UiT The Arctic University of Norway

05/05/2026

The Arctic has often been treated as an empty canvas for naming, yet long-standing Indigenous place names preserve the region’s history, culture, and identity.

Vast open territories in the Arctic have been claimed and named as though they were blank white pieces of canvas. But the Indigenous place names that existed long before these new names were invented carry history, culture, and identity.

23/04/2026

Within the next 25 years, it is likely that we, for the first time in recent history, will witness an Arctic Ocean without summer sea ice. How will that affect ecosystems, wildlife and climate, and how will society respond?

The Arctic Ocean is fundamentally changing. Within the next 25 years, it is likely that we, for the first time in recent history, will witness an Arctic Ocean without summer sea ice. How will that affect ecosystems, wildlife and climate, and how will society respond?

22/04/2026

Exercise tips, dinner suggestions, or help with school or work. Large language models like ChatGPT, DeepSeek and Gemini are designed to help us with many different tasks and problems.

But how good are they at solving logical problems? And what affects their reasoning capabilities?

How well do large language models solve logical problems, and what affects their ability to reason? Researchers have developed a new method to better understand when and why their reasoning falls short.

09/03/2026

Call for Arctic Six Chairs 2026 is open until 20 March!

Would you like to foster collaboration in research for and within the Arctic regions of Finland, Norway, and Sweden?

If so, take this opportunity and apply to become an Arctic Six Chair.

Read more here: https://www.arcticsix.org/arctic-six/news/news-archive/2026-03-05-call-for-arctic-six-chairs-2026

Photo: Arctic Six Chairs at a meeting at Luleå University of Technology in 2024.

Nord universitet
Luleå tekniska universitet
Umeå University
Oulun yliopisto - University of Oulu
Lapin yliopisto I University of Lapland

05/03/2026

UArctic and the Arctic Circle welcome nominations for the 2026 Frederik Paulsen Arctic Academic Action Award.

The Award aims to further the development of new ideas that could contribute materially to preventing, mitigating, adapting, and reversing the effects of climate change in the Arctic.

100,000 euros of unrestricted funds are provided to the awardee to help facilitate the development of ideas and increase impact through outreach, engagement and communication.

The call for nominations is open until April 30, 2026.

Nominees should propose creative ideas that are action- and results-oriented and at an early stage of development. These ideas should nevertheless be grounded in academic research and scholarship, while also, where appropriate, giving due regard to the knowledge practices of Arctic residents, including Indigenous peoples.

Nominations should describe an action that addresses the causes or impacts of climate change on the Arctic region. Ideas can be broad in scope or geared toward local issues but could have results scalable to the entire Arctic region and potentially beyond.

We are looking for bright new ideas from people/groups with a demonstrable drive to achieve change in the near future.
Nominations can come from individuals or small groups, including community groups and organizations.

Both self-nominations and nominations from others on behalf of the idea are accepted. In addition to established experts, emerging and mid-career professionals, Indigenous knowledge holders, and teams with established relationships with Arctic and Indigenous peoples are encouraged to apply with ideas.

Read more and nominate by April 30, 2026:
https://www.uarctic.org/activities/awards-grants/action-award/

The award recipient will be announced at the Arctic Circle Assembly in October in Reykjavík, Iceland.

27/01/2026

Congratulations on the Peace Film Award 🎉

This year, the Norwegian Peace Film Award was given to the Iranian film It Was Just an Accident, directed by Jafar Panahi. 🎬

The award is presented annually in collaboration with the Tromsø International Film Festival, UiT's Centre for Peace Studies, and the Student Peace Network.

"Panahi combines satire and dark comedy, making the critique of Iran's corrupt regime more direct and engaging than pure tragedy," says Marcela Douglas Aranibar.
She is the head of the Centre for Peace Studies and one of the jury members.

The jury's reasoning for the award:
"The jury for the Norwegian Peace Film Award has chosen a film that makes us reflect on the profound moral dilemma between revenge and forgiveness. The director invites us, with subtle humour, to understand reconciliation as a demanding act of humanity. The film promotes peace not through idealisation, but through an honest confrontation with injustice, insisting on empathy as a fundamental political and human principle."

The jury consisted of actor, author, producer, and director Gørild Mauseth; Marcela Douglas Aranibar, head of UiT's Centre for Peace Studies (CPS); and master's student Sara Cordesco at UiT.

🔗 Read more about the film and the award via the link in the comments.
📸: Bogdans Kosenko / TIFF

19/01/2026

Do you want to foster collaboration in research for and within the Arctic regions of Finland, Norway, and Sweden? If so, take the opportunity and apply to become an Arctic Six Chair.

Deadline is 20 March, 2026.

Become an Arctic Six Chair
The Chairs programme is the primary format for research collaboration within The Arctic Six, comprising scholars with the will and capacity to build alliances in research between the Arctic Six universities, thereby forming new collaborations or strengthening existing ones.

The objective is, firstly, to generate collaborations in research within The Arctic Six through a bottom-up approach; and secondly, to formulate broader fields of collaboration.

The overarching aim is to enhance the success of Arctic Six universities in securing external funding, thereby helping to meet our goal of finding research-based solutions to the joint problems facing our northern societies.

Prospective Arctic Six Chairs are established scholars at an Arctic Six university, with either recent or ongoing research collaborations with other Arctic Six partner universities, or who plan to develop such partnerships.

Becoming an Arctic Six Chair will enable scholars to build these collaborations, whilst providing support for developing joint projects, as well as assistance with applying for larger funding calls.

Applicants from all disciplines or fields of study are welcome to apply.

