It was great to see you in Fairbanks!

Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) is an annual gathering of international organizations involved in Arctic research. It is designed to strengthen collaborations across academia, government agencies, local communities, industry, non-governmental organizations and other Arctic stakeholders.

The 2016 Summit was held in Fairbanks, Alaska, USA and included ASSW Business Meetings, the Arctic Council Senior Arctic Officials Meeting, the 2016 Arctic Observing Summit, and the first fully-developed Model Arctic Council.

The International Arctic Assembly  on 15 March was a day of dialogue on issues facing Alaska and the Arctic. The day concluded with a sold-out Banquet featuring Alaska cuisine, dance performances by regional indigenous groups, and live music by local artists. The week also included many public lectures, outreach events, workshops, recreational activities, tours and field trips.

Arctic Observing Summit Conference statement

(23 March 2016) The Arctic is experiencing the fastest rate of climate change and related impacts on the planet. Co-occurring changes are widespread across the biological, physical and human components of the system. These changes are of concern for Arctic peoples and nations and also to the wider global community. For people that call the Arctic home the changes affect livelihoods, economies and cultures, including the ability to respond and plan for the future ...  See the full statement and recommendations on the Arctic Observing Summit website

Video presentations

Media briefings and some conference sessions were streamed live online so that anyone from around the world could join. See archived videos below.

ASSW 2016 in the news

2016

2015

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UAF Arctic Journalism Fellowship

The UAF Arctic Journalism Fellowship enabled eight journalists to travel to Fairbanks for the summit in an effort to expand public knowledge of the Arctic, offer established journalists access to Arctic researchers and policymakers, and enable them to pursue stories they may not otherwise have the opportunity to report. Thanks to Alaska Airlines for helping make this fellowship possible.

See the list of fellows and news stories they have published

Fellows for 2016

  • Catalina Arevalo 
  • Ian Cheney 
  • Gloria Dickie 
  • Suzanne Goldenberg
  • Sarah Keller 
  • Hillary Rosner 
  • Zoë Schlanger 
  • Ryan Schuessler 

News stories by journalism fellows

Student Art & Video Contest

Students ages 5-18 from the US, Norway, and Russia sent in over 200 submissions for this contest. The "Many Lands, One Arctic" theme inspired the artists to think about how the lands and people of the Arctic are connected. The contest was made possible by a donation from COSEE (the Consortium for Ocean Science Exploration and Engagement).

See a list of winners and links to their artwork and videos

Art contest winners

  • K-6 1st place: “Arctic Wonderland” by Sailor Waddell - Fairbanks, Alaska
  • K-6 2nd place: “Icebreaker Lenin” by Elizaveta Pahunova - Yamal, Russia
  • 7-12 1st place: “Join Hands” by Katelyn Grace Wadsworth - Valdez, Alaska
  • 7-12 2nd place: “Four Seasons, One Arctic” by Gabriel D. Bush - Phoenix, Arizona
  • See all art contest winners

Video contest winners

  • 1st place: “The Amazing Arctic” by the Tapp family - Valdez, Alaska
  • 2nd place: “Traditions from the Edge of Open Hearts” by Victoria Zaichikova - Yamal, Russia
  • 3rd place: “Nature Girls Explore” by Brianna Leider - Edgerton, Wisconsin
  • 4th place: “Bird-People” by Alina Ryabtseva - Yamal, Russia
  • 4th place: “A Berry Good Day” by Iryna Kadatska - Nome, Alaska
  • See all video contest winners

Scenes from ASSW 2016

Photographers captured great moments throughout the week. Sample images are below. See hundreds more images at our Flickr page and a special UAF Photo Gallery. All are available for free download.