The northernmost
place to study
UNIS is the world’s northernmost higher education institution. Since 1993 we have educated the next Arctic experts, and carried out research from Svalbard.
UNIS at a glance
- students from 43 countries (2019)
- 743
- students from 43 countries (2019)
- Norwegian and 50 % international students
- 50 %
- Norwegian and 50 % international students
- full professors
- 12
- full professors
- associate professors
- 15
- associate professors
- professor II
- 36
- professor II
- guest lecturers specialised in Arctic issues
- 160
- guest lecturers specialised in Arctic issues
Four science departments, three support departments and the Arctic Safety Centre, with 40 administrative staff.
Why UNIS exists
UNIS was established in 1993 to provide university-level education in Arctic studies, carry out high-quality research, and help develop Svalbard as an international research platform.
Our location is our advantage: students and staff use nature as a laboratory, an arena for observation and data collection. Through this work, UNIS also contributes to the community in Longyearbyen and Svalbard, in line with Norway’s Svalbard policy.
UNIS courses supplement the education at universities on the mainland. All courses are taught in English, and there are no tuition fees.
Partner universities
A joint agreement on research and education in Svalbard with nine mainland universities.
- UiT The Arctic University of Norway
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
- University of Oslo (UiO)
- University of Bergen (UiB)
- Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)
- Nord University
- University of Stavanger (UiS)
- University of Agder (UiA)
- University of South-Eastern Norway (USN)
Organisation
The University Centre in Svalbard AS is a state-owned limited company, owned and administered by the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research.
UNIS is led by director Jøran I. Moen. A leader group advises the director and links the departments’ research and teaching.
The Svalbard Science Centre
UNIS is the core institution of the 12,000 m² centre, opened in April 2006. It also houses Svalbard Museum, the Norwegian Polar Institute’s Svalbard office, SIOS and Svalbard Science Forum.
Board of Directors
The highest body at UNIS, with overall responsibility for the company.
| Name | From |
|---|---|
| Robert BjerknesChair | University of Bergen |
| Kjerstin AskholtDeputy Chair | The Police |
| Solveig Kristensen | University of Oslo |
| Siri Kalvig | Nysnø |
| Arne Oskar Smalås | UiT The Arctic University of Norway |
| Roger Midtstraum | NTNU |
| Karine Margrethe Hauan | Longyearbyen Local Council |
| Thomas So | Employee representative |
| Janne Søreide | Employee representative |
| Elise Ida Blum Samuelsen | Employee representative |
| Linnea Holmquist Aarvik | Student representative |
| Truls OsenObserver |