The Center of Polar Issues Studies was approved as one of the national-level international and regional research centers by China’s Ministry of Education in June 2017. It became a member of China-Nordic Arctic Research Center (CNARC) in May 2018 and a member of the Northeast Asia Arctic Shipping Research Alliance on 29 October 2020. On 24 December 2020, the Center was awarded the title of the international and regional research center with a high-level construction by the Ministry of Education.
Relying on applied economics, foreign language and literature, pedagogy, management, and other disciplines, the Center focuses its research on polar governance and policies, polar economic cooperation, polar regional culture and education, and polar sustainable development.