CNARC is jointly initiated and founded by four Chinese institutions and six Nordic institutions in June 2013. CNARC is the only multilateral Arctic cooperative research and exchange mechanism established and led by China. Its development has actively promoted the exchange of Arctic policy and cooperative research between China and Nordic countries. Currently, CNARC has 18 member institutions, held 7 seminars, funded more than 20 scholars to conduct cross-border visits, and organized and published 1 special issue and 2 monographs.

Chinese member institutions:

1. Polar Research Institute of China (PRIC)

2. Shanghai Institute of International Studies (SIIS)

3. Tongji University (TJU)

4. Dalian Maritime University (DMU)

5. Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU)

6. Ocean University of China (OUC)

7. Shanghai Ocean University (SOU)

8. South China Business College of Guangdong University of Foreign Studies (GDUFS) 

Nordic member institutions:

1. University of Lapland (Finland)

2. Icelandic Center for Research (Iceland)

3. The University of Akureyri (Iceland)

4. Nordic Institute of Asian Studies (Denmark)

5. Norwegian Polar Institute (Norway)

6. Fridtjof Nansen Institute (Norway)

7. The Arctic University of Norway - UiT (Norway)

8. Nord University (Norway)

9. Umeå University (Sweden)

10. Swedish Polar Research Secretariat (Sweden)