To learn more about the course, "Policy and Social Innovation for a Changing Arctic" (IGA 671M), and explore what it takes to become an Arctic Innovator please watch this course trailer. 

The Arctic Course – training the Next Generations of Arctic Leaders. 

The purpose of the Arctic course is to train future researchers and leaders by bringing them into the global discussion about the Arctic. By educating students about the Arctic, we’re giving them the tools they need to craft solutions for the future sustainability of the region. 

“Rapid environmental and social changes in the Arctic region have enormous local and global impacts, from endangering indigenous communities to increasing global sea level. Public and private innovation in policy and action is needed by governments, businesses, and individuals in order to find enduring solutions for the many challenges resulting from rapid climate change. In response to this need, 24 Harvard Kennedy School students recently completed the new course “Policy and Social Innovation for the Changing Arctic” that challenged them to develop their own innovative and interdisciplinary solutions. The course is the centerpiece of the Arctic Innovators Program, which is part of the Harvard Kennedy School’s broader Arctic Initiative launched in late 2017.” - Innovation for a new Arctic, Halla Hrund Logadóttir and Cristine Russell - December 3, 2018

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Op-Eds (check back periodically or visit Arctic Today and subscribe).

Why we need a ‘Polar Code’ for Arctic community resettlement. By Gillian Christie - May 17, 2019

Fixing the world’s Arctic apathy gap: How film can galvanize support for climate action. By Patrick J. Lynch - April 29, 2019

Why we need to create an Arctic aerosol-monitoring network — quickly. By Colleen Golja - April 19, 2019

Greenland’s economic future depends more on good governance than on its mineral resources. By Kai Dittmann - March 29, 2019

Two steps that could make resource extraction in Alaska more sustainable. By Michelle Chang - March 20, 2019

How better data could dramatically improve Arctic shipping insurance. By Erin St. Peter - March 12, 2019

How a citizen journalist network could transform the Arctic’s Indigenous communities. By Luis Villegas - March 1, 2019

Teach code to Arctic children to empower a new generation. By Edouard Aubry - February 15, 2019

Why we need cleanup fund to tackle plastic pollution in the Arctic. By Linh Nguyen - February 7, 2019

Social impact bonds can finance a green community revolution in the Arctic. By Brittany Janis - January 30, 2019

How sewage could become an energy resource for Arctic communities. By Katie Segal - January 15, 2019

Arctic tourism is an opportunity for Indigenous-led economic development. By Martha Lee - January 3, 2019

Do we need to build a polar ark? Arctic plants could hold important new medical breakthroughs — but only if we act to preserve them. By Colleen Narlock - December 24, 2018

Is there a way to stop burning money in the Russian Arctic?By Alexander Zaytsev - December 18, 2018

From threatened to thriving: Using technology to preserve Arctic Indigenous languages. By Brittney Melloy - December 14, 2018

How permafrost insurance could revolutionize Arctic development. By Ross Eisenberg - December 7, 2018

A renaissance in Arctic film and television: How supporting a local film and TV industry could help Arctic economies diversify. By Reine Rambert - December 5, 2018

Indigenous consultation is a two-way street: Companies and governments must view indigenous communities as equal partners. By Gabrielle Scrimshaw - March 27, 2018

Building sustainable city food systems in the Arctic. By Carolina Zambrano-Barragán - March 22, 2018

How drones can support remote Arctic communities. By Charlotte McEwen - March 14, 2018

What is beyond the ice? A glimpse into fascinating Arctic marine wildlife. By Martina Müller - March 8, 2018

A deepwater port in Alaska’s Arctic is essential for U.S. national security. By Peter Sopher - March 6, 2018

How a regional clean development mechanism for the Arctic could more effectively combat climate change. By Sanjay Seth - February 23, 2018

How teaching negotiation skills can benefit Arctic communities. By Meredith Davis Tavera - February 21, 2018

Frozen superhighway: How Arctic indigenous organizations can embrace the internet. By Vincent Lowney - February 16, 2018

Disengagement in the Arctic: Putting America last. By Kelly Clark - February 13, 2018

Could an Arctic agreement revolutionize global trade?By Mehek Sethi - February 9, 2018

The First Frontier: Creating a climate displacement fund for displaced Alaska communities. By Wen Hoe - February 7, 2018

More on Harvard's Arctic Innovator Program

  • Coursework: IGA 671M: Policy and Social Innovations for the Changing Arctic

    At Harvard Kennedy School, students engage in coursework to learn about the latest challenges facing the Arctic. In Fall 2018, 24 students enrolled in IGA 671M "Policy and Social Innovations for the Changing Arctic," the first Arctic-focused course at Harvard. The course was co-taught by Dr. John Holdren, Senior Advisor of Science and Technology to President Obama, and Halla Logadóttir, Co-Director of the Arctic Initiative and a 2017 graduate of Harvard Kennedy School, where she was a Louis Bacon Environmental Leadership Fellow.

    During the course, students come up with innovative ideas to help address those challenges, with guidance from our network of science and policy experts. [Below: Harvard MPP '19 Michelle Chang gives a practice pitch to judges and fellow Arctic Innovators, October 2018.]Michelle_Chang_Harvard_Arctic.jpg

    At the conclusion of the course, students flew to Iceland and delivered their pitches at the 2018 Arctic Circle Assembly. The Assembly, held each year in Reykjavík, is an important forum for bringing together policymakers, researchers, indigenous leaders and other Arctic stakeholders from around the world. [Below: Harvard Graduate students lead round-table discussions during the 2018 Arctic Innovators Program in Reykjavík.]

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