National Antarctic Science Center of Ukraine joined the European Polar Board. Membership opens new opportunities for the study of the Arctic and Antarctic, as well as will improve the integration of Ukrainian science in the European research space.

“The European Polar Council is the European “elite club” of polar research, moreover, quite closed. Accession of the NASC is a great victory. One can even say that this event is the first swallow of Ukraine’s membership in the EU, because no country-member of the EU with its own polar research program can keep out of the cooperation within the Council”, – said Director of the National Polar Center Evgeniy Dikiy.

Now Ukrainian scientists could have access to common European programs and participate in it without time-consuming bureaucratic procedures. Also we will have an opportunity to use all scientific polar infrastructure of the Council members, which is especially important for Ukraine, because we don’t have our own stations in the Arctic, but we have ambitions to expand research in this region and our research icebreaker ship, which will help.

Moreover, now NASC is working on a new target program of polar research. Membership in the Council will allow to develop the program taking into account the best practices of the European polar science, which will ensure competitiveness of Ukrainian scientists in the EU.

Reference

European Polar Board is an independent organization focused on key strategic priorities in the Arctic and Antarctic. EPB members include research institutes, logistics operators, financing agencies, scientific academies and government ministries across Europe.

The EPB’s main approach to polar research is to develop a common European research space, where decisions on research or environmental initiatives in polar regions are based on independent, accurate and timely advice from leading European experts through the EPB mechanism.

Source: www.kmu.gov.ua