Roscongress Foundation Chairman of the Board and CEO Alexander Stuglev and University of the Arctic President Lars Kullerud on 9 April signed a cooperation agreement to establish effective communication between expert, business, and political communities in the Arctic region and the Russian Federation as part of the scientific and educational spaces of the Arctic regions.
“We are interested in developing common communication platforms at the international level in order to generate interstate cooperation in various areas. One of our key objectives is to help strengthen existing partnerships as well as to find and develop new long-term partnerships between representatives of the business communities of the Arctic region”, Stuglev said.
The parties agreed to provide mutual advisory, informational, and expert support on pertinent issues on the scientific and educational agenda of the Arctic.
The University of the Arctic is the leading network for cooperation in higher education and scientific research in the subarctic region. Kullerud said that he welcomes this partnership as a way to combine the knowledge and experience of both countries, which are essential for expanding international exploration in the Russian Arctic: “The Arctic already has extensive experience working at such events as the International Arctic Forum 2019. With this agreement, the University of the Arctic and the Roscongress Foundation will expand economic development opportunities for the people of the North, students, and researchers who can work closely with businesses and governments of various countries to ensure the prosperous and sustainable development of the Arctic”.
The University of the Arctic (UArctic) consists of an international network of universities, colleges, research institutes, and other organizations involved in education and research in the North.
At present, the University of the Arctic is one of the most successful examples of international cooperation. The university promotes the growth of human potential in the North, the sustainable development of local communities and the economy as well as the creation of global partnerships.
The University has official observer status on the Arctic Council. The University of the Arctic has two administrative offices in Russia: a research office in Arkhangelsk (based at the Northern (Arctic) Federal University) and the Russian-language centre for information support in Yakutsk (based at North-Eastern Federal University).
“The development strategy of Russia’s Arctic zone designates international relations as one of the priorities for the development of the Arctic territory. The Arctic is a space for international dialogue and cooperation, and its scientific development should take place in close cooperation with foreign partners”, said Marina Kalinina, Vice President of the University of the Arctic and advisor to the rector of Northern (Arctic) Federal University for international cooperation. “Russia is one of the active members of the Consortium. Our country is represented by 53 participants”.
