For the the 8th year in a row, the International Polar Foundation, along with its many partners, are proud to host the next annual Arctic Futures Symposium in Brussels on Monday November 20th, at the Residence Palace in Brussels' EU Quarter.
Organised in conjunction with the Nordic regional offices, the missions and representations of several Arctic states in Brussels, and with the financial support of the Brussels Capital Region, the 2017 symposium will welcome Arctic stakeholders to the seat of the European Institutions to hold a public dialogue about key issues facing the Arctic and Arctic stakeholders for the benefit of the EU and the general public.
The theme of this year’s symposium will be “Smart and Sustainable Investment for the Arctic’s Future”. Following a series of opening keynote speeches from distinguished speakers from the EU and Arctic countries, the symposium will host a roundtable discussion with Senior Arctic Officials and representatives from the foreign ministries of Arctic nations. Following this, the symposium will look at:
The full programme and a list of confirmed speakers for this year’s symposium can be found on the Arctic Futures Symposium website, along with a full list of partner organisations.
The event is open and free of charge. Anyone who is interested in Arctic issues is welcome to attend. However, for security and logistical reasons, registration is mandatory. Those interested in attending can register directly via the event website.
For any inquiries related to the Arctic Futures Symposium, please contact the event organisers directly at events@polarfoundation.org or +32 (0)2 520 34 40.
We look forward to seeing many of you at the symposium!
The long and difficult chapter concerning the dispute over the management and operation of Princess Elisabeth Station research station has come to a close, or one might say, has turned a page. Zuhal Demir, Belgian Federal Secretary of State for Science Policy and Alain Hubert, Founder and President of the International Polar Foundation (IPF), shook hands on a new agreement to reset PEA on a positive course for collaborative international scientific research on the icy continent.
Background
The International Polar Foundation and its private partners conceived of and built the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica research station in the Dronning Maud Land region of East Antarctica. Princess Elisabeth is the first polar research station designed to run entirely on renewable energy sources (wind and solar power). Construction was completed in February 2009, and in March 2010 the International Polar Foundation donated the station to the Belgian State under specific conditions. Among these was that a public-private partnership (Belgian Polar Secretariat) be set up to manage the station, and that in light of the technical specificities of the PEA Station the International Polar Foundation be allowed to continue to manage the station operations and logistical support for research activities. However, since the donation, there had been a simmering conflict between the two parties over interpretation of the agreement and this has had a detrimental impact on the Foundation as well as scientific activities.
A New Partnership
When Minister Zuhal Demir came to power earlier this year, she quickly saw the need for reconciliation and a new partnership between the Belgian State and International Polar Foundation so that the important scientific work carried out at the PE station could re-launch with added vigour. This young Secretary of State was able to break the dead-lock where many others had failed to the detriment to the future of Princess Elisabeth Antarctica and the international reputation of Belgium. A new and constructive solution was found that would resolve the conflict.
“We have pressed the "reset" button so we can start on a blank page. Good agreements and good discussions make good friends. I do not look to the past, but to the future, and the future is scientific research.” Zuhal Demir, Belgian Secretary of State for Science Policy
2017-2018 Scientific Expedition
Thanks to the openness of Secretary Demir, and the tenacity of Alain Hubert and the International Polar Foundation, this re-established partnership once again places Belgium at the forefront of science in Antarctica. The upcoming season will be an exciting one, with fifteen scientific research projects planned and twenty-five scientists from a dozen countries.
So stay tuned for more news about the scientists and their research during the 2017-2018 expedition to Princess Elisabeth Antarctica!
KREATIVA (Morlanwelz) wins the prestigious 2017 Belgian Energy and Environment Award for its project "Growing together through the social dimension of development"
Each year, Belgian Energy and Environment Awards are presented to Belgian citizens who have undertaken outstanding initiatives on environmental protection and promoting sustainable energy use. The International Polar Foundation has been a partner of the awards since its first edition in 2006. Since then nearly 2200 projects developed by citizens, corporations, institutions, associations, schools and administrations that have provided exceptional contributions to the construction of a sustainable future at local, regional and national levels have taken part.
This years awards ceremony took place on 8th June at the BEL (Tour & Taxis Site). High profile guests included Mrs. Céline Fremault, Minister of the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region, in charge of Housing, Quality of Life, Environment and Energy, and Mrs. Claire Vandevivere, Echevine, representing the Minister for Environment, Town and Country Planning, Mobility and Transport and Animal welfare. Many individuals from political, scientific and private sectors also attended.
