Organisation

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Bylaws

With the Arctic Six we make our voices heard in a global context and provide unique opportunities for our students, faculties and stakeholders.

Adopted by The Arctic Five Rectors’ Council on October 18, 2024

Preamble

These Bylaws describe the structure and governance of the Arctic Six collaboration.

The Arctic Six is a university alliance with the aim to strengthen and facilitate collaboration between its Partners. The Arctic Six Partners are Luleå University of Technology (SE), Umeå University (SE), University of Lapland (FI), University of Oulu (FI), University of Tromsø – The Arctic University of Norway (NO) and Nord University (NO).

The focus of the alliance is the advancement of knowledge with special relevance to the development of a sustainable Arctic region, as expressed in the Joint Arctic Agenda (Appendix 1). The Arctic is defined as all Arctic and sub-Arctic (circumpolar) regions of the world. Arctic research is defined as all research relating to these regions.

The alliance is comprised of universities in Arctic Fennoscandia – i.e. Arctic Norway, Sweden and Finland. This region shares common traits such as a multi-ethnical socio-cultural landscape including Arctic Indigenous people, national minorities and other local communities, influenced in similar ways by global currents such as climate change, demands for natural resources, green transition and security issues. This bring common opportunities and challenges which our university alliance has a unique ability to address, operating and embedded in the heart of this region – a region that constitutes the Arctic of the European union.

The Arctic Six promotes mutual respect, communication, and collaboration between the Arctic Six and Indigenous and Northern peoples, while recognizing that these are not mutually exclusive groups.

The Arctic Six shall not be construed as an association or any other form of legal entity.

1. Objectives

The objectives of the Arctic Six are:

To promote communication and coordination between the Partners;

To promote collaboration between the Partners within Arctic research and education;

To increase the participation of the Partners in national and international Arctic research and education and facilitate joint applications of external funding;

To increase internal and external awareness of Arctic issues and research;

To establish the Arctic Six as a recognized key actor on Arctic issues.

2. Partnership

2.1. Partnership in the Arctic Six is exclusive to the six (6) Partner universities.

2.2. Partners are entitled to hold office and to have representation in the Rectors’ Council, the Executive Committee, and in other initiatives and collaboration formats adopted by the governing bodies mentioned above.

3. Organization

3.1. The Arctic Six collaboration is directed by the Rectors’ Council through the Executive Committee.

3.2. The Rectors’ Council and the Executive Committee are chaired by one (1) Partner, for a two-year (2) period, on an ordered rotation. This commitment is referred to as hosting the Arctic Six Secretariat.

3.3. The Arctic Six Secretariat is managed by the Director of the Arctic Six with support from the Co-Director (from the next hosting partner), holding responsibility for coordination amongst Partners.

3.4. The Arctic Six secretariat initiates work with specific actions, like plans, position papers and applications, after directives from the Rectors’ Council and the Executive Committee. The Arctic Six secretariat can delegate this work to suitable actors in the alliance.

3.5. The collaboration within research and education includes themes defined by the Arctic Six Chairs and Fellows, as well as prioritized areas developed within the Arctic Six and decided by the Executive Committee and the Rectors’ Council.

3.6. Student participation is organized through the Arctic Six Students’ Team.

4. The Director of the Arctic Five

4.1. The Director of the Arctic Six is appointed by the Rectors’ Council. The Director of the Arctic Six shall be employed by the Partner that holds office.

4.2. The Director of the Arctic Six chairs the Executive Committee.

4.3. The Director of the Arctic Six reports to the Rector’s Council, manages collaboration within the Arctic Six, and is responsible for the agenda and notes of the Rectors’ Council meetings and the meetings of the Executive Committee.

4.4. The Director of the Arctic Six is responsible for administrating per capsulam decisions.

5. The Co-Director of the Arctic Six

5.1. The Co-Director of the Arctic Six is appointed by the Rectors’ Council.

5.2. The Co-Director belongs to the Partner next responsible for hosting the Arctic Six Secretariat.

5.3. The Co-Director of the Arctic Six supports the Director in the coordination of the Arctic Six. The primary role of the Co-Director is to serve as a discussion partner for the Director, but the assignment is expected to also include delegated tasks. The distribution of responsibilities between the Director and Co-Director are agreed between each Director and Co-Director.

