Organisation and Board of the Barents Institute

Favourable statements and moves towards creating the Barents Institute were made by the Norwegian "Bondevik II" government. The actual opening of the Institute was undertaken by the present government, led by Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, on the 1st of February 2006. The first year in operation was preceded by a year of preparation during which an interim board was in charge. It developed an outline for the first years of operation, and stated goals for the standard and scope of the research of the Institute. The interim board, active in 2005, consisted of Jarle Aarbakke Rector of the University of Tromsø, Sonni Olsen then Rector of Finnmark University College, Frode Mellemvik then Rector of Bodø University College, Sigbjørn Eriksen politician (Ap) Bodø and Svein Helge Orheim, Kirkenes. The first board of the BAI was proposed by the interim organisation and endorsed for 2006-2008 by the first general assembly of shareholders at the opening of the Institute. A list of its members is linked here.

The initial ownership of the Barents Institute was divided among a wide group of small shareholders from different sectors of society, in Norway as well as abroad. The main funding of the Institute was contributed by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, it was declared already on the opening of the Institute that this support was only going to be forthcoming during the initial years of operation. More stable funding for the future was secured in the spring of 2008 from the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research. This governmental decision is based on a condensation of the ownership of the Barents Institute to one holder: the University of Tromsø. The decision was endorsed by the final General Assembly of the original shareholders held in Kirkenes on the 14th October 2008.

The present (2008-) board has the following members: