UArctic and University of Iceland Pre-Event, Arctic Challenges: Navigating a Changing Arctic
Leading into the Arctic Circle Assembly 2026, the University of the Arctic and the University of Iceland hosts its annual conference focused on the Arctic region in the Ceremonial Hall at the University of Iceland on October 7 from 13:00-17:00.
The Arctic is undergoing profound and interconnected transformations. Climate change is reshaping ecosystems and the cryosphere at an unprecedented pace, while geopolitical tensions and growing economic and strategic interest in the region are challenging established patterns of governance and cooperation. At the same time, debates over critical minerals, emerging technologies, conservation, and biodiversity raise difficult questions about how the Arctic can respond to global demands while safeguarding its fragile environment and communities.
The seminar brings together scholars, experts, and practitioners from Iceland and abroad to examine these transformations from an interdisciplinary perspective. Rather than viewing environmental, political, economic, and societal change in isolation, the seminar explores how these developments intersect and what they mean for the future of Arctic cooperation.
The 2026 seminar will address questions including:
- How are geopolitical competition and security concerns reshaping cooperation and governance in the Arctic?
- How can growing demand for resources and emerging technologies be balanced with conservation and environmental protection?
- What can be learned by connecting knowledge and experiences across the world’s cryosphere regions as they confront rapid environmental change?
- How is Arctic biodiversity being affected by a changing climate and increased human activity, and where do opportunities for cooperation remain?
Full program to be confirmed, but registration is open — register here.
13:00 Welcome Remarks: Pia Hansson, Director, Institute of International Affairs, University of Iceland
13:05 Opening Remarks: Dag Rune Olsen, Rector, UiT the Arctic University of Norway; UArctic Board Member
13:15 Nordic Cooperation in the Arctic
Keynote address, Karen Ellemann, Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers
13:25 The Arctic at Crossroads: Geopolitics, Security, and Cooperation
Panel discussion: Gunnar Stefánsson, Vice President of Research, UArctic, Professor, University of Iceland, Hans Peder Kirkegaard, PhD Candidate, Ilisimatusarfik, University of Greenland, Alexandra Anstrell, Member of the Swedish Parliament, Chair of Arctic Parliamentarians (SCPAR).
Moderated by Pia Hansson, Director, Institute of International Affairs.
14:05 Whose Safety and Whose Security? Indigenous Rights, Settler Colonialism, and Canada’s Economic Response to Trump
Keynote address, Rebecca Major, UArctic Indigenous Fellow, Associate Professor, Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy
14:15 Geoengineering, Rare Earth Elements, and Conservation: Striking a balance
Panel discussion: Anna Karlsdóttir, Associate Professor, Human Geography and Tourism Studies, Chris Southcott, UArctic Chair, Professor of Sociology at Lakehead University, Melody Brown Burkins, UArctic Chair, Director, Institute of Arctic Studies, Dartmouth University.
Moderated by Jeff Welker, UArctic Chair in Ecology and Biogeochemistry
14:55 Coffee break
15:10 The Interconnectedness of the global glacier regions: Perspectives from the HKH Karakoram glacier landscapes in N-Pakistan.
Keynote address, Saeed Shafqat, Founder and Director of Shafquat Institute for Pakistan and Emerging Geopolitics
15:20 Connecting the Global Cryosphere Regions: Change, Knowledge, and Cooperation
Panel discussion: Ingibjörg Jónsdóttir, Associate Professor, Faculty of Earth Sciences, University of Iceland, Dagfinnur Sveinbjörnsson, Founder and Chairman, Climate Research Foundation, Saeed Shafqat, Founder and Director of Shafquat Institute for Pakistan and Emerging Geopolitics, Jón Geir Pétursson, Professor in Environmental Governance at the Environment and Natural Resources Program, University of Iceland.
16:00 Policy response to forecasts of catastrophy
Keynote address, Elín Björk Jónasdóttir, Head of Division, Department of Climate, Ministry of the Environment, Energy, and Climate.
16:10 Biodiversity in the Arctic: Challenges and Opportunities for Cooperation
Panel discussion: Snorri Sigurðsson, Chair of the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) Working Group, Ingibjörg Svala Jónsdóttir, Professor of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Iceland, Elín Björk Jónasdóttir, Head of Division, Department of Climate, Ministry of the Environment, Energy, and Climate, Edda Sif Pind Aradóttir, CEO of Carbfix, Andreas Raspotnik, Director, High North Center for Business & Governance, Nord University; UArctic Thematic Network Lead on the Blue Economy and the Arctic
Moderated by Freydís Vigfúsdóttir, Head of Division, Department of Nature and Cultural Heritage, Ministry of the Environment, Energy and Climate
16:50 Concluding remarks: Silja Bára R. Ómarsdóttir, Rector, University of Iceland