Canada’s Far North is getting a long overdue higher learning institution.
What happened: The Nunavut community of Arviat has been chosen as the main campus site for Inuit Nunangat University (INU), Canada’s first Inuit-led university in the Inuit people’s Arctic homeland. INU plans to open in 2030, welcoming about 100 students and 80 staff.
Per CBC News, the school will initially offer four undergrad degrees in subjects yet to be picked. The school’s website projects a future where six faculties will offer a variety of undergrad and graduate degrees grounded in Inuit knowledge systems.
Big picture: With an estimated cost of $200 million, opening by 2030 will be challenging, but funding is going well. Yesterday, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. pledged $50 million to aid campus construction, $50 million for student housing, and $35 million for programming.
Late last year, the Mastercard Foundation also chipped in $50 million, and Ottawa is expected to grant up to $50 million once INU’s funding proposal is complete.
Why it matters: Inuit students who want to pursue higher education don’t have the choice to do so in their homeland, a barrier to entry that’s created an education gap. According to a 2020 report, just 14% of Inuit aged 15 to 64, have a college diploma or university degree compared to 42% of non-Indigenous Canadians. Education options at home will help close the gap.
Zoom out: On a national level, establishing the first Arctic university will be another way to bolster Canada’s sovereignty and jurisdiction over that increasingly fraught region.—QH