The 2017 International Polar Foundation special prize was awarded to KREATIVA (Morlanwelz) for its project "Growing together through the social dimension of development".
Find out more about the projects presented at this years Belgian Energy and Environment awards in French or Dutch.
Congratulations from the International Polar Foundation to all 2017 laureates!
Note: Applications for the 2018 Belgian Energy Prize and the Environment will be open from October 2017. The organisers and partners encourage everyone to participate by submitting a project. They are already looking forward to reading about your innovative and creative projects towards sustainable development. More information: info@eeaward.be
Dr. Lori Ziolkowski takes a look back on her first field season at the Princess Elizabeth Antarctic Research Station and the small life forms that manage to survive around it
Dr. Lori Ziolkowski and Dr. Stefanie Lutz, travelled to the Princess Elizabeth Antarctic Research Station (PEA) in early 2017 for their first field season. The weeks before departure were busy with medical evaluations, preparing sampling gear, and everything else needed to survive and lead a successful scientific trip in one of the worlds most extreme environments.
The overarching goal of Lori’s REMACA project, supported by the Baillet Latour Antarctica Fellowship and the International Polar Foundation, is to discover what types of life forms live around PEA and how active this life is. Previous studies have found ample evidence of microbial life on rocks, in the rocks, in ice-covered lakes and in the soil. But it remained unclear how active these microbes are. The climate of East Antarctica is harsh by temperature standards and these conditions are known to limit microbial activity elsewhere, like in the high Arctic.
But to the great surprise of Lori and Steffi, life is almost everywhere around PEA. By the end of their field trip, they had more samples than originally planned. Samples were collected from soils, rocks, ice, and even lakes. Most lakes around PEA are covered with a meter of ice because air temperatures do not go above freezing, so it was surprising to find one lake partially ice-free. In this open water lake, they found macroalgae, similar to seaweed, and green cyanobacteria mats.
The most hospitable place for a microbe trying to survive in Antarctica’s harsh environment is actually inside the rock. Endoliths are a type of microbe that lives within rocks. When a rock is broken into pieces, one can typically see a line of green pigment and that green pigment is where microbes have been harnessing the suns energy through photosynthesis. Scientists often study endoliths because they may give us clues as to where life on other planets like Mars may exist. In the region surrounding PEA, microbes were found in most rocks.
Much of the field effort was also focused on studying cryoconites. Cryoconite holes are circular holes in glacier ice. Microbes also find these holes a hospitable place to live because they often contain melted water. In the Arctic, Lori and Steffi have studied and found cryoconites that are open to the atmosphere and have no ice cover. Typically, in Antarctica the cryoconite holes are ice covered and those around PEA were usually covered with 8-10 cm of ice. Multiple cryoconite samples from many locations around PEA were collected to determine local and regional variability in the composition of the material within these cryoconite holes.
Now that Lori and Steffi have returned to their labs, first sampling adventure over, the real work of analyzing samples begins. Over the next six months, they will process samples to find out which organisms are living in these samples and how active these microbes are. This will provide valuable information about what type of sampling should be conducted in 2018, their next field campaign. Lori and Steffi are excited to start working in the lab, to see what they find so they can begin making plans for the next trip!
Canadian research scientist Dr. Lori Ziolkowski has been awarded the Baillet Latour Antarctica Fellowship for 2016-18 for her research project "REMACA"
The Baillet Latour Antarctica Fellowship Committee unanimously selected Canadian Dr. Ziolkowski, based at the University of South Carolina (USA), to receive the prestigious €150,000 research grant. Her project “REMACA” aims to use the natural abundance of radiocarbon to study the rates of carbon accumulation and microbial activity. Through international collaboration, age estimates will be coupled with microbial community analyses to better characterize what microbes are active.
“Winning the Baillet Latour Fellowship award will allow me to collect samples and study rates of microbial activity in East Antarctica, one of the worlds remotest and most extreme environments. This research will improve our understanding of the limits of life on Earth” says Dr. Lori Ziolkowski.
This proposal received top scores from a Scientific Jury made up of three international experts in microbiology. The experts stated that the proposal described an excellent, well planned, novel and feasible research project led by a very well-qualified and knowledgeable applicant. They also agreed that the use of 14C to study carbon dynamics introduces an innovative aspect to research done in this field. Members of the Fellowship Committee also agreed that her proposal stood out from other candidates and follows up on previous Belgian microbiological research in the different habitats surrounding the Princess Elisabeth Station.
