Longtime Alaska Researcher Returning to Roots in Germany

Hajo Eicken, director of the International Arctic Research Center, will lead the Alfred Wegener Institute in his hometown of Bremerhaven.

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

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Hajo Eicken, the director of the International Arctic Research Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, is set to return to his hometown of Bremerhaven, Germany, on March 9, 2026, to become the leader of the Alfred Wegener Institute, where he started his career. Despite having a smooth career path laid out for him in Germany, Eicken felt drawn to Alaska's easier access to sea ice and the opportunity to work closely with the local Inupiat community, whose traditional knowledge he deeply values.

Why it matters

Eicken's career in Alaska coincided with a dramatic decline in Arctic sea ice, and his work integrating Indigenous knowledge has been crucial for understanding the rapid environmental changes in the region. His transition back to Germany represents a full circle in his career, as he brings the lessons learned in Alaska to lead one of the premier Arctic research institutes in Europe.

The details

Eicken initially worked at the Alfred Wegener Institute in Bremerhaven, Germany, but found it difficult to access sea ice, as it required lengthy icebreaker voyages. In 1998, he got an opportunity to study at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where he had much easier access to the sea ice off the coast of Utqiaġvik (formerly Barrow). Over the years, Eicken built strong relationships with the local Inupiat community, learning from their traditional knowledge about sea ice and the environment. He came to value the Inupiat as the equivalent of scientists with doctorates, and their insights have been crucial to his research on the dramatic decline of Arctic sea ice.

  • Eicken will return to Bremerhaven, Germany, on March 9, 2026.
  • Eicken has lived in Fairbanks, Alaska, for the past 28 years.

The players

Hajo Eicken

The director of the International Arctic Research Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, who is set to return to his hometown of Bremerhaven, Germany, to lead the Alfred Wegener Institute, where he started his career.

Billy Adams

A 60-year-old lifelong Utqiaġvik resident and Inupiaq whaling captain, who has helped Eicken with his research over the years.

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What they’re saying

“He wanted us to show him some types (of sea ice). He was very professional about it and we were very eager to help him out.”

— Billy Adams, Inupiaq whaling captain (kvakradio.com)

“The Inupiat already knew so much about the transformation going on (when sea ice extent diminished to a record low level in 2007). They might be monitoring 150 different variables across all areas of the environment.”

— Hajo Eicken (kvakradio.com)

What’s next

Eicken will continue working in Alaska and the rest of the Arctic as he transitions to the larger Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany, and he will continue to collaborate with the local Inupiat community.

The takeaway

Eicken's career journey highlights the value of integrating Indigenous knowledge into scientific research, especially in rapidly changing environments like the Arctic. His return to Germany represents an opportunity to bring these lessons learned in Alaska to a leading European Arctic research institute.