Once a symbol of international cooperation and peace, the Arctic now stands at a crossroads between geopolitical tension and diverse opportunities and challenges that require collaboration. Following Russia's actions in Ukraine and subsequent shifts in Arctic governance, how will nations advance significant policy issues, such as climate science and emergency response, without a functioning governance system?

Join the Arctic Initiative and its partners for an engaging discussion with a panel of international experts to unpack the Arctic's intricate challenges and their global ramifications, from international politics to climate impacts. 

Q&A to follow. Boxed lunches will be available to-go following the seminar.

Registration: In-person attendance is limited to current Harvard ID holders. No RSVP is required. Room capacity is limited and seating will be on a first come, first served basis.

Members of the public are welcome to attend virtually via Zoom. Virtual attendees should register using the button below; upon registering, attendees will receive a confirmation email with a Zoom link. 

Recording: The seminar will be recorded and available to watch on this page.

Accessibility: To request accommodations or for questions about access, please contact Elizabeth Hanlon (ehanlon@hks.harvard.edu) in advance of the session.

Co-Sponsors: Fridtjof Nansen Institute (FNI), the Center for Ocean Governance at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), and the Wilson Center's Polar Institute.

Join the Arctic Initiative for a virtual panel Q&A to learn more about the new Permafrost Pathways project from our collaborators at Woodwell Climate Research Center, the Alaska Institute for Justice, and the Alaska Native Science Commission. 

Launched in 2022, Permafrost Pathways brings together leading experts in climate science, policy action, and environmental justice to inform and develop adaptation and mitigation strategies to address permafrost thaw.

Attendance: This event is open to the public and hosted on Zoom. For those who cannot attend live, the seminar will be recorded and available to watch on this page.

Registration: Please RSVP at the link below. Registration will remain open until the event begins.

As the Arctic thaws, cooperation in the Arctic Ocean is critical to maintain the fragile ecosystems on which so many people depend. With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine upending Arctic diplomacy, the question of how to proceed with Arctic Ocean governance has become more urgent than ever.

Join the Arctic Initiative for a seminar that explores the history of cooperation in the Barents Sea and Bering Strait, as we discuss a path forward for cooperation in the Arctic in a time of conflict. 

Attendance: In-person attendance is limited to Harvard ID holders. Members of the public are welcome to attend virtually via Zoom. For those who cannot attend live, the seminar will be recorded and available to watch on this page.

Accessibility: Persons with disabilities who wish to request accommodations or who have questions about access, please contact Liz Hanlon (ehanlon@hks.harvard.edu) in advance of the session.

Registration: Please RSVP at the link below. Registration will remain open until the event begins.

Join us for a conversation about science, diplomacy, and geopolitics with Arctic Initiative Senior Fellow Fran Ulmer and Professor and Director of The Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping at the University of New Hampshire Larry Mayer. Professor Mayer led the science team onboard the US Coast Guard Cutter Healy, which just completed a cruise from Alaska to Greenland through the Northwest Passage. Please register to attend this event here. 

Join the Arctic Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center and the Polar Institute at the Woodrow Wilson Center for an engaging Earth Day dialogue with Iceland's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gudlaugur Thór Thórdarson, about  Iceland’s Chairmanship of the Arctic Council on what is next. 

As climate change rapidly transforms the Arctic, the ocean at its center becomes a point of focus: melting sea ice enables increased marine traffic; ice-dependent species are migrating or dying; fisheries shift and with them economies of subsistence. These changes can mean risk or opportunity for different stakeholders.

This study group will use Arctic Ocean change as a case study to outline the environmental policy process and build participants understanding of how to effectively engage in the climate and oceans policy space. 

To sign-up, please complete this form by Monday, March 8, 2021: https://forms.gle/KYn6nwxr4zq8vnQ98

A Climate Week Event co-organized by the Woodwell Climate Research Center and the Arctic Initiative

This session focuses on a warming-driven phenomenon—the rapid thawing of Arctic permafrost—that is contributing simultaneously to the most vexing of Arctic warming’s impacts both in the region and around the world. This session will target experts and non-experts who are interested in understanding the science and policy issues at the heart of this widely underestimated facet of the global climate-change challenge.

Register here.

Each year the Belfer Center's Arctic Initiative sends a delegation of students to attend the world’s largest Arctic gathering, the Arctic Circle Assembly. This year, after a competitive application process, four students were selected to represent Harvard at the Arctic Innovation Lab. Come and hear their presentations before they leave for Iceland to pitch their ideas for a changing Arctic. 

Lunch will be provided.

Please RSVP to brittany_janis@hks.harvard.edu by October 2 to secure your seat.

Speakers: Fran Ulmer, Chair, U.S. Arctic Research Commission; Senior Fellow, Arctic Initiative; Elizabeth Arnold, Journalist

Moderator: Halla Hrund Logadóttir, Co-founder and Co-Director, Arctic Initiative 

As climate change begins to impact communities globally, it's crucial for women to take a stand as leaders for ethical and equitable climate adaptation. Nowhere is this leadership challenge felt more strongly than in the Arctic. 

This program is co-hosted by the Harvard Kennedy School's Arctic Initiative and the Women and Public Policy Program.

Lunch provided.  Please RSVP to karin_vander_schaaf@hks.harvard.edu by 4 PM, Friday, February 8, 2019. RSVPs recorded on a first-requested, first-reserved basis.

Join the Arctic Initiative for a conversation with Fran Ulmer, chair of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, an independent agency that advises the federal government on domestic and international Arctic research. Fran will discuss how a rapidly warming Arctic impacts environmental, economic, and climate systems on a global scale.Open to the public. Refreshments served.