Briefing Note
25 Years of the International Arctic Science Committee
(IASC)
Malgorzata Smieszek
The Arctic Council (AC) is generally considered the primary circumpolar forum for international
cooperation in the region (Graczyk 2012; Koivurova 2009). This view is reflected in the increasing
interest that the Council has attracted over the last couple of years – both from the non-Arctic states
and actors as well as from Arctic nations, in particular the United States which holds the AC
Chairmanship from 2015 to 2017. Yet, while the Arctic Council is coming to its 20th anniversary in
2016, another body established by the eight Arctic states celebrates this year twenty-five years of its
operation.
The International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) founded in 1990 is a non-governmental
international scientific organization, which today encompasses national science organizations from 23
countries conducting research in and on the Arctic. Over the past 25 years IASC has evolved into the
leading international science entity focused on the North and thus the anniversary provides an
excellent opportunity to recall its beginnings and to reflect upon its evolution, achievements made to
date and challenges that lay ahead of it in future.
Foundation of IASC
The initiative for the development of IASC drew largely on the history of polar exploration (Keskitalo
2004) and international scientific cooperation in the Arctic that began in the late 19th century with the
Malgorzata Smieszek has been the IASC Fellow since 2014, and a researcher and PhD Student at the Arctic Centre,
University of Lapland. She is also a member of the Organizing Committee of the Arctic Observing Summit to take place
in Fairbanks in March 2016.