Yes, there are very specific challenges in partnering with southern-based research institutions to do meaningful work in Inuit Nunangat. I'd like to talk about a couple of partnerships we've had that have actually worked, but have only worked because there has been a true partnership approach from start to finish, and a very difficult time in doing it.
ArcticNet is one of these networks. It's housed at Université Laval and has received federal funding, most recently from the strategic science fund. Inuit are now partners with ArcticNet, along with the Inuit Circumpolar Council Canada, to chart the course of the next five years for this particular network. It brings together academics, industry, governments, Inuit and other indigenous peoples into a common research program. There's a partnership-based approach to this work.
I think there is a natural misunderstanding that many of us have with one another, whether it be the roles and responsibilities of the federal government or the particular makeup and rules around academia, and then the individuals who then come to us for partnerships, mostly principal investigators, professors with research chairs and their particular views on the world and thoughts about partnership. Then there's our governance, which is often not understood very well—without making that into a negative statement.
The ability for us to come together and work together does take time. It is, by its very nature, challenging. The terms and conditions that are put on all of us in all of our roles make the windows that we have to collaborate much smaller. But we have a common interest. As long as we can accept and celebrate all of the different priorities that we have together, I think that is the path forward.
The other example is the research partnership we've recently had with the United Kingdom, Polar Knowledge Canada and Inuit. We have done over 20 projects in relation to climate change adaptation. They have partnered with U.K. academics, Canadian academics and Inuit partners as well.
So there are examples of good work that's happening.