NEWS RELEASE
LAKEHEAD UNIVERSITY
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Lakehead University has joined Trent University, the University of Northern British Columbia, Yukon University, the Arctic State Agrotechnological University in Russia, and Nord University in Norway as a founding partner of the Læra Institute for Circumpolar Education (Læra Institute), a new institute within the international University of the Arctic (UArctic).
The word læra means learn or study in Icelandic, and the Læra Institute is dedicated to promoting best-practice teaching and learning about the Circumpolar North.
Funded by UiT: The Arctic University of Norway and the Norwegian Ministry for Education and Research, over the next two years it will develop curriculum specifications, exemplar courses and pedagogical resources to support circumpolar studies, whether in-person or online.
The Læra Institute will also hold regular workshops for faculty, as well as educational symposia for students. Special attention will be paid to the varied perspectives on “circumpolarity” that exist across the Circumpolar North, particularly Indigenous perspectives.
“As part of our Academic Plan, Lakehead University has committed to continue to develop regional nodes for professional program delivery with a focus on increasing access to education in northern communities through remote program delivery,” said Dr. Michel S. Beaulieu, Lakehead’s Associate Vice-Provost Academic (Special Projects).
“Our involvement with the Læra Institute advances that commitment,” he added.
Established in 2001, UArctic is a cooperative network of universities, colleges, research institutes, and other organizations concerned with education and research in and about the North. Lakehead University is a founding member and the only Canadian life member.
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