“2018-2023: Enhancing Knowledge and Understanding of the Arctic”
At their annual meeting, the Council of the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) approved a new strategic plan.
IASC’s core mission is to encourage and facilitate cooperation throughout the Arctic research community. Working to achieve this mission, this new plan is based on three scientific ‘pillars’ that provide direction for a necessary progression from knowledge production, to exchange, to action: Facilitating Arctic Research Cooperation, Promoting Engagement, and Ensuring Knowledge Exchange.
“Considering the profound changes currently taking place in the Arctic, a greater scientific understanding of the region and its role in the Earth system is needed. Importantly, this information must be passed on to policy and decision makers. IASC’s Strategic Plan will assist in this endeavor,” former IASC President Dr. Susan Barr said.
IASC‘s leadership and scientific working groups will now begin implementation of the plan. As IASC aims to serve the whole Arctic science community, IASC encourages the community to reach out to the members of the IASC Council and Working Groups to provide input and suggestions.
The full plan is available for download on the IASC website: https://iasc.info/strategic-plan
New IASC Leadership
In addition, the IASC Council elected a new president and two new vice-presidents to its Executive Committee. Congratulations to:
- Larry Hinzman (President, USA)
- Henry Burgess (Vice-President, UK)
- Paula Kankaanpää (Vice-President, Finland)
Vice-President Vladimir Pavlenko (Russia) was re-elected, and Vice-President Huigen Yang (China) continues. Sincere thanks for Susan Barr (former President) and Naja Mikkelsen (former Vice-President) for their service.
As they begin and continue their four-year terms, the IASC Executive Committee operates as a board of directors and manages IASC’s activities between Council meetings; this group meets twice a year to discuss and evaluate science initiatives, look at new opportunities for international cooperation, prepare the agenda for Council meetings and review the budget.
2018 Bulletin
Last, but not least, IASC released its 2018 Bulletin, reporting on the IASC-supported activites over the past years. In it, the five IASC Working Groups (Atmosphere, Cryosphere, Marine, Social & Human, Terrestrial) share exciting scientific highlights of their international and interdisciplinary work, IASC partners share their synergistic activities, and IASC leadership and Fellows share their perspectives on working with IASC.
You can download the new Bulletin, as well as previous issues, here: https://iasc.info/outreach/bulletin
All of these announcements are coming from the annual Arctic Science Summit Week, which is part of Polar2018 this year – an international science event bringing together the world’s leading experts and decision makers working in the Arctic and Antarctic, 15-26 June in Davos, Switzerland.