ARCADE

ARCADE, Arctic Resilience through Climate Action, Development, and Education, is a six-month, multidisciplinary intensive program (10 ECTS) designed for a competitively selected cohort of ten pioneering graduate students. Running from January to June 2026, the program brings together Master’s and PhD students from across disciplines to explore the social, environmental, and political dimensions of climate change in the Arctic and West Nordic regions.

Climate change is the biggest global challenge in the world today and has more immediate and severe consequences for the Arctic, than any other world region. ARCADE aims to answer a call for innovative ways to meet the challenge of the fast-changing Arctic with a program that focuses on creative solutions with an interdisciplinary approach. It will give the students tools to influence policymakers and present their research to the media and the general public.

ARCADE will also create a much-needed network of future practitioners within the Arctic. The students will participate in two intensive programs in Iceland and Greenland providing the students with the unique opportunity to explore the dramatic effects of climate change in the region.

The program is open to Master’s and PhD students from all academic disciplines.
Two candidates will be selected from each partner university.

Application Details

Deadline: November 6, 2025
Submit to: arcade@hi.is

Application materials:

• Motivation letter (800–1000 words)
• CV
• Recent academic transcript of records
• Endorsement from supervisor/teacher

Motivation letter should address:

• Your main interest in Arctic affairs and how ARCADE aligns with it
• What you will contribute to and gain from the program
• Your experience in interdisciplinarity and international cooperation
• Your ability to work under pressure, across time zones and cultures
• Confirmation of your availability for all program components

The program is conducted in English – applicants must demonstrate proficiency.

Two Intensive Study Weeks

• Iceland: January 25 – February 1, 2026
• Greenland: June 5 – 12, 2026
  International travel and accommodation costs are covered by Erasmus+ funding.

Online Learning and Collaboration

• Between the two intensive weeks, participants will take part in bi-weekly online seminars led by experts from partner universities and engage in collaborative group work to develop joint outputs.

Collaborative Projects
Students will:

• Develop a joint policy paper, integrating insights from the program into evidence-based policy recommendations.
• Co-produce a podcast series focused on Arctic issues, strengthening communication skills and public engagement.

January

The program begins with a series of introductory online sessions. Students are introduced to the Arctic region, Arctic research challenges, and interdisciplinary methodologies. They also receive podcast training and are assigned to their Group Project and Podcast teams.

Intensive week in Iceland: January 25 – February 1

The first week-long intensive program takes place in Iceland.
Students meet in person for lectures, workshops, and field visits, focusing on climate change, governance, and resilience in the Arctic region.

February – May

Online seminars and workshops continue throughout the spring, featuring expert speakers and interactive sessions on Arctic challenges, policy communication, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Bi-weekly online seminars and collaborative project work.

Intensive week in Greenland: June 5 – 12, 2026

The second week-long intensive program takes place in Greenland.
Students reconvene for field activities, group project presentations, and discussions centred on community resilience, social sustainability, and policy development in the Arctic.

On completion of the course, students enrolled should be able to:

• Demonstrate understanding of the multifaceted local and global challenges facing the Arctic region
• Apply critical insight into how innovative and interdisciplinary approaches can be utilised to address challenges facing the Arctic region
• Analyze where opportunities lie in influencing policy-making in the Arctic and how best to approach policymakers in order to have a direct influence
• Evaluate where opportunities lie for young researchers to take on leadership roles in the Arctic

The ARCADE programme responds to a growing need for innovative cross-disciplinary learning and rigorous research to address the challenges of climate change in the Arctic Region by:

• Motivating students from different disciplines to seek a deeper understanding of the challenges of climate change in the Arctic and their socio-political effects in the Arctic Region from a local perspective
• Training students in translating their research into policy recommendations, thus contributing to informed public policy-making and local debate
• Strengthening cooperation between the organisations in the program, encouraging research cooperation in the Arctic countries

ARCADE is led by the University of Iceland, in collaboration with UiT The Arctic University of Norway, and Ilisimatusarfik – University of Greenland.
Partner institutions include the University of the Faroe Islands and the Arctic Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School of Government.