The famous polar researcher and the Russian President’s special aide on Arctic and Antarctic affairs is appointed scientific leader of the University of the Arctic’s (UArctic) first research office, which opened at the Northern Arctic Federal University (NArFU) in Arkhangelsk today.
UArctic President Lars Kullerud and NArFU Rector Yelena Kudryashova signing the agreement on opening of the research office (Photo Trude Pettersen)
UArctic is a cooperative network of universities, colleges, and other organizations committed to higher education and research in the North. UArctic has more than 140 member institutions in all eight Arctic states. The members share resources, facilities, and expertise to build post-secondary education programs that are relevant and accessible to northern students.
- Our goal is to educate students from northern universities for future positions in the Arctic Council and other international institutions, said UArctic President Lars Kullerud at the opening.
UArctic is a decentralized organization, with offices, programs and other functions hosted at member institutions in the Circumpolar North. The administration is located at the University of Lapland in Rovaniemi, Finland. But until now the network has not had its own office for research.
Rector Yelena Kudryashova is plased with the new research office being located at NArFU: -This is a clear demonstration of the strength of Arctic science in Russia. (Photo: Trude Pettersen)
- We distribute responsibility on all member countries, and when it comes to research on the Arctic, Russia was the obvious choice, Kullerud said.
The office will be led by Marina Kalinina, Vice Rector for International Cooperation at NArFU.
Kullerud sees the establishment of a research office as a critical step in creating a collective capacity for UArctic members to coordinate research on the Arctic. Many of UArctic’s members are perceived as smaller actors, and risk being marginalized by larger institutions from outside the region when it comes to high level research projects. The new office will help to promote the collective capacity of these members and strengthen the role of northern institutions in Arctic research.
