Arctic Frontiers IPY roundtable conference

Over a ten-year period, Norway will make an active and visible contribution to IPY. The Norwegian Polar Institute and the Research Council of Norway will lead this work; The Research Council will be responsible for an IPY secretariat, while the Polar Institute will chair an academic committee. They therefore hosted the round table conference in Tromsø, which brought together key international players. 

An International Polar Year is by its nature an international initiative. The main purpose of the debate "Beyond Discussion" was to get an early status of other countries' national plans, strategies and initiatives – and not least expectations.

At the roundtable conference in Tromsø, it was clear that the time up to 2032 is needed to consolidate national and international initiatives – and not least to ensure both good coordination and funding.

Nowhere on the planet is climate change happening faster than in the polar regions. New records are set every single year. What happens in the polar regions affects the entire globe at the same time. The round table emphasised the need for a major and joint international effort. IPY is an opportunity to ensure a better understanding of the soil and climate system through new knowledge and solutions.

Director Camilla Brekke of the Norwegian Polar Institute emphasized the many and major challenges – but also the opportunities:

– We are facing a triple crisis with climate change, loss of biodiversity and pollution. At the same time, we have an increasingly dynamic world that also affects our ambitions. The world is struggling to achieve the Paris goals. The next International Polar Year gives us an opportunity to raise the big questions. It is also an opportunity to strengthen interdisciplinary polar research – by integrating natural sciences, social sciences and indigenous perspectives. And what about technology development? We have the Arctic and the Southern Ocean, the land areas, the glaciers in the Arctic, the ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland, and the air above – but what about the space domain? The needs and opportunities are almost endless, but where should we draw the line, and how should we prioritize?

Mari Sundli Tveit, Director General of the Research Council of Norway, also emphasised the importance of collaboration and how funding also crosses national borders:

– We are facing major global crises, and it is crucial that we develop new knowledge through research to create sustainable development. The results of research must be used by decision-makers, the business community and society, and made known to the general public. Polar research transcends national borders, and so does funding. It is therefore crucial that researchers and funding actors work closely together. The next International Polar Year is a fantastic opportunity to strengthen this international cooperation.

At the conference, the following key topics were touched upon

• The international cooperation related to IPY.
• The balance between national priorities and international cooperation.
• The balance between national and international calls, strategies and projects.
• Funding bodies' need for IPY coordination.

These key players in polar research and funding participated in the roundtable conference

Prof. Camilla Brekke - NPI - Director, Norway
Prof. Mari Sundli Tveit -Research Council of Norway - Chief Executive, Norway
Dr. Nalan Koc -NPI - Moderator, Norway
Mr.  Jon L. Fuglestad - Arctic Science Funders Forum - Chair, Norway/Arctic
Mr. Henry Burgess - IASC - President, UK/Arctic
Dr. Gerlis Fugmann - IASC - Executive Secretary, Arctic 
Prof. Eva Falleth - RCN - Executive Director, Norway
Prof. Jane Francis - BAS - Director, UK
Prof. David Hik - Polar Knowledge Canada - Executive Director, Canada
Ms. Sara Olsvig - ICC - International Chair, Canada/Greenland/Alaska
Dr. Sarah Strand - APECS -Executive Director, Arctic 
Prof. Katarina Gardfeldt - Swedish Polar Research Secretariat - Director, Sweden
Dr. Johanna Ikävalko - Arctic Centre, Uni Lapland - Director, Finland
Prof. Hiroyuki Enomoto - NIPR, Japan
Dr. Takeshi Kawano - JAMSTEC - Executive Director, Japan
Prof. Peter Sköld - European Polar Board - Chair, Europe
Dr. Nicole Biebow - AWI - Head of staff unit for International Coopiration at the Alfred W. Institute, Germany
Dr. Rolf Rødven - AMAP - Executive Secretary, Arctic 
Prof. Dag Avango - Luleå Technical University - Director of The Arctic Six, Sweden
Dr. Emilia Kyung Jin - KOPRI - Strategy Director, Korea
Rear Admiral - TVN Prasanna - National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) of India -  Joint Secretary, India
Dr. Aparna Shukla - Ministry of Earth Sciences - Scientist, India
Dr. Gino Casassa - INACH - Director INACH, Chile
H.E Luis Plaza Gentina - Ambassador to Chile in Norway, Ambassador Chile
Dr. Jon Børre Ørbæk - NFR - Special Advisor, Norway
Dr. Christina Abildgaard - NFR - Department Director, Norway
Dr. Arild Sundfjord - NPI - Program Leader, Norway
Dr. Birgit Njåstad - NPI - Program Leader, Norway
Dr. Harald Steen - NPI - Department Director, Norway
Dr. Krzysztof Jóźwiak - National Science Centre - Director, Poland
Ambassador Chung Byungha - Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Ambassador to the Poles, Korea
Mr. Jihoon Jeong - KOPRI - Head of Office of Global Cooperation, Korea
Dr. Maria Chiara Carrozza - National Research Council of Italy -President, Italy
Mr. Shannon Jenkins - US Coast Guard - Senior Arctic Policy Advisor, USA
Prof. Giuliana Panieri - Italian Polar Research Institute - Director, Italy
Dr. Christina Pedersen - NPI -Senior Advisor, Norway