In January 2017, Dr. Ziolkowski will travel to the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica polar research station to begin her fieldwork. She will spend three weeks working at various sites within the vicinity of the station. More information about the REMACA project will be available in the coming months on the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica station website www.antarcticstation.org.
The 2016 annual UN Framework Convention on Climate Change conference “COP22” started only a few days after the Paris Agreement, the international agreement which aims to keep global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit the rise to 1.5 degrees, entered into force. At the time of writing in mid-November, 112 out of 197 countries, including the USA, China, India and the European Union, have ratified this agreement.
Time for action
So, COP22 promised to be a time for action: focusing on what had and could be done and planning the best way forward. Government negotiators from around the world arrived in Marrakesh, Morocco, for two weeks of talks, whilst representatives from non-government organizations and interested parties were welcomed to the conference to act as “observers”, providing advice, networking and sharing knowledge. The International Polar Foundation was fortunate to be one of these organizations.
Meeting the world
Our display booth, featuring the zero emission Princess Elisabeth Station, was located between the equally fascinating Algerian “Deserts du Monde” and Plymouth Marine Laboratory “Ocean Under Stress” in the blue zone exhibits and side events area. Students, politicians, business people, scientists, conservationists and campaigners from around the world stopped by on their way to and from meetings and side events. We were honoured with a brief visit from the Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Hoesung Lee and his South Korean colleagues.
We also ventured out to explore the conference site: there were pavilions for many countries with displays, events and discussions in each area. The Indian pavilion had unique “aqua curtains” – shapes drawn in water behind an LED screen. The huge screens with vibrant scenes and wooden trees in the Africa pavilion were impressive and the USA Center had a “hyperwall” used by NASA to show key satellite information about our climate and environment – we saw an excellent talk on atmospheric composition and air quality. Over in the green “innovation” and “civil society” zones, there were more people to meet, talks, discussions, artisan products, singing and artwork. A feast for the mind and the senses!
What was everyone talking about?
There was a lot of talking – formal meetings, informal discussions, press conferences and presentations. We went along to presentations on climate change education, an update on the IPCC’s programme, the launch of the Emissions Gap Report and a session on innovation, where one of the products described was a carbon fibre material which removed carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during its production. An award ceremony chaired by Solar Impulse co-pilot Bertrand Piccard was held by the UN Momentum for Change to celebrate “lighthouse activities”, activities that are paving the way toward a resilient, low-carbon future. You can hear about some of the projects here and watch the video competition winner here.
Will the Paris Agreement be Trumped?
Following the US election result, many people were concerned that the incoming president could derail the Paris Agreement. However, Secretary John Kerry gave an impassioned speech, which we watched in the US Pavilion, stating that the Paris Agreement is bigger than any one country or head of state. And the more we saw at the conference, the more we realised that determined action is being taken at all levels – by cities, regions, businesses, coalitions and alliances, building momentum.
Positive outlook
At the end of the conference a 2050 Pathways Platform was launched to help countries, cities, companies and organisations to develop long-term, deep decarbonisation strategies through sharing resources, knowledge and experiences and collective problem solving. The Marrakech Action Proclamation issued on the same day, referred to “extraordinary momentum on climate change worldwide, and in many business multilateral fora. This momentum is irreversible - it is being driven not only by governments, but by science, and global action of all types at all levels."
Fiji will preside over the next UN climate change conference COP23, which will take place in Bonn, Germany in 2017. We hope to see a lot more progress before then!
Young polar scientists were invited to submit their application for the 2016 - 2018 Baillet Latour Antarctica Fellowship by 15 September 2016.
The call for proposals for the 2016 – 2018 Baillet Latour Antarctica Fellowship is now closed. A joint initiative of the Baillet Latour Fund and the International Polar Foundation, the €150,000 research grant aims to promote scientific excellence in Antarctica and underscores the crucial role polar science plays in furthering our understanding of the Earth and how it functions.
The Baillet Latour Antarctica Fellowship provides young scientists with the opportunity to conduct research in East Antarctica operating out of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica research station.
The call for proposals was open to current doctoral researchers and researchers within 10 years of obtaining their PhD from all countries. The Fellowship provides funding for field campaigns during two austral summers (2016–17 and 2017–18). The successful applicant will continue to work at their current research organisation.
