The 17th Arctic Ungulate Conference
May 10-14, 2027, Rovaniemi, Finland.
The 17th Arctic Ungulate Conference (AUC) will take place in Rovaniemi, Finland, on 10–14 May 2027. Held every four years, AUC is a well-established international conference series bringing together people working with Arctic ungulates and their ecology, conservation, and management.
Arctic and northern ecosystems are undergoing rapid ecological, climatic, social, and economic change. The 2027 theme, Arctic ungulates in modern environments, sets the stage for timely discussions and invites participants to explore how research, management, local knowledge, and policy can help address the challenges Arctic ungulates are facing today.
We expect approximately 250 participants, with strong representation from Fennoscandia as well as attendees from North America and other Arctic regions. We particularly encourage students, early-career professionals as well as hunters, reindeer herders and other ungulate-based pastoralists to participate and contribute their diverse perspectives, experiences, and areas of expertise.
Important Dates
- Call for abstracts opens: late summer 2026
- Abstract submission deadline: 30 September 2026
- Notification of abstract acceptance: 30 November 2026
- Registration opens: 1 December 2026
- Early bird registration closes: 28 February 2027
- Registration closes: 18 April 2027
Registration fees will be announced before registration opens. We are working to keep the conference accessible by offering reduced fees for students and independent practitioners. We are currently seeking sponsors to support this aim.
We hope to see you in Rovaniemi!
Help us bring the conference to life by sharing your photos!
We invite participants to share one or more photos that could be used to make the conference website and materials more visually engaging. Please only send photos for which you have the full usage rights and permissions. Selected photos used on the website or in other conference materials will be rewarded with a small prize at the conference. Send your photos to Sirpa Rasmus (sirpa.rasmus at ulapland.fi).
About the Conference
Held every four years, the Arctic Ungulate Conference brings together researchers, wildlife managers, reindeer herders and other pastoralists, students, and other professionals working with northern ungulates. Under the theme Arctic ungulates in modern environments, the 17th AUC offers a forum to discuss challenges, opportunities, and the future of Arctic ungulate conservation, management, and research in the face of increasing human pressures and a changing climate.
Hosted by the University of Lapland and Lapland University of Applied Sciences, in collaboration with the Natural Resources Institute Finland, Reindeer Herders Association of Finland, and LIFEline4Fennicus-project, the conference will take place in the heart of Finnish Lapland. University consortium facilities in Rovaniemi provide the perfect setting for this important knowledge exchange.
- University of Lapland
- Lapland University of Applied Sciences
- Reindeer Herders Association of Finland
- Natural Resources Institute Finland
- LIFEline4Fennicus
The call for abstracts will open in late summer 2026, and the deadline for abstract submission will be 30 September 2026. The scientific committee will provide presentation format details closer to the call.
Practical arrangements:
University Researcher Sirpa Rasmus
Arctic Centre, University of Lapland
sirpa.rasmus(at)ulapland.fi
Scientific programme:
Professor Bruce C. Forbes
Arctic Centre, University of Lapland
bruce.forbes(at)ulapland.fi
Sponsors and exhibitors:
Senior Scientist Antti Pekkarinen
Natural Resources Institute Finland
antti-juhani.pekkarinen(at)luke.fi
+358295 322 529
Organising Committee
- University Researcher Sirpa Rasmus (Arctic Centre, University of Lapland)
- Research Professor Bruce C. Forbes (Arctic Centre, University of Lapland)
- Research Professor Florian Stammler (Arctic Centre, University of Lapland)
- Senior Lecturer Kirsi Muuttoranta (Lapland University of Applied Sciences)
- Research Professor Juha Kantanen (Natural Resources Institute Finland, Luke)
- Senior Scientist Antti-Juhani Pekkarinen (Natural Resources Institute Finland, Luke)
- Senior Specialist Sanna Hast (Finnish Reindeer Herders’ Association)
- Senior Specialist Milla Niemi (Metsähallitus, LIFEline4Fennicus project)
Conference abstracts will be published in the journal Rangifer as a Rangifer Report, and a printed abstract book will be distributed to conference participants.
The first day of the conference will be a pre-conference workshop targeted especially to practitioners. Following AUC tradition, one conference day will be reserved for an excursion. The excursion sites are located within a two-hour drive of Rovaniemi, and bus transport will be arranged. A small participation fee will apply to cover the direct costs of organising the excursions. After the conference, participants can also join an optional three-day field trip focusing on wild forest reindeer conservation (separate registration).
More detailed information on workshop, excursion options and the field trip will be provided closer to the conference.
Sponsors play a vital role in making the 17th Arctic Ungulate Conference both welcoming and accessible. Their support helps us keep registration fees at a reasonable level, especially for students and practitioners, and enables high-quality arrangements that benefit all participants. We also see AUC as an excellent meeting place for dialogue between participants and companies and other exhibitors—an opportunity to share innovations, practical solutions, and perspectives, and to build new connections across research, management, and livelihoods.
If you are interested in sponsoring the conference or joining as an exhibitor, please contact Antti Pekkarinen; antti-juhani.pekkarinen(at)luke.fi (+358295 322 529).
The conference is supported by the Federation of Finnish Learned Societies.
The Arctic Ungulate Society was founded in 1999 with the aim to foster studies of Arctic Ungulates, particularly reindeer/caribou and muskoxen, through the continuation of the Arctic Ungulate Conference (AUC). Arctic Ungulate Conferences are held every four years. The Arctic Ungulate Society decides on the selection of venue and aids in the organization of conferences.