The Evolution of Higher Education Collaboration in the Arctic Through Networking

Academic collaboration across the Arctic region—the eight nations bordering the Arctic Circle (United States, Russia, Canada, Denmark/Greenland, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Iceland)—was extremely difficult and restricted during the Cold War years, despite efforts like the establishment of UNESCO and, indeed, the International Association of Universities. Issues and problems, however, do not respect national boundaries: for example, the emergence of massive environmental problems across borders in the region became quite clear during the 1980s. The iron curtain was successful in restricting the movement of people and ideas, but not pollutants.