The Fulbright Arctic Initiative, an international multi-disciplinary collaboration on Arctic research, will conclude with a series of events in in Washington, D.C., from 24 – 28 April 2023. Scholars from the Arctic Council’s eight member states will present their research and policy recommendations, capping twenty-four months of research and collaboration.
Launched in 2015, the Fulbright Arctic Initiative reinforces U.S. priorities by supporting international scientific cooperation on Arctic issues and increasing mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. As Arctic nations continue to take concrete steps to work together and address public-policy research questions relevant to shared challenges and opportunities, the Fulbright Arctic Initiative offers a collaborative model for scholarly exchange. The current group of nineteen scholars represent the eight countries that make up the Arctic Council: Canada, the Kingdom of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the United States.
Fulbright Arctic Initiative Scholars conducted research in the areas of Arctic security and cooperation, Arctic infrastructure in a changing environment, and the community dimensions of health. They covered a wide range of topics, including engaging local and Indigenous knowledge towards human, environmental and food security; exposure toxic chemicals in the Faroe Islands; community-based solutions to Indigenous health and elder care in Alaska; climate change resilience; sustainable development; and the role of the arts in Arctic communities.
On Tuesday 25 April, the scholars will share their research in a poster exhibition at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (from 2:00 – 4:00 pm, open to the public).
On Thursday 27 April the scholars will present their work to policymakers at a symposium at the Wilson Center. This event will be live-streamed online for public viewing.