Full Proposals for IPY 2007-2008 Activities

Proposed IPY Activity Details

1.0 PROPOSER INFORMATION

(Activity ID No: 189)

1.1 Title of Activity
The University of the Arctic: Providing Higher Education and Outreach Programs for the International Polar Year

1.2 Short Form Title of Proposed Activity
The University of the Arctic and IPY

1.3 Activity Leader Details
Elena Sparrow
University of Alaska Fairbanks
United States

1.4 Lead International Organisation(s) (if applicable)
The University of the Arctic (UArctic)

1.5 Other Countries involved in the activity
Canada
Finland
Greenland/Denmark
Iceland
Norway
Russia
Sweden
United States

1.6 Expression of Intent ID #'s brought together in this proposed activity
6, 19, 32, 36, 79, 164, 235, 266, 267, 278, 281, 404, 415, 477, 509, 685, 802, 929, 1253, 1254, 1260, 1261

1.7 Location of Field Activities
Arctic

1.8 Which IPY themes are addressed
1. Current state of the environment
2. Change in the polar regions
3. Polar-global linkages/tele-connections
4. Exploring new frontiers
5. The polar regions as vantage points
6. The human dimension in polar regions

1.9 What is the main IPY target addressed by this activity
3. Education, Outreach, Communication

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2.0 SUMMARY OF THE ACTIVITY

Link to Comprehensive Summary

UArctic is a unique network of ninety cooperating universities, colleges, indigenous organizations and other institutions distributed throughout the eight Arctic countries: Canada, Finland, Greenland/Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States. Committed to higher education and research in the North, the UArctic values of regional identity, interdisciplinarity, and diversity drive its efforts to build capacity and create a strong, sustainable circumpolar region. For UArctic, education is a continuum and learning is a lifelong process. Thus, for the purpose of IPY UArctic will focus on the following audiences and approaches: [1] primary and secondary students via teacher training, education and professional education; [2] undergraduate students via education and research experience; [3] graduate students via integrated education and research training; [4] college/university faculty via professional development; and [5] communities via continuing/adult education. UArctic has a comprehensive suite of programs that will provide the means for delivering IPY higher education and outreach to Arctic peoples and to the rest of the World. For IPY, UArctic programs will give specific priority to the following thematic areas: global change; regional development, including sustainable tourism; governance and policy; natural resource management; and health and wellbeing. UArctic will also provide an education and outreach advisory service for IPY researchers and research projects, and education and outreach access to northern institutions. The UArctic Programs that will contribute to IPY in a coordinated fashion are: (1) ARCTIC LEARNING ENVIRONMENT focuses on finding new and innovative ways to allow northerners to overcome cultural barriers and physical distance to learn in the North during IPY; (2) CIRCUMPOLAR STUDIES students learn about the north through courses held in the classroom, online, in the field and around the world. Circumpolar Studies will disseminate IPY research by incorporating results into the core courses and advanced emphases; (3) FIELD SCHOOL holds short, thematically-focused, field courses for hands-on, experiential learning and specialized study in authentic northern locations. For IPY the audience will be graduates/undergraduates and teachers; (4) GONORTH focuses on promoting UArctic institutions as leaders in the worldwide delivery of northern curriculum for higher education. For IPY it will promote lasting networks among participants from outside the Arctic, and students, residents and communities of the circumpolar North; (5) GRADUATE NETWORKS facilitates the education of young researchers through sharing of experience and knowledge to promote regional cooperation and identity, build an academic community, and develop opportunities for education and communication with policy-makers; (6) NORTEHRN RESEARCH FORUM promotes and enables open discussion among policymakers, business people and other interest groups, the research community, and the international community. In 2008, the NRF meeting will address an appropriate IPY theme (perhaps “Education and Outreach Challenges in the North”) in a northern location; (7) NORTH2NORTH facilitates multilateral exchange and student mobility in circum-Arctic higher education. For IPY, north2north will focus on increasing interest and competence in the natural sciences and mathematics, increasing the number of young natural science and social science researchers who study the Arctic, and promoting environmentally-sensitive, culturally-sensitive and sustainable Arctic tourism; (8) NORTHTREX strengthens northern institutions’ ability to share faculty knowledge, expertise and resources, and provides opportunities for faculty to gain circumpolar professional development and experience. For IPY, NorthTREX and Thematic Networks (see below) will focus on development of Arctic curriculum and related education activities (e.g., seminars, workshops, short courses, discussion fora) that meet the needs of northern people and communities; (9) OPEN LEARNING provides short-term skills training and forms a bridge to further studies by encouraging individuals to pursue higher education. Open Learning is a vehicle for community outreach for IPY, engaging grassroots and professionals alike in the dissemination and application of knowledge that is generated by northern research; (10) THEMATIC NETWORKS promotes disciplinary cooperation among institutions to stimulate strong joint expertise and capacity building for smaller institutions. See also NorthTREX; and (11) UARCTIC PRESS is a cooperative partnership of University-based publishers of materials of interest to the circumpolar community. For IPY, the UArctic Press will focus on training the next generation of leaders, scientists and professionals by providing opportunities for young scholars to publish their ‘first work’.

