St Petersburg University and UArctic are creating the Analytical Centre for Arctic Studies

The new centre is to become a consultative expert body of the UArctic international network for the development of an Arctic data analysis system. This structure will provide the entire Arctic research community with qualitative analytics. It will inform about trends, challenges and new opportunities in education, science and technology, as well as the development of cooperation in the field of the study of the North. Leading implementers of the project will be St Petersburg University and the University of Tromsø (Norway).

The scope of the Centre’s tasks includes: the analysis of the involvement of scientific and educational organisations in the activities of the University of the Arctic and their publications in the field of Northern research; benchmarking; development of interaction between different UArctic thematic networks; increasing the representation of the results of Arctic studies in the information field; and improving the quality of visualisation of available information about the Arctic.

«The project will enable the collection of available information about the Arctic region and, as a result, the taking of more balanced decisions on its development, based on qualitative analytics. For our university it is an opportunity at a new level to present our resources and competencies in the Arctic academic community, as well as to realize our research potential in this field,» said Vice-Rector for Research of St Petersburg University Sergey Aplonov.

Arctic research plays an important role in the scientific and educational work carried out by St Petersburg University both in Russia and internationally. So, the receipt of applications for the St Petersburg University competition has been completed, which was conducted to develop research, educational programmes and innovative projects related to the study of the Arctic and the North. Based on the results of this grant competition, it is planned to create a centre that will develop research and expert activities in St Petersburg University related to the comprehensive study and development of the Arctic.

In addition, a number of educational programmes are being implemented at St Petersburg University dedicated to polar and marine research, as well as to the comprehensive development of the Arctic region. Students of the university annually practice 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.

The comprehensive development of the Arctic territories, including the search and exploration of new mineral deposits, the rational use of natural resources, and the protection of Arctic ecosystems was on the agenda. 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.