Last Wednesday, the Centre for Arctic Studies hosted an open seminar leading up to the Arctic Circle Assembly. The seminar aimed to bring together prominent academics and experts for a constructive dialogue on the challenges facing the Arctic. Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, the Chairman of the Arctic Circle, delivered opening remarks in which he emphasized the importance of collaboration in the Arctic, the very reason he established the Arctic Circle Assembly.

The seminar featured three panels that covered a range of topics, including how to ensure stability, peace, and development in the Arctic, improving collaboration among researchers in the region, and the execution of a green energy transition in the Arctic.

Among speakers were Clara Ganslandt, EU special Envoy for Arctic matters, David Auerswald, Professor of Security Studies at the U.S. National War College, Jennifer Spence, Senior Fellow, Arctic Initiative at the Harvard's Belfer Center, Gunnar Stefánsson, Professor at the University of Iceland and Vice President Research UArctic, and Samu Paukkunen, Acting Director, Finnish Institute of International Affairs.

Claudia Cheng, an ARCADE fellow and a PhD candidate at UiT The Arctic University in Norway, concluded the seminar with an introduction to the ARCADE program. The next ARCADE selection process is scheduled for November 5th, further information here.

Stream from the event can be found here and the program here.

The seminar was hosted in cooperation with the UArctic, U.S. Embassy in Iceland, and the EU Delegation in Iceland.