Young researchers interested in conducting research in the atmospheric sciences, glaciology, geosciences and microbiology (excluding marine microbiology) at, or near, the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica were encouraged to apply.
The deadline for 2016 – 2018 Fellowship applications was 15 September 2016.
Do you think you could be the next Fellowship laureate in 2018 - 2020? Wish to know more about past laureates?
Learn more about the Fellowship and how to apply on the section of our website dedicated to the Fellowship.
The conflict over the management of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica research station in East Antarctica between the International Polar Foundation and the Belgian State has attracted much attention in the national press over the past few months, and has even received some attention in the international press.
The Foundation has been vigorously defending its interests in the Belgian courts in this affair, which dates back to 2010, when the the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica was ceded to the Belgian State.
The situation came to a head in 2015, when a falling out with the new Belgian Secretary of State led to legal action in the Belgian law courts. The Foundation initially experienced a setback on October 21st 2015, when the Brussels Court of First Instance refused to rule on the legality of the eviction of the International Polar Foundation and its president Alain Hubert as operators of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica, instead preventing the Foundation from going to the station in Antarctica.
In a ruling handed down on the 17th of December 2015, effectively overturning the decision of the lower courts, the Court of Appeal of Brussels maintained that it was illegal for the Belgian State to end its partnership with the International Polar Foundation with regard to the management of the Antarctic research station.
The Court of Appeal of Brussels also stated that the eviction of the International Polar Foundation from the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica in October was not legally justified, and that it was a violation of the initial accords between the State and the Foundation dating from 2007, and culminating in 2010 with the Protocol of Partnership by which the International Polar Foundation donated the research station to the Belgian State.
The International Polar Foundation and its private partners designed and built the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica. Located in the Dronning Maud Land region of East Antarctica. It is the first polar research station designed to run entirely on renewable energy sources (wind and solar power). Since the 2008-09 Antarctic season, the station has provided a unique research platform for scientists interested in conducting research in the Dronning Maud Land. Due to its environmentally friendly and energy-efficient design, the station also reduces the cost and the environmental impact of conducting research in Antarctica.
Construction of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica was completed in February 2009, and a year later in March 2010 the International Polar Foundation donated the station to the Belgian State, under certain conditions. Among these was the express condition that a public-private partnership (Belgian Polar Secretariat) be set up to manage the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica, and that the International Polar Foundation be appointed as operator for the station, and the logistics furnished in support of research activity.
Unfortunately, since the donation of the PEA Station to the Belgian State, there has been a simmering conflict between the International Polar Foundation and the Belgian public administration over the management of operations. This has resulted in the current legal imbroglio, which has had a negative impact not only on the Foundation and its activities, but more generally on research activities at the Station.
Several scientific expeditions planned in the vicinity of the PEA for the 2015-16 season were regrettably cancelled awaiting the outcome of litigation. As the International Polar Foundation was intimately involved in the planning of these expeditions and assuring the logistics and security of field operations, the research groups preferred to wait until the next season.
The December 17th ruling from the Court of Appeal of Brussels also invites the Belgian State and the International Polar Foundation to negotiate a new partnership agreement for managing the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica within the framework of the initial agreements of 2007.
Talks between the parties began on January 8th 2016.
The Court of Appeal also recognizes that the equipment at the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica, which the Polar Foundation purchased and acquired after March 30th 2010, does not de facto belong to the Belgian Federal State. The Court requires the IPF and the Belgian State to participate in establishing an inventory of all materials and equipment currently at the station in Antarctica.
Finally, the ruling authorizes the International Polar Foundation, as co-owner of Princess Elisabeth Antarctica, to go to the station for the purpose of carrying out its usual activities, including some of the research activities which have been postponed as from the 23rd of February, unless there is an greement with the State which allows the IPF to go sooner.
The International Polar Foundation is confident that re-establishing working relations with the Belgian State will be of benefit to both parties.
With the conflict over the management of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica research station in East Antarctica between the International Polar Foundation and the Belgian State has attracted much attention in the national press over the past few months, and has even received some attention in the international press.
The Foundation has been vigorously defending its interests in the Belgian courts in this affair, which dates back to 2010, when the the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica was ceded to the Belgian State.
The situation came to a head in 2015, when a falling out with the new Belgian Secretary of State led to legal action in the Belgian law courts. The Foundation initially experienced a setback on October 21st 2015, when the Brussels Court of First Instance refused to rule on the legality of the eviction of the International Polar Foundation and its president Alain Hubert as operators of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica, instead preventing the Foundation from going to the station in Antarctica.
In a ruling handed down on the 17th of December 2015, effectively overturning the decision of the lower courts, the Court of Appeal of Brussels maintained that it was illegal for the Belgian State to end its partnership with the International Polar Foundation with regard to the management of the Antarctic research station.
The Court of Appeal of Brussels also stated that the eviction of the International Polar Foundation from the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica in October was not legally justified, and that it was a violation of the initial accords between the State and the Foundation dating from 2007, and culminating in 2010 with the Protocol of Partnership by which the International Polar Foundation donated the research station to the Belgian State.
The International Polar Foundation and its private partners designed and built the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica. Located in the Dronning Maud Land region of East Antarctica. It is the first polar research station designed to run entirely on renewable energy sources (wind and solar power). Since the 2008-09 Antarctic season, the station has provided a unique research platform for scientists interested in conducting research in the Dronning Maud Land. Due to its environmentally friendly and energy-efficient design, the station also reduces the cost and the environmental impact of conducting research in Antarctica.
Construction of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica was completed in February 2009, and a year later in March 2010 the International Polar Foundation donated the station to the Belgian State, under certain conditions. Among these was the express condition that a public-private partnership (Belgian Polar Secretariat) be set up to manage the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica, and that the International Polar Foundation be appointed as operator for the station, and the logistics furnished in support of research activity.
Unfortunately, since the donation of the PEA Station to the Belgian State, there has been a simmering conflict between the International Polar Foundation and the Belgian public administration over the management of operations. This has resulted in the current legal imbroglio, which has had a negative impact not only on the Foundation and its activities, but more generally on research activities at the Station.
Several scientific expeditions planned in the vicinity of the PEA for the 2015-16 season were regrettably cancelled awaiting the outcome of litigation. As the International Polar Foundation was intimately involved in the planning of these expeditions and assuring the logistics and security of field operations, the research groups preferred to wait until the next season.
The December 17th ruling from the Court of Appeal of Brussels also invites the Belgian State and the International Polar Foundation to negotiate a new partnership agreement for managing the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica within the framework of the initial agreements of 2007.
Talks between the parties began on January 8th 2016.
The Court of Appeal also recognizes that the equipment at the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica, which the Polar Foundation purchased and acquired after March 30th 2010, does not de facto belong to the Belgian Federal State. The Court requires the IPF and the Belgian State to participate in establishing an inventory of all materials and equipment currently at the station in Antarctica.
Finally, the ruling authorizes the International Polar Foundation, as co-owner of Princess Elisabeth Antarctica, to go to the station for the purpose of carrying out its usual activities, including some of the research activities which have been postponed as from the 23rd of February, unless there is an greement with the State which allows the IPF to go sooner.
The International Polar Foundation is confident that re-establishing working relations with the Belgian State will be of benefit to both parties.
Arctic stakeholders gathered in Brussels on Tuesday 17 November and Wednesday 18 November as the International Polar Foundation and a large family of partners held the sixth annual Arctic Futures Symposium at the Residence Palace in Brussels.
With a focus on sustainable development of the Arctic, and in particular on what’s happening at the local and regional levels, the symposium welcomed a distinguished group of speakers from a wide variety of backgrounds to examine the way forward for Arctic development.
As the EU is currently working on its new Arctic strategy due to be released at the beginning of 2016, the symposium was considered “timely” according to representatives from the European Union.
After a warm welcome from the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the UK branch of the International Polar Foundation, Sir Andrew Burns, the symposium began with a keynote speech from Jyrki Katainen, European Commission Vice-President for Jobs, Growth, Investment, and Competitiveness. This was followed by a video greeting from US Special Representative for the Arctic, Admiral Robert J Papp Jr., who outlined the priorities of the US Chairmanship of the Arctic Council.