Read more here: https://www.arcticsix.org/arctic-six/news/news-archive/2026-01-16-call-for-arctic-six-chairs-2026

13/01/2026

What does Tromsø and Northern Norway look like to international students who have just moved here? And why do they choose to head north?

Last week, you could have received many different and often unexpected answers to this question if you attended Debut Week International. This event marks the beginning of the spring semester and this year brought together 241 exchange students from 41 countries. 👩‍🎓🧩🌏

Rikke Gürgens Gjærum, Vice-Rector for Education, delivered the opening speech to the students. She believes they contribute to making UiT a more diverse, exciting, and inclusive university environment. 🌈🍀

For Gjærum, who has herself been an international student, cultural and academic exchange can play an important role in building bridges, especially in a time marked by instability and significant tensions.
'When students and researchers meet across national borders, trust, understanding, and a sense of community are created, which develop independently of political divides and national boundaries. In my experience, when such relationships are built, they create space for deeper dialogue and honest knowledge-sharing that can last long after the exchange period itself,' she emphasises.

Gjærum also points out that international students bring new perspectives to Northern Norway as a region and offer opportunities to build a new future on multiple levels.
She encourages including international students in social and academic activities, even outside working hours.
'It enriches both our campuses and the entire region – but only if we make an effort to engage with them,' she says.

You can hear the exchange students’ own stories on UiT’s Instagram, later this week.

Photo: Kaja Alexandra Halvei-Larsen and Tommy Skum Hansen

Read more here: https://en.uit.no/nyheter/artikkel?p_document_id=918024

24/12/2025

News from the expedition ❄️📰
Deepest gas hydrate cold seep ever discovered in the Arctic

A multinational scientific team led by UiT The Arctic University of Norway has uncovered the deepest known gas hydrate cold seep on the planet. Discovered during the Ocean Census Arctic Deep – EXTREME24 expedition, the site reveals a previously unknown ecosystem thriving at 3,640m on the Molloy Ridge in the Greenland Sea.

Published in Nature Communications, the discovery of the Freya Hydrate Mounds documents active methane seepage and rich chemosynthetic communities, extending the known depth of hydrate systems by nearly 1,800m. The findings also reveal unexpected biological links between deep-sea cold seeps and Arctic hydrothermal vents.

This ultra-deep ecosystem provides vital new insights into deep-ocean biodiversity, carbon cycling, and the evidence base needed for responsible Arctic governance.

👉 Read more here: https://uit.no/nyheter/artikkel?p_document_id=917158&utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGn4l5sQLRRcLzIFeCS4OGvr01haw2eh4geEVwwIJTKrJgwW7GaCDPRCEhIKxg_aem_h8IKPHe90nJgWam4xenyVA

A multinational scientific team led by UiT has uncovered the deepest known gas hydrate cold seep on the planet. The discovery was made during the Ocean Census Arctic Deep – EXTREME24 expedition and reveals a previously unknown ecosystem thriving at 3,640 metres on the Molloy Ridge in the Green...

12/12/2025

Are you not going home for Christmas, or do you need someone to celebrate with? 🎄🎁🌟

Student Chaplain at UiT, Franziska Förster, invites students and staff to gatherings before Christmas, on Christmas Eve, and during the Christmas holidays. ✨

– You don’t need to know anyone beforehand. Many different people will be attending. We have plenty of space and are looking forward to getting to know you, says Franziska.
Christmas is often associated with family time, celebrating with loved ones. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

– But when everyone has left for the holidays, and you’re left all alone, you might want someone to celebrate with. I hope those who need company will find us, Franziska says.

This isn’t the first time she’s helped organise Christmas celebrations at UiT. This is the third consecutive year they’ve gathered participants from many countries, cooked together, and got to know each other. 🎄🍽️

– It might feel a bit strange to meet up with people you don’t know on Christmas Eve, but the atmosphere becomes really warm and welcoming. Every year, we almost create a little Christmas family when we gather, says Franziska.

Christmas gatherings open to all staff and students:
📅 23rd December, Little Christmas Eve: Rice porridge, mingling, and cosy activities, from 3:00 PM
📅 24th December, Christmas Eve: Communal dinner (registration required)
📅 25th December, Christmas Day: Lunch at 12:00 PM (registration required)

📍 Location: Kafé Bodega, 1st floor, Teorifagbygget House 2, Breivika campus in Tromsø.

✍️ Sign up by 18th December:
📧 [email protected]
📱 411 99 797

📸 From left: Eva Roßmann, Kata Nóra Strausz, and Franziska Förster preparing for the Christmas events at UiT. (Photo: Espen Sørsdal Eriksen / UiT)

Studentprestene UiT I UiT Chaplaincy

12/12/2025

Would you like to share ideas, experiences and knowledge with colleagues at European universities? ✨

This is something that both administrative and academic staff can receive support for through Erasmus Plus and EUGLOH.

At UiT, four communications officers have used these funding opportunities to hold a workshop in Hamburg. The team of four has set viewership records on UiT's social media platforms. 📱

Their methods and perspectives have sparked great interest among international colleagues.

Their video production is based on brainstorming and creativity, which has taken shape through collaboration between senior and junior staff.

According to Trude Haugseth Moe, communications officer at UiT, apprentices play an important role in this dynamic.

‘𝗜𝗳 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗨𝗶𝗧, 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸, 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗻𝘆 𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗼𝘀, 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗷𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗲. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺, 𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲, 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗿, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲. 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺, 𝘄𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲,’ 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗲.

🔗Read more on our website: https://en.uit.no/nyheter/artikkel?p_document_id=915451

📸: David Jensen and Elisabet Aaraas / UiT

Group photo, sofa: Trude Haugseth Moe (left), Kaja Alexandra Halvei-Larsen, Elisabet Aaraas, and Jakob Bjørvig Henriksen.