Eallju – Developing the High North:
UiT’s strategy towards 2030
UiT The Arctic University of Norway is a multi-campus comprehensive university at the international forefront. Our vision is to be a driving force for developing the High North. The Northern Sami notion eallju, which means eagerness to work, sets the tone for this motive power at UiT. Along with students, staff and the wider community, we aim to utilise our location in Northern Norway and Sápmi, our broad and diverse research and study portfolio and interdisciplinary advantage to shape the future.
Our social mission is to provide research-based education of high quality, perform artistic development and carry out research of the highest international quality standards in the entire range from basic to applied. We will convey knowledge about disciplines and contribute to innovation. Our social mission unites UiT across various studies, research fields and large geographical distances. This demands good cooperation with trade and industry and civil society as well as with international partners. We will strengthen knowledge-based and sustainable development at a regional, national and international level.
Academic freedom and scientific and ethical principles form the basis for all UiT’s activities. Participation, co-determination, transparency and good processes will provide the decision-making basis we need to make wise and far-sighted priorities. Our students and staff will have the opportunity to develop their abilities and potential. Founded on academic integrity, we will be courageous, committed and generous in close contact with disciplines, people and contemporary developments.
We will demonstrate adaptability and seek good and purposeful utilisation of resources, so we are ready to meet the expectations and opportunities of the future. We will strengthen the quality and impact of our disciplines and core tasks through the following three strategic priority areas.
1: The Arctic and High North
As the world’s northernmost university, UiT is strategically placed to develop and disseminate knowledge about the Arctic and the High North. UiT focuses on research and education about nature, society, technology, environment, culture, humans and the interaction between these. From this point of view, we work with oceans, space, climate change and resource utilisation, health and economy, indigenous peoples, population change, politics and interaction in the High North. We will use insights from our disciplines as a basis for contributing to development in the High North.
Ambition: UiT will be at the international forefront when it comes to knowledge and competence about and for the Artic and High North.
We will be at the forefront of understanding natural and societal changes in the Arctic and the High North, and the effects of these. We will be an attractive place to study that utilises and values the closeness between disciplines, people and practice. We will translate challenges and opportunities in the High North into research questions and explore them in collaboration.
To achieve our ambition, UiT will:
- Develop more leading academic environments at the international forefront of knowledge development. We will raise research questions of relevance to the development of the north. We will develop and maintain research infrastructure and time series data that enable us to develop knowledge about and for the Arctic and the High North.
- Further develop attractive programmes of study adapted to trade and industry and civil society in the High North. We will promote learning and involvement of students. We will strengthen flexible learning to ensure that young and adult students in small and large places acquire the knowledge, competence and skills the future will need.
- Strengthen competence about and for Sami and Kven conditions. We will be the leading university when it comes to knowledge about and dissemination of Sami and Kven language, culture, art and society, and about encounters between majority and minority communities.
- Push for cooperation in the Arctic and High North. We will be a visible and active part of knowledge development in the High North and the preferred partner for trade and industry, civil society and international partners.
2: The major societal challenges
Major societal challenges covering climate and environment, food security, demography and health show that modern society is vulnerable. These challenges demonstrate that global interaction, democracy and mutual trust between people are important. Society needs academic environments that can develop research questions and methods aimed at providing the basis for challenging decision-making processes in the short and long term. Our academic breadth and closeness to nature and society make UiT uniquely suited to contribute knowledge and competence to transformation and adaptation processes and future-oriented solutions across disciplines, trade and industry and civil society.
Ambition: UiT will contribute to developing innovative, democratic and sustainable solutions for major societal challenges.
We will take responsibility for basic research in our disciplines and contribute to global knowledge production. We will take special responsibility for knowledge and competence needed for environmentally, socially and economically sustainable development. We will share and make available our research and education and facilitate innovation and co-creation internally and with the wider community. Students and staff at UiT will be characterised by their ability to think critically, gain a head start on ideas and dare to challenge established practices.
To achieve our ambition, UiT will:
- Practice open science. We will promote openness and transparency in research, education and innovation and develop the field in close cooperation with national and international partners.
- Develop knowledge, methods and instruments that contribute to solving major societal challenges. We will promote ground-breaking knowledge development and prioritise infrastructure and method development that enable work on complex issues and sustainable solutions. We will contribute to developing Norwegian technical terminology in response to the needs of Norwegian working life and civil society in an international environment.
- Promote interdisciplinarity, co-creation and innovation. We will create arenas and remove barriers to enhance collaboration across disciplines, sectors and borders. We will prioritise and make use of the opportunities offered by digital transformation and promote the development of generic skills among our students and staff.
- Strengthen our capacity and adaptability. We will improve the utilisation and prioritisation of our resources. We will increase our participation in national and international competitive funding schemes for research, education and innovation.
3: Talent development and diversity
Students and staff are our most important resources. Consequently, a requirement for succeeding in our social mission is that everyone gets to develop their potential. Our students and staff come from different countries and places, they have different backgrounds and histories, and bring experiences and perspectives that enrich and challenge. UIT will use this diversity to our advantage in creation and co-creation and as a basis for developing leading academic environments.
Ambition: UiT will be a centre for developing competence and talent of students and staff with diversity as a driving force and resource.
We will be an attractive and inclusive place to work and learn where there is room to try, fail and succeed. We will exercise leadership to promote recognition of diversity as a strength, and emphasise unity, commitment and cooperation between students, staff and other societal actors. We will be a unified university where everyone’s contribution and responsibility count.
To achieve our ambition, UiT will:
- Develop, attract and retain talents. We will establish measures to facilitate developing the capacity and competence of staff and academic environments. We will break down career barriers, have a comprehensive recruitment policy and systematically develop leadership and employee responsibility.
- Recruit and equip students for lifelong learning. We will facilitate mobility, strengthen interaction with external partners and contribute to more young people being attracted to and remaining in the region. We will promote curiosity, participation and responsibility for the future.
- Prioritise knowledge development and innovative dissemination that promotes diversity. We will strengthen the participation of students and staff in dialogue and public debate and protect academic freedom of expression. We will have diversity of competence, representation and perspectives.
- Further develop UiT’s working, learning og study environments. We will have physical, social and digital environments that are stimulating and adapted. We will develop UiT as one university with various campuses and study locations with distinctive qualities.
