At the meeting, Council representatives from over fifty member institutions and organizations engaged in discussions on the development of UArctic’s Strategic Plan 2020, and through a number of breakout and networking sessions, participants gathered in small groups to address questions of strategic importance to UArctic’s future.

The Council meeting is the annual general assembly of the UArctic network, bringing together representatives of universities, colleges, and other organizations that are committed to higher education and research in the North. During the meeting, the Council took key decisions about the University of the Arctic’s future development, including welcoming of twenty new members (8 from China; 3 from Finland; 2 from UK; 2 from Norway; and 1 each from Canada, Iceland, Russia, and the USA). This now brings UArctic’s total membership to 161. The meeting also welcomed two new Thematic Networks to UArctic (one focusing on Permafrost and the other on Natural Hazards). Thematic Networks foster issues-based cooperation within partnerships of UArctic members.

The next meeting of the Council of the University of the Arctic will take place at the University of Northern British Columbia, Canada, May 20-22, 2014.