UNBC provost joins University of the Arctic board

UArctic is a network of colleges and universities that focuses on the North

The University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) now has a representative on the board of the University of the Arctic (UArctic). UNBC announced in a press release that provost and vice-president academic Michel S. Beaulieu has been appointed to the UArctic board for a three-year term. UArctic is a global network of universities and colleges committed to higher education and research in and about the North.

The organization has more than 240 member institutions that support program sharing, student exchanges and collaborative research focused on Arctic communities and environments. UNBC faculty are also involved in several of UArctic's thematic research networks, and students can take online circumpolar studies courses offered through the organization. The board is responsible for UArctic's strategic development and setting priorities, including finances and staffing.

"The Arctic sits at the centre of urgent national and international conversations about climate, sovereignty, Indigenous rights and sustainable development," Beaulieu said. "Being on the UArctic board is an opportunity to work alongside colleagues from across the circumpolar world to build partnerships that turn shared knowledge into collective action." Beaulieu has a long history with UArctic, including teaching circumpolar studies courses for more than a decade to hundreds of learners across the Arctic, including in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Canada and the United States.

He also served as site co-ordinator for UArctic's north2north student mobility program at Lakehead University from 2008 to 2014. In addition, Beaulieu has contributed to curriculum development workshops and is a founding member of the Læra Institute for Circumpolar Studies. His scholarship has also included co-authoring research on the role of non-state actors in the Arctic.

"Beaulieu is an internationally recognized Arctic historian who has been actively involved in the University of the Arctic for many years," said political science professor and acting Northern Studies program co-ordinator Gary Wilson. "His participation on the UArctic board will strengthen UNBC's relationship with this important circumpolar institution." UNBC has been a member of UArctic since the network's founding in 2001 and hosted the UArctic Assembly in 2014.

"The questions that drive research at UNBC about northern ecosystems, Indigenous communities, resource development, governance models and climate are the same questions UArctic was built to address at a global scale," said interim president Bill Owen. "Beaulieu's appointment advances UNBC's commitment to building meaningful international partnerships, supporting northern and Indigenous communities, and driving research excellence with real-world impact. The North is the future, and UArctic is a vital network for ensuring that future is shaped by the institutions and communities that know it best."