Fulbright Arctic Initiative 4: Education, Economies, and Governance

Round four of the Fulbright Arctic Initiative (FAI) will build from the success of the three cohorts to address cutting edge issues in the Arctic and, importantly, to increase the participation of Arctic Indigenous Peoples as FAI scholars and presenters to the group. We propose the following three themes: 1) Arctic governance including the extreme challenges now faced by the Arctic Council as well as the recent trend in Indigenous-led governance efforts (both regionally and internationally); 2) education in and for the Arctic focused on current Indigenous-centered educational initiatives as well as how we teach about the region in the south to ensure students are able to exercise responsible stewardship; 3) and, the impact of technology on Arctic communities as well as the how culture and creative industries are increasingly playing a role in the global economy. We will ask scholars to work in teams of three or more to address the current challenges faced in governance, education, and digital economies while at the same time researching effective models and best practices for future policy-shaping and decision-making. We will introduce scholars to our network of senior researchers, policy makers, and Indigenous leaders to enrich their research and to build a community that can collectively respond to the changing Arctic environment. Finally, we will draw on our many connections with Arctic-state governments, NGOs, Arctic communities, and the business sector to ensure a dynamic engagement and sharing of ideas, research findings, and policy recommendations.