Representatives of UArctic, Institut nordique du Québec (INQ), and Université Laval formalized the establishment of the new UArctic Regional Centre through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on June 7 in Inari, Sápmi, Finland, during this year's UArctic Assembly meeting. The new Regional Centre is led by INQ at Université Laval, making it the first UArctic Regional Centre in North America.
The INQ-UArctic Regional Centre for the Province of Québec will support UArctic's mission and strengthen UArctic's presence across the province and beyond, as well as operate for the benefit of UArctic members in the province of Québec in Canada, supporting their participation and engagement in UArctic. The Regional Centre aims to provide information to these members to facilitate their UArctic-related activities, and to promote dialogue and cooperation between UArctic members in Québec and in the Circumpolar North. It will further help increase the visibility of northern and Arctic studies and research; foster and promote unique and relevant educational opportunities for members and northerners through academic collaboration and exchange; build, share and apply knowledge through member contributions and collaborations in research and science, including Indigenous and Traditional Knowledge; and collaborate on the organization of joint academic and scientific activities, and cultural and educational initiatives.
The Institut nordique du Québec was co-founded by ULaval in 2014, in partnership with McGill University and the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), to bring together Quebec’s major northern and Arctic research efforts under a shared institutional framework. Today, INQ brings together 16 Québec universities, approximately 300 researchers, and 85 affiliated research centres. It also includes representatives from the four Indigenous nations of Northern Québec (Inuit, Cree, Innu, and Naskapi), along with numerous public- and private-sector partners.
UArctic Regional Centres are formed by one or more member institutions in order to support UArctic, facilitate member engagement, and provide regional dialogue and engagement. These roles include liaison activities with national or regional administrations and other local stakeholders. Regional Centres can also perform specific administrative functions (for example, act as a north2north national agency). See full guidelines, or contact secretariat@uarctic.org for more information.
Photo: Lars Kullerud (UArctic President), Martin Fortier (ULaval Assistant Vice Rector, Research and Innovation), and Brigitte Bigué (INQ Executive Director) signing the MoU