2.1 What is the evidence of inter-disciplinarity in this activity?
Inter-disciplinarity is one of the three core values of the University of the Arctic. For the University of the Arctic, inter-disciplinarity promotes understanding between different learning systems, bringing together perspectives from both the social sciences and natural sciences, and from traditional knowledge, to foster an approach based on issues and needs rather than on disciplines.

2.2 What will be the significant advances/developments from this activity? What will be the major deliverables? What are the outputs for your peers?
UArctic programs, and affiliated projects/EoIs, represent an unprecedented network for higher education and outreach during IPY and thereafter. The broad geographic distribution and diverse membership of the network increases opportunities for Arctic residents and communities to learn and build capacity within the Arctic, and to generate, share and exchange knowledge and understanding with the rest of the World. The UArctic nework also provides an effective way to disseminate information about all IPY research, education and outreach activities and results. By increasing opportunities for, and providing new and innovative ways to deliver higher education, it is expected that a new community of learners, both in the Arctic and outside the Arctic, will become engaged in learning about Arctic issues, challenges and research. Education provides the means for indigenous people, northern residents and communities to become informed decision-makers, and to influence and make policy – northerners will be empowered, regional identity will be strengthed and the voice of the Arctic will increase.

2.3 Outline the geographical location(s) for the proposed field work (approximate coordinates will be helpful if possible)

2.4 Define the approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities?

2.5 What major logistic support/facilities will be required for this project?
Existing field stations

Further details – UArctic’s logistics and support facilities are its member institutions, programs and personnel.

2.6 How will the required logistics be supplied? Have operators been approached?

2.7 If working in the Arctic regions, has there been contact with local indigenous groups or relevant authorities regarding access?
Several indigenous peoples organization, institutions and authorities are members of UArctic. UArctic also has an indigenous issues committee with circumpolar indigenous membership which has oversight responsibility for all our activities and programs.

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3.0 STRUCTURE OF THE ACTIVITY

3.1 Origin of the activity
This activity is the start of a new programme that will outlive IPY

If part of an existing programme please name the programme – University of the Arctic

3.2 How will the activity be organised and managed? Describe the proposed management structure and means for coordinating across the cluster
UArctic is a decentralized organization governed by a 90-member council and an international board of governors. All our activities, including offices, programs and other functions are hosted by member institutions. The daily operations of UArctic are entrusted to a light and distributed administration. Each UArctic Program is lead by a Program Chair, who is responsible for all operations of their program, including budget management and reporting on program activities. Many programs have Program Offices. The Program Chairs and Offices relevant to this proposal are as follows:

Programs:

• CIRCUMPOLAR STUDIES AND OPEN LEARNING. Greg Poelzer, Dean of UArctic Undergraduate Studies, Uarctic Undergraduate Office, University of Saskatchewan, Canada.
• FIELD SCHOOL AND GRADUATE NETWORKS. Eystein Markusson, Uarctic Field School Office, University Centre on Svalbard & Rasmus Ole Rasmussen, Roskilde University, Denmark.
• ARCTIC LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. Leo Pekkala, University of Lapland, Finland.
• THEMATIC NETWORKS. Kari Laine, UArctic Thematic Networks Coordination Office, University of Oulu, Finland.
• NORTH 2 NORTH. Mona Johnson, UArctic n2n International Coordination Office, Finnmark University College, Norway.
• NORTHTREX. Kaijaleena Serlo, Oulu Polytechnic, Finland.
• GONORTH. Olav Hesjedal, Scandinavian Seminar Group, USA. UArctic International Secretariat, University of Lapland, Finland.
• NORTHERN RESEARCH FORUM. Lassi Heininen, Arctic Centre, Finland, and Northern Research Forum Secretariat at University of Akureyri, Iceland.
• EDUCATION & OUTREACH SERVICE AND ACCESS. Martin Jeffries, UArctic IPY Coordination Office, University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), U.S.A.