6. The Rectors’ Council

6.1. The Rectors’ Council is the highest decision-making body, providing strategic leadership.

6.2. The Rectors’ Council consists of seven (7) members. Each Partner has one (1) seat in the Rectors’ Council reserved for the Rector (Vice-Chancellor), or an appointed deputy. Students are represented by one (1) member, appointed by the Arctic Six Students’ Team.

6.3. The Rectors’ Council convenes at least once during each calendar year. Attendance of all Rectors (Vice-Chancellors) is strived for. Quorum is required and considered to be met if no fewer than six (6) persons are in attendance, including at least one representative from each Partner.

6.4. The meetings of the Rectors’ Council are chaired by the Rector (Vice-Chancellor) of the Arctic Six Partner that holds office.

The Chair of the Arctic Six Rectors’ Council represents the Arctic Six in external relations, or may delegate this responsibility to the Director, the Co-Director, or to another member in the Rectors’ Council/Executive Committee.

6.5 The Director of the Arctic Six attends the meetings of the Rectors’ Council and is responsible for the agenda and notes (with no vote).

6.6. The members of the Executive Committee and the Co-Director have an observatory status in the Rectors’ Council that allow participation at council meetings without a right to vote.

6.7. Each member of the Rectors’ Council has one (1) vote. Decisions by the Rectors’ Council are by simple majority of affirmative or negative votes of those present and taking part in the vote. In the event of a tie, the motion fails; however, the Rectors’ Council will attempt to find consensus among its members.

6.8. A Partner which can show that its own work, time for performance, costs, liabilities, intellectual property rights, or other legitimate interests would be severely affected by a decision of the Rectors’ Council may exercise a veto with respect to the corresponding decision or relevant part of the decision.

7. The Executive Committee

7.1. Facilitates the work of the Arctic Six between the meetings of the Rectors’ Council and takes appropriate actions in agreement with the policies and decisions of the Rectors’ Council. The Executive Committee also serves as primary contact point for Arctic Six related issues, both within and between Partners.

7.2. Consists of twelve (12) members. Each Partner appoints two (2) members to the Executive Committee. Students are represented by two (2) members, appointed by the Arctic Six Students’ Team.

7.3. Convenes at least two (2) times every calendar year. Quorum is required and considered to be met if no fewer than six (6) persons are in attendance, including representatives from at least three of the five Partners.

7.4. The Director is responsible for the agenda and the notes.

7.5. Each partner has one (1) vote. Decisions are by a simple majority of affirmative or negative votes of those present and taking part in the vote. In the event of a tie, the motion fails; however, the Executive Committee will attempt to find consensus among its members. In case of a non-participating Partner at a meeting of the Executive Committee, their approval of decisions will be confirmed in consultation per capsulam.

7.6. The Executive Committee may appoint groups with different purposes and tasks to drive the collaboration forward.

10. The Arctic Six Students’ Team

10.1. The Arctic Six Students’ Team consists of twelve (12) members, two (2) from each Partner.

10.2. The Arctic Six Students’ Team constitutes itself with a chair and a vice-chair.

10.3. The Arctic Six Students’ Team appoints one (1) member to have a seat in the Rectors’ Council and two (2) members to be included in the Executive Committee.

10.4. The Arctic Six Student’s Team organizes their own meetings, decision making and reporting processes.

11. Financial support

11.1. Each Partner agrees to perform work and activities within its organization for development of the collaboration equal to a monetary sum of 150,000 (one hundred and fifty thousand) Euros.

The funding should be allocated and reported in accordance with decisions taken by the Rectors’ Council.

12. Changes to the Bylaws

12.1. The Executive Committee may propose changes of the Bylaws.

12.2. Ratification of any change requires a unanimous decision in the Rectors’ Council.

13. Exiting the Arctic Six collaboration

13.1. Participation of the undersigning Partners is on a voluntary basis. Should a Partner wish to leave the collaboration and decline the obligations of the Bylaws, a Partner is free to do so at their will and at any time by their own discretion. A Partner leaving commits to use its best efforts to make the exit as smooth as possible, e.g. reviewing all collaborative on-going and planned activities with the Executive Committee.