Science, Technology, and Public Policy

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 team for Arctic Climate Week at the Harvard Kennedy School! The week will feature events dedicated to understanding the climate impacts in the Arctic and their global implications. Register for Arctic Climate week events 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. 

The Arctic Innovation Lab is a project designed to promote solution-oriented discussions on the changing Arctic region. 

Come hear new ideas for a better Arctic and vote for your favorite one!

Opening remarks by Kenneth A. Howery, U.S. Ambassador to Sweden and Co-Founder of Paypal and the Founders Fund

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.

Speaker: Amb. David A. Balton, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oceans and Fisheries, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs

The Central Arctic Ocean has essentially been ice-covered year-round since the dawn of human history … until now. As a result of climate change, a growing portion of the Arctic Ocean is ice-free for an increasing part of the year, making it possible to contemplate the advent of high seas fisheries in the region. But on October 3, 2018, nine nations and the European Union signed an unusual international agreement that will effectively postpone the start of such fisheries and will instead launch a joint program of scientific research for the Arctic. David Balton, who chaired the negotiations that produced this agreement, will describe the geopolitical forces that made the agreement possible, outline the agreement's basic elements, and consider the place of the agreement in the growing architecture for governing the Arctic Ocean.

Lunch provided.

RSVP by 5 PM, Tuesday, November 6

The second Arctic Innovators student cohort will present their ideas for the fast-changing Arctic region. Join us and vote for your favorite idea!

Light refreshments will be provided. Please bring your own reusable beverage container to help us reduce waste.

Speaker: Ambassador Linton Brooks

Russian violation of the INF Treaty means that it will be politically impossible to replace New START when it expires and even an extension may be difficult.  As a result, by 2026 at the latest and perhaps as soon as 2021, there will be—for the first time in half a century—no formal agreement regulating nuclear relations between Russia and the United States.  This presentation will discuss the resulting consequences for strategic stability and how they might be mitigated.  It will conclude that serious examination, both internally and bilaterally, should begin soon.