Understanding and responding to the impact of environmental and social change in the Arctic requires ever more coordinated and successful international cooperation. Researchers, policy and decision-makers based in the United Kingdom have key roles to play. This section, focussing on international cooperation and engagement, identifies a number of the key opportunities for engagement and the role that the NERC Arctic Office takes.

Arctic Science Ministers’ meeting

Arctic Science Ministers from the eight Arctic States and Arctic Council Observers, including the United Kingdom, will meet in Berlin 25-26 October 2018 for the 2nd Arctic Science Ministers’ meeting. This event, organised jointly by Germany, Finland and the European Commission, is intended to reinforce national and international cooperation in observing, understanding and responding to climatic, environmental and social change in the Arctic. It will build on the first meeting, held in Washington DC in September 2016. Details on the outcomes of that meeting can be found here. The details on the 2018 meeting are being developed, but will see a full-day science conference on the first day with invited participants from over 20 countries, followed by the Science Ministers meeting the following day to address the key issue. It is expected that a joint Ministerial statement will be agreed.

The NERC Arctic Office is closely involved, with partners in Government, in the planning for this event.

UK-Russia research cooperation

2017 and 2018 have seen significant engagement by the NERC Arctic Office, in combination with partners, in supporting UK-based researchers to extend their Arctic research to the Russian Arctic. Working with the UK Science and Innovation Network Teams in Moscow and St Petersburg the Office has promoted the strength, skills and interests of UK-based researchers at multi-day meetings in Arkhangelsk and Salekhard. In December 2017 we led a workshop at the Aurora Innovation Centre in Cambridge for 60 researchers to promote the opportunities of working in the Russian Arctic, identify difficult technical and access issues and to share solutions and next steps. With financial support from BEIS in March 2018 we are bringing together British and Russian early career researchers at events in Moscow and Cambridge to exchange ideas, build connections and explore the potential for future collaboration. Over the course of the coming year we will be further strengthening UK-Russia Arctic research engagement and opportunities.

UKPN and APECS Russia researchers at the 1st UK-Russia Arctic Workshop, Moscow, March 2018

To keep up to date on opportunities for international engagement, please sign up to our mailing list here.