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The institute's mandate is to advance the study of the North American and circumpolar Arctic through the natural and social sciences, the arts and humanities and to acquire, preserve and disseminate information on physical, environmental and social conditions in the North. |
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AINA U.S. CorporationThe Arctic Institute of North America was founded jointly in Canada and the United States in 1945. It operated with a single board of governors until 1976, when it split into two corporations, one in each country. However, the chair of each board is an ex-officio member of the other board, and there is only one Arctic Institute of North America (AINA). The U.S. Corporation of AINA is located in Fairbanks, Alaska, at the University of Alaska. It receives office and secretarial support from the University; however, it is not part of the University of Alaska (UA) in the way the Canadian corporation is an integral part of the University of Calgary (UC). The two universities have a memorandum of agreement on academic matters, and AINA can enhance this. UA is interested in increasing both communication within the “Arctic community” on its three campuses and the university’s national and international visibility as a major Arctic research and teaching facility. It is also interested in developing international collaborations because so many Arctic issues cross national boundaries. The University of Alaska has a long tradition of ties with western Canada. From the founding of UA, in the Territory of Alaska, residents of the Yukon Territory were given resident status for tuition at UA. Today, resident status for tuition at UA persists for the Yukon Territory and has been extended to the Northwest and Nunavut Territories, as well as to British Columbia. AINA is devoted to maintaining and strengthening these ties. Since 1995, the U.S. and Canadian Corporations have worked jointly to revive the Grant-in-Aid Program. One of the first AINA programs in the 1940s, it helped many young people start their careers. The program lapsed in the mid 1970s, but since it was re-established in 1995, nearly $60,000 has been given out in small grants to 47 Canadians, 37 Americans, and one Finnish citizen. A binational committee administers the program, and funding comes entirely from member donations. AINA has launched a series of discussion forums called the “Arctic Roundtable” to bring together people who might otherwise not get much chance to interact because they are scattered in federal and state agencies, consulting firms, and several departments of the University of Alaska. A brief description of the Arctic Roundtable was published in the September 2004 issue of Arctic. The AINA U.S. Corporation also hosts an “Arctic Reception” at the autumn meetings of the American Geophysical Union. It helps the several hundred Arctic people attending the meeting find each other among the thousands present and is the highlight of the meeting for many. Plans are afoot to introduce similar receptions at other annual national meetings. The U.S. Corporation is continuing to focus on the projects mentioned above and on increasing membership and strengthening support for the journal Arctic. During 2004, in addition to providing support for the AINA U.S. Corporation, the University of Alaska provided funding for the journal Arctic. In recognition of the University of Alaska’s generous support for AINA’s scholarly journal and AINA’s binational character, the seal of the University now appears on Arctic’s masthead, along with the logo of the University of Calgary. Arctic RoundtablesThe Arctic Roundtables, sponsored by the Arctic Institute of North America, originated on the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) campus in 1998. Drs. Mark Johnson and Tom Weingartner, professors in the School of Fisheries and Marine Science, had proposed the idea of bringing together people scattered over various university departments who shared interests in the Arctic but had little chance to meet and communicate. About 20 departmental seminars are held on the UAF campus each week, and many deal with Arctic subjects. People frequently have to choose between two or more seminars, especially on Friday afternoons, when there are often five at the same time. These departmental seminars usually occur in the midst of busy schedules, leaving little time for discussion. Even less mixing occurs between disciplines. To resolve this problem, AINA proposed to create a new type of discussion forum aimed primarily at increasing communication among northern researchers in a social setting. Unlike the departmental seminars, the Roundtable sessions are held in the evening, usually off campus. Each session begins with a panel of experts who offer brief comments on the chosen topic to stimulate discussion. The Roundtables are general enough in nature that the public often participates. Evidence for global climate change, the peopling of the Americas, and the effects of rapid technological change on people of the Arctic are some of the topics discussed during the nine Arctic Roundtables held since 1998. From 80 to 100 people attend each session, not only those on campus with Arctic interests, but also individuals from federal and state government agencies, private consulting firms, and the community at large. Because of the university, Fairbanks is a hotbed of interest in the Arctic. So far the Arctic Roundtables have been held in Alaska, but the Institute plans to hold them outside of Alaska as well. Further information on the Arctic Roundtables, including a list of past session topics and panel members, is available from Dr. Carl S. Benson, Chair of the AINA U.S. Corporation’s Board of Governors (benson@gi.alaska.edu). U.S. Corporation Board of Governors
Acting Executive Secretary – John J. Kelley |
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Canada: University of Calgary 2500 University Drive N.W. Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4 Telephone: (403) 220-7515 Fax: (403) 282-4609 |
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USA: University of Alaska P.O. Box 6808 Rasmuson Library Fairbanks, Alaska USA 99775-6808 Telephone: (907) 474-7450 Fax: (907) 474-7290 |
