# The Arctic Institute – Center for Circumpolar Security Studies

The Arctic Institute (TAI) is a think tank founded in 2011 and headquartered in Washington, D.C. The Institute's mission is to inform Arctic policy through interdisciplinary, inclusive research. Romain Chuffart has been managing director since September 2022.
The University of Pennsylvania's Global Go To Think Tank Index has consistently ranked The Arctic Institute among the top one hundred best think tanks in the United States since 2016.

## Organization
### Presidents and Managing Directors

Since becoming a 501(c)3, The Arctic Institute has been directed by Arctic researchers and experts.
Recent directors:
* Victoria Herrmann, PhD (2016 - 2021)
* Lillian Hussong, PhD (2021 - 2022) (interim)
* Dr. Romain Chuffart, PhD (2022–Present)

### Board of directors

* David Slayton (former executive director of the Arctic Security Initiative, Stanford University Hoover Institution)
* Dave Walsh (communications and strategy consultant)
* Fran Ulmer (former lieutenant governor of Alaska and former Chair of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission)
* Heather Exner-Pirot (managing editor of the Arctic Yearbook)
* Jim Gamble (Arctic program director, Pacific Environment)
* Malte Humpert (founder of The Arctic Institute)
* Kuupik Kleist (fourth prime minister of Greenland)
* Lill Hilde Kaldager (former managing director of the Arctic Business Secretariat)
* Victoria Herrmann (former managing director of The Arctic Institute; on leave)

### Board of advisors

* John Crump (senior climate change advisor, GRID-Arendal Polar Center)
* Dr. John Farrell (executive director, U.S. Arctic Research Commission)
* Dr. Klaus Dodds (professor, Royal Holloway University)
* Kristine Offerdal (dean, Forsvarets høgskole)
* Lassi Heininen (professor, University of Lapland)
* R. Andreas Kraemer (founder, Ecologic Institute)
* Udloriak Hanson (former deputy minister of the Government of Nunavut)
* Ambassador Þórður Ægir Óskarsson (public servant of the Government of Iceland)

## Research and activities

The institute's mission includes three approaches: research and analysis; engagement with partner organizations, scholars, communities, and knowledge-holders; and events, workshops, and meetings. It addresses circumpolar security issues through eight themes: economic security, military security, food security, health security, environmental security, cultural security, political security, energy security.

### Projects

* AlaskaNor: research on the opportunities of Alaska and North Norway to address the development of a "blue economy"
* Climate Action: research on environmental issues in the Arctic, which is warming twice as fast as the global average
* Arctic Migrations: research on how climate change impacts globalization and urbanization along Arctic coastlines
* Smart Cities: research on how emerging technologies (such as fiber optics) impact local communities and regions and connect with international communities
* Ocean Governance: research on the impacts of regional disputes and marine resources on ocean governance
* Early Career Development: promoting inclusion to support creativity in all matters of the Arctic. Initiatives include visiting fellowships, partnerships with virtual colleges, conferences, and programs that connect early-career Arctic professionals
* SvalFish: research on how the development of sustainable fisheries management in Svalbard may help business and decision-makers in the region
* GeoSeas: research on how potential shipping routes in the Arctic may influence the geopolitics of the region
* Northern Narratives: partnership with High North News to deliver cutting-edge coverage of the latest circumpolar Arctic developments

### Collaboration

The Arctic Institute has collaborated with a number of academic institutions, non-governmental organizations, non-profit organizations, businesses, and individuals. Current partnerships include:
* High North Center, Nord University
* BlanX
* Migration in Harmony - RCN, Georgetown University
* Women of the Arctic (Breaking the Ice Ceiling)
* Ecologic Institute for the Arctic College
** 2018 Arctic Circle Assembly
** Arctic Summer College
Past partnerships included:
* Students on Ice
* J.Lindeberg, 1% for the Planet
* Why the Arctic Matters, U.S. Arctic Research Commission
* Copenhagen Business School
* Arctic Adaptation Exchange (Arctic Council)
* UK Nordic Innovations
* Korean Maritime Institute
* Global Landscapes Forum

## Awards

The Council on Foreign Relations listed Malte Humpert's report "The Future of Arctic Shipping: A New Silk Road for China?" as one of the "ten must-reads of the year" in 2013.
Prospect Magazine shortlisted The Arctic Institute in its 2017 edition of its annual Think Tank Awards for think tanks dedicated to U.S. energy and the environment.
The Arctic Institute has consistently been ranked as a Top 100 Think Tank in the United States by the University of Pennsylvania's Think Tanks and Civil Society Program since 2016. In 2021 it was ranked 72nd in the United States. It is the only think tank composed of early career scholars (who largely volunteer) to hold such a distinction.