Education and Civil Society
Arctic Council shows need for northern university
(Shawn Bell/Slave River Journal, 12 May 2009) -- The Premier’s visit to the Arctic Council in Norway has him thinking about the benefits of a Northern university in Canada. Floyd Roland became the first NWT Premier to attend the Arctic Council when he joined representatives from Nunavut and the Yukon as part of the Canadian delegation to Tromso, Norway on April 29. Roland said seeing the extent of the science behind the council’s work, and talking with delegates about pooling global Arctic research abilities, brought out the need for a university in Canada’s North. “When you look at those countries (on the Arctic Council), their universities are heavily involved in this process,” Roland told The Journal. “I met with an individual for a discussion of the University of the Arctic, and it came up how we in the NWT can be involved. (A northern university) is something I think needs to be discussed.” Tromsø, a city of just over 50,000 people, is home to the world’s northern-most university. With 9,000 students and 2,400 staff, the University of Tromsø focuses on northern research and fields related to the Sami and indigenous peoples, along with offering all regular university courses. ... The three territories were part of a large Canadian delegation led by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lawrence Cannon. Roland said the federal government’s approach shows the importance of the North today. “With the interest on the Arctic growing, it’s very important that we as Northerners get involved and see what they are saying,” Roland said. “The discussions that are taking place will have an effect on us here. Canada may consider the North its backyard, but it is our frontyard.”
Posted 13 May 2009; 2:28:38 PM. Permalink
Tagged: Canada, Circumpolar News, Education and Civil Society, NWT / Canada
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