Administrative Support Services:

Director: Lars Kullerud, UNEP/GRID Arendal, Norway

International Secretariat: Outi Snellman, Deputy Director Administration, University of Lapland, Finland.

International Academic Office: Diana Thomson. University of Northern British Columbia, Canada.

UARCTIC PRESS. Elaine Maloney, UArctic Press Editorial Office, University of Alberta, Canada.

For the purpose of IPY, UArctic Program activities will be coordinated by Martin Jeffries at the UARCTIC/UAF IPY EDUCATION AND OUTREACH OFFICE, University of Alaska Fairbanks, U.S.A.

3.3 Will the activity leave a legacy of infrastructure and if so in what form?
The proposed activity will strengthen the UArctic infrastructure and develop new networks for higher education and outreach sharing and exchange among Arctic institutions and those outside the Arctic.

3.4 Will the activity involve nations other than traditional polar nations? How will this be addressed?
UArctic welcomes the participation of students, faculty and institutions from non-traditional polar nations in its programs.

3.5 Will this activity be linked with other IPY core activities? If yes please specify
UArctic provides a venue for the dissemination of new knowledge and understanding created by all IPY researchers and research projects. UArctic program leaders, faculty and staff will incorporate IPY results into their seminars, workshops, courses and discussion fora. Also, IPY researchers will be welcome to contribute to UArctic their own seminars, workshops, courses and discussion fora that meet UArctic values and address UArctic goals. And, UArctic is also able to provide advice, recommendations and assistance to IPY researchers and research projects as they develop their own education and outreach activities.

3.6 How will the activity manage its data? Is there a viable plan and which data management organisations/structures will be involved?
Since this is not a research investigation, the UArctic Higher Education and Outreach Program for IPY will not generate data per se. The UArctic International Academic Office at the University of Northern British Columbia, Canada, coordinates student records and transcripts, and maintains records about the transferability of courses at member institutions. UArctic will also provide a comprehensive catalogue of all relevant northern University course offerings at our member institutions available to students in and outside the Arctic. The catalogue will be maintained beyond IPY. Digital libraries will be used to disseminate educational results and products.

3.7 Data Policy Agreement
Will this activity sign up to the IPY draft Data Policy (see website)
Yes

3.8 How will the activity contribute to developing the next generation of polar scientists, logisticians, etc.?
Among its many priorities, UArctic promotes undergraduate and graduate education that focusses on building human capital and knowledge about the North among northern residents and communities, and with people outside the Arctic. UArctic education and outreach programs are all about capacity-building and empowering Arctic residents - in this case to develop a new generation of Arctic researchers, leaders and professionals. For example logistics experts, engineers and technical professionals, public administrators, social workers, health care professionals, etc.

3.9 How will this activity address education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
The proposed UArctic IPY activity is all about education and outreach to promote greater knowledge and understanding about the Arctic. Our audiences encompass all those identified in the IPY Framework document: young and potential new polar researchers; Arctic communities; the general public; decision-makers; and, through primary and secondary school teachers, primary and secondary schoolchildren.

3.10 What are the proposed sources of funding for this activity?
Each UArctic Program Office is funded by the host institution and/or host nation. Additional funding will be sought from institutions and governments as the need arises.

3.11 Additional Comments
As a network of ninety cooperating institutions and organizations in the circumpolar north, UArctic is itself a cluster. We have also added a further 16 EoI ID numbers for education and outreach projects that want to be part of the UArctic effort. The IPY higher education and outreach activities of this cluster will be coordinated at the recently-established UArctic IPY Program Office at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF).

The UArctic cluster will grow as we embrace additional relevant education and outreach programs. Our goal is simply to provide opportunities for these programs to achieve a broader geographic impact and greater educational impact through access to the UArctic students and programs, and northern residents and communities.

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4.0 CONSORTIUM INFORMATION

4.1 Contact Details

Lead Contact
Prof Elena Sparrow
University of Alaska Fairbanks
International Arctic Research Center, 930 Koyukuk Drive, P.O. Box 757340, Fairbanks, Alaska
99775-7340
USA

Tel:          1-907-474-7699
Mobile:   N/A
Fax:         N/A
Email:       esparrow@iarc.uaf.edu

Second Contact
Dr Lars Kullerud
University of the Arctic
Box 706, N-4808 Arendal
N-4808
Norway

Tel:          47-37-03 57 08
Mobile:   47-9087-0099
Fax:         47-37-03-50-50
Email:      lars.kullerud@uarctic.org

4.2 Other significant consortium members and their affiliation