UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS

IN 1979, MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY MADE THE COMMITMENT to put a full-time unit in Labrador, to connect the university to the North and the North to the university.

Now, over 40 years later, Memorial made another historic decision and created the new School of Arctic and Sub-Arctic Studies at the Labrador Institute in July 2020 – the first ever academic unit in Labrador – and is currently working to establish a full Labrador campus.

With a new mission and mandate to develop Northern-based and Indigenous-led undergraduate and graduate degrees, diplomas, and certificates, and to expand infrastructure in Labrador, the Labrador Institute is embarking on an exciting new journey of transition and transformation. And we are not taking this journey alone. As part of our commitment we aim to grow research, education, and infrastructure, for the first time ever at Memorial University. The newly-formed Academic Council of the School of Arctic and Sub-Arctic Studies has voting seats for an elected member from each of the Indigenous governments in Labrador, and an Elder. This means that all academic activities of the School of Arctic and Sub-Arctic Studies will include leadership and input from all three Indigenous groups.

Establishing a Labrador campus means creating a brighter educational future for the region, enabling learners of all ages and interests to thrive and flourish, while contributing to a stronger North and a stronger province for years to come.

THE FUTURE IS NORTH

The future is indeed bright and exciting in Labrador, as the new School of Arctic and Sub-Arctic Studies begins to grow and as plans for a Labrador campus continue to take shape. Memorial’s expanded presence in Labrador – and the ongoing work with and leadership from representatives of the Innu Nation, the Nunatsiavut Government, and the NunatuKavut Community Council – honours the strength, resiliency and innovation of Labrador, and begins to heal past wrongs and inequities in access to post-secondary education. 

This is a future that both acknowledges and celebrates the transformational opportunities that arise when education is offered in place, reflective of the peoples, lands and waters of the region. Access to educational opportunities in place is a fundamental right; and the School of Arctic and Sub-Arctic Studies, the Labrador Institute and Memorial University are up for that responsibility. Establishing a Labrador campus means creating a brighter educational future for the region, and enabling learners of all ages and interests to thrive and flourish, while contributing to a stronger North and a stronger province for years to come. It will contribute to Northern sovereignty through research and education. And it will be a place for people to learn and grow, create and mobilize, dream and aspire – in the North, by the North, for the North.