A European organisation coordinating polar science is moving from The Hague to Umeå. Sweden’s Minister for Education and Research says he wants to strengthen science in the Arctic and Antarctic.
From 2025, the University of Umeå in Sweden will be home to the European Polar Board, an organisation that has been working to build European polar research since 1995. This independent body is involved in eight major research projects, such as POLARIN, which connects 64 polar research infrastructures with 50 institutions in 21 countries. The European Polar Board serves as a meeting point and information hub for universities, institutes, logistics operators, funding agencies and decision-making bodies. Announced on May 28 via a press release, the European Polar Board’s intention to relocate its secretariat to Sweden had already been revealed by the publication of a job advertisement at the beginning of May.
The organisation is still looking for an Executive Director to “advance the coordination of polar research, foster multilateral collaboration and share knowledge”. He or she will take over from Dr Renuka Badhe at the head of the organisation until December. The post will be based in Umeå for a period of five years, corresponding to the hosting period. After ten years in The Hague in the Netherlands, the European Polar Board is moving from the 52nd parallel north to the 63rd, and Sweden is asserting its ambitions in polar research with this move.
“The government’s commitment to addressing climate impacts in the Arctic and Antarctic is strengthened by this collaboration, advancing our global leadership in scientific research and cooperation,” says Mats Persson, Minister for Education, the Swedish Government.
Until now, Sweden’s ambitions in polar research have been more closely linked to the Arctic, with Umeå University belonging to a group of universities known as The Arctic Five. This consortium includes, in addition to Umeå, the University of Lapland, Norwegian Arctic University (UiT), the University of Oulu and Luleå University of Technology. On LinkedIn, it describes itself as a scientific player in the “key areas of mining, renewable energy, health and well-being, education, regional development and issues relating to Sápmi/indigenous people.”
Umeå University Vice-Chancellor Hans Adolfsson says, “Hosting the EPB demonstrates our desire to cooperate and take the lead in the global scientific community, showing Sweden’s ambition to shape the future of the polar regions” The European Polar Board is pleased with this welcome. “In particular, the lively university environment and the direct proximity to the university’s students and scientists will certainly have a positive impact on the EPB’s future work”, remarked Dr Nicole Biebow, Chair of the European Polar Board. One of the missions of this organisation is to become a key point of exchange between polar scientists and political decision-makers, such as the European Commission.
Camille Lin, Polar Journal AG
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