From there, the symposium launched into discussions on topics such as the role of the business community in local Arctic development, blue growth and maritime transport, innovation in industry, environmental security, aspects of the Arctic bio-economy, and IT solutions in the Arctic. The symposium also included a panel discussion on the role of Arctic Council Observers before moving to the Norway House on the afternoon of the 18th for a panel discussion with Senior Arctic Officials and Arctic Economic Council Chairwoman Tara Sweeney. The conference finished with a talk about forthcoming research from the Arctic Council's Arctic Marine Assessment Programme (AMAP), and a presentation about the upcoming Arctic Frontiers conference in Tromsø, Norway in January 2016.
One of the key takeaways from the symposium, as highlighted a number of times by Norwegian Senior Arctic Official Else Berit Eikeland, is that there are “many different Arctics” - meaning that a “one size fits all” approach to development and governance in the region is not a feasible solution. Best practices can and should be shared between different regions of the Arctic, yet solutions should be tailored to local conditions and needs.
Arctic Economic Council Chairwoman and Arctic Slope Regional Corporation Vice-President for External Affairs Tara Sweeney called on policymakers, NGOs, businesses, and other parties interested in the Arctic region to “do no harm” to the people of the Arctic in their decision-making and activities. Ms. Sweeney argued that while Northerners appreciate the extra attention being given to their region, they prefer to be able to make the decisions that affect their own lives, and work with outsiders who understand their communities and needs.
With excellent contributions from both speakers and moderators, and more than 200 participants in attendance, the sixth edition of the Arctic Futures Symposium was considered "the best yet" by the conference organisers. Live Tweeting also raised the profile of the symposium and allowed those not able to attend the event in person have an idea of what the event was like. Recordings of the sessions will soon be posted online so that those not able to attend can listen to the presentations that were given.
Symposium partners hope to continue to hold the annual symposium in Brussels in the coming years, particularly as decisions made in Brussels can have an impact on the Arctic and its residents.
The latest edition of the annual Arctic Futures Symposium organised by the International Polar Foundation and its many Arctic stakeholder partners will take place in early December. Register to secure your spot!
IPF is sad to learn of the passing of glaciologist Professor Roland Souchez, who made important contributions to the fields of glaciology and climate science during his decades-long career.
To celebrate the opening of the exhibit “To the Antarctic: Belgica’s Polar Pioneers”, Antwerp resident and LEGO enthusiast Daniel Vermeir built an amazing scale model of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica, the world’s first and to date only zero-emission polar research station.
To celebrate the opening of the exhibit “To the Antarctic: Belgica’s Polar Pioneers”, Antwerp resident and LEGO enthusiast Daniel Vermeir built an amazing scale model of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica, the world’s first and to date only zero-emission polar research station.
The International Polar Foundation has been part of creating a fascinating new exhibition on Belgium's contributions to Antarctic exploration and research, opening at the MAS Museum in Antwerp starting from Friday, June 21st.
After much anticipation, on Thursday, June 20th, the exhibition “To the Antarctic: Belgica’s Polar Pioneers” at Antwerp’s MAS Museum officially opened its doors.
On Tuesday, June 11th, IPF Founder and President Alain Hubert was invited to participate in the “Debate with Ambassadors” panel at European Sustainable Energy Week 2024 (EUSEW24).
At a ceremony held the afternoon of Monday, June 10th at The Royal Academy of Sciences of Belgium, Alain Hubert, Founder and President of the International Polar Foundation, received the prestigious Belgica Prize alongside French glaciologist Professor Jérôme Chappellaz.
At a ceremony held the afternoon of Monday, June 10th at The Royal Academy of Sciences of Belgium, Alain Hubert, Founder and President of the International Polar Foundation, received the prestigious Belgica Prize alongside French glaciologist Professor Jérôme Chappellaz.
Alain Hubert, Founder and President of the International Polar Foundation, is set to receive the Belgica Prize at a ceremony to be held at the Royal Academy for Sciences and the Arts of Belgium the afternoon of Monday, June 10th, alongside French glaciologist Dr Jérôme Chappellaz.
Alain Hubert, Founder and President of the International Polar Foundation, is set to receive the Belgica Prize at a ceremony to be held at the Royal Academy for Sciences and the Arts of Belgium the afternoon of Monday, June 10th, alongside French glaciologist Dr Jérôme Chappellaz.
For the 3rd year in a row, entrepreneurs 35 or under based in the Arctic are invited to submit an application for the annual Laurence Trân Arctic Futures Award.
The International Polar Foundation and its many Arctic stakeholder partners are happy to announce that the 15th annual Arctic Futures Symposium will take place on December 2nd-3rd at the Residence Palace in Brussels.
