Inter-Arctic Engagement for a Better Future

International student exchanges spark curiosity, innovation, and strengthen human connections. UArctic facilitates US student exchange in the North; bridging gaps in knowledge, culture, and research. Exchanges can benefit students through their professional and academic careers, providing fresh viewpoints, new experiences, and sharing information and skills across the North.

Our Programs

north2north exchanges

The north2north student mobility exchange allows students to visit other Arctic nations for a semester or more abroad at UArctic member universities for experiential learning, research, and more.

Conference Mobility Scholarships

Our mobility programs support student participation in conferences such as the Arctic Congress, Arctic Model Council, Arctic Encounters, and more.

Bringing Students to UArctic Congress

The UArctic Congress welcomes institutional leaders, Indigenous and Tribal representatives, academics, scientists, and students from around the world. Together with partners, policy makers, and other actors, the Congress strives to move the Arctic agenda forward by creating and strengthening collaborations that produce new findings and solutions for the future of the Arctic region. In 2026, discussions will focus on Healthy Humans and Oceans in the Arctic, issues that require circumpolar cooperation and voices.

Our goal is to send 50 US college students to attend the UArctic Congress and Assembly 2026, taking place from May 26 – 29 in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands. This effort will require $250,000 USD committed by February 2026, of which we are inviting private foundations and philanthropists to collectively support.

Student Testimonials

Exchanges provide opportunities for Arctic students to expand their knowledge of the circumpolar north, bridging national divides and learning about other cultures through experience.

“The north2north programme allowed me to experience Greenland in a dimension that I could never have reached through mere university projects in Denmark.”

“The Model Arctic Council is the vitality of the next generation of leaders in the Arctic. I was inspired by fellow participants from across the Arctic and around the world.”

“Attending the 2016 Model Arctic Council in Fairbanks absolutely changed the course of my career, helping lead me to my job as an outdoor guide on ships throughout the circumpolar Arctic. The experience also fueled my passion for Alaska, directly contributing to current research on the social dimensions of glacier tourism in Denali National Park and Preserve.”

“My experiences gave me valuable perspectives and exposures to public policy, diplomacy, and their intersections with science. I developed vital collaboration and negotiation skills through practice with peers from around the globe and developed relationships that have spanned years.”

“The visit offered both spectacular sceneries and insightful perspectives to the Arctic as a region and research context.”

“It is hard to know where to begin. This was and will continue to be an impactful experience for me as a student, professionally, and personally; both as a Native/Indigenous (Lenape) person and as a modern western person of Scandinavian and Irish descent.”