Vice-rector for Research of St Petersburg University has been elected a member of the Board of the University of the Arctic

The international network UArctic unites more than 200 universities and scientific organisations of the world for interaction in the field of scientific research and education for the sustainable development of the northern regions and the comprehensive support of the peoples inhabiting them. St Petersburg University has been a member of the UArctic since 2012.

The governing structure of the University of the Arctic is the Board (UArctic Board of Governors), which consists of 15 members. They are responsible for: defining the organisation’s strategy and infrastructure; coordinating the work of the national universities that are members of the network; and also for interacting with governmental and non-governmental organisations of countries whose universities are members of the UArctic.

«Such position in the most authoritative network university in the world undoubtedly opens up new opportunities for the development of international contacts and the strengthening of the academic reputation of St Petersburg University,» said Vice-Rector of St Petersburg University Sergey Aplonov.

«For me, this is a great honour and responsibility, because it is the successful international cooperation that ensures the high prestige of our University in the world scientific community: and gives it the status of the leading scientific and expert organisation of the Russian Federation. This is confirmed by the performance of St Petersburg University in prestigious world ratings, » said Sergei Aplonov.

Studies in the field of the Arctic play an important role in the scientific and educational work of St Petersburg University. The University implements a number of educational programmes on polar and marine research, as well as the integrated development of the Arctic region. Students practice annually in the Arctic. It is no coincidence that the first ever congress of the University of the Arctic was held in September 2016 in St Petersburg University.

St Petersburg University develops academic cooperation with more than 1,700 scientific and educational organisations around the world. Participation of scientists in major scientific projects strengthens greatly the academic reputation of St Petersburg University.

One of the most striking examples of such studies is the international project for studying the geological structure of the Arctic «Changes at the top of the Earth: volcanism and plate tectonics. Norwegian-Russian-North American cooperation in science and education ».

«The study of the geological structure of the Arctic complicates its cross-border location — often geologists of different countries study "their" national areas in the region, which subsequently makes it difficult to create a complete picture of its structure. The project mentioned above is aimed at joint research by scientists from Norway, Russia, Canada and the United States. This will allow us to obtain new cross-border data,» said Sergey Aplonov.

Integrated development of the Arctic territories, including the issues of prospecting and exploration of new mineral deposits, rational use of natural resources, and protection of Arctic ecosystems is on the agenda today. St Petersburg University actively participates in these processes as an expert and scientific and educational centre, uniting leading scientists and preparing a new generation of researchers of the Arctic.