roundtable is available on the event website.