The Barents Institute was established in 2006 and has been part of UiT The Arctic University of Norway since 2010. The Institute is located in Kirkenes.

The Barents Institute is an interdisciplinary research institute that aims to develop skills and build expertise within the field of border studies. The Barents Institute produces and disseminates knowledge about borders all over the world, but possesses particularly strong expertise in the Arctic and the Norwegian-Russian border region. The Institute’s activities will help strengthen UiT’s research on geopolitics in the High North.

The Barents Institute is internationally oriented and collaborates through various projects with research institutions in a number of countries. In addition, the Institute has a distinct regional foundation. The Barents Institute will be a centre for research and knowledge development in Finnmark.