As a member of University of the Arctic (UArctic) – a network of universities, colleges, research institutes and other educational institutions in the circumpolar North – Aurora College students, staff and faculty have a number of opportunities to enhance their learning.
One key opportunity is north2north, which offers exchange opportunities with other UArctic members across the circumpolar North. In recent years, a number of students, staff, and faculty from Aurora College have travelled to other Nordic and Arctic regions, including Iceland, Greenland, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. Canadian member institutions are from Yukon, NWT, Nunavut, Labrador, and Quebec.
The flexible north2north program facilitates both short and longer-term encounters from a few weeks to a semester or a year in length. The aim of north2north is to provide northern students, faculty, and staff opportunities to share cultural and academic experiences across Nordic regions.
north2north participant Saraha Gillis is a second-year Office Administration student, born and raised in Yellowknife. She jumped at the opportunity to apply, as she had rarely previously travelled. Saraha says she has always been curious about the experiences of Indigenous peoples in other areas of the Circumpolar North and how they compare to the Northwest Territories.
Saraha was selected to travel to Finland and Norway for 10 days in November 2025 based on her application essay that linked the travel to her academic studies.
She journeyed to a number of destinations, including Helsinki, Rovaniemi, Inari, Kautokeino, and Alta. Her itinerary featured Arktikum Science Centre, Lapland University, Sami Education Institute, Siida Museum in Karasjok, Sami University of Applied Sciences, and University of Tromsø.
“It was an incredible experience,” exceeding her expectations. “You get to see so much, and you also get to engage with people from other cultures. We did things like reindeer rides and visited different campuses. It was also great to connect with the Sami people and have group discussions every night.”
Saraha shared the experience with nursing student Caitlin Seymour. A third-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing student and proud Metis woman from Fort Smith, Caitlin says she was attracted by the opportunity to meet new people from other cultures, especially Indigenous peoples in the circumpolar North.
“I’m Indigenous, so I grew up with a strong connection to my culture, and I’ve always loved learning about Indigenous cultures around the world—just to see the similarities and differences,” she notes.
Being able to contextualize her Indigenous culture within the Sami Indigenous cultures of Finland and Norway was something Caitlin found especially intriguing. “I didn’t learn a lot about nursing directly, but I learned a lot about myself as an Indigenous person. I did meet some people who shared their experiences with their healthcare systems, but that came up naturally in conversation.”
In many ways, the trip built on Caitlin’s previous efforts to share her life experiences with others in the region. For example, she had gained strong exposure to Sami and other cultures when she volunteered at the Arctic Winter Games in her community in 2018.
More recently, Caitlyn said second-year BSN class, “Relational Practice III: Connecting Across Differences”, helped her to appreciate that understanding other cultures is key to being a better nurse practitioner.
“Last semester, we had a whole course on connecting across cultures, and I thought this trip would align really well with that, even though it wasn’t directly related to nursing, It’s a relational practice class, and it’s about learning to understand and engage with cultural differences.”
Gloria Bott, Bachelor of Science in Nursing program instructor, has been a strong advocate for north2north funding for cultural exchange programs.
“There’s a significant amount of personal growth,” Bott says of the program’s impact on students. “It’s been a steady program since its launch, and the research we’ve conducted has really highlighted how valuable these international experiences are, not just for the students but for the broader academic community. It’s been a wonderful opportunity that continues to grow.”
Find out more information about north2north