Merger of the Stefansson Arctic Institute and the University of Akureyri

At the beginning of 2025, the Stefansson Arctic Institute merged with the University of Akureyri. The merger took effect on January 1, 2025. Before becoming a part of the University of Akureyri, the institute had operated under the Icelandic Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change since its founding in 1998.

The institute will operate as a separate unit under the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and continues to have its main office on the fifth floor of Borgir, Research and Innovation Center, on the University of Akureyri campus. The merger is a way to further strengthen the university’s community commitment to Arctic research.  Akureyri is recognized as the center of Arctic matters in Iceland in Iceland's Arctic Policy and on the university campus a vibrant Arctic research community has emerged where a range of key Arctic organizations working on Arctic affairs are hosted. Along with the Stefansson Arctic Institute this for instance includes the offices of the Arctic Council working groups CAFF and PAME, the Icelandic Arctic Cooperation Network (IACN), and the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC). 

The Stefansson Arctic Institute and the University of Akureyri have collaborated closely for many years in various areas of teaching and research. The merger presents an opportunity to further strengthen this fruitful partnership within the newly integrated institution, and we look forward to the times ahead.