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However much you have travelled the world, nothing can prepare you for the grandeur and spectacle of the Antarctic with its diverse abundant wildlife, the often tragic history of its exploration, the remnants of man’s abuse of the natural environment and something that one takes for granted when looking from afar: the ice. The ice, particularly where it collides with the sea, is simply “awesome”.

What is a Belgian Teacher doing in Antarctica? Well, Koen Meilaen and his students won the PolarQuest contest by creating the AHA project to increase the awareness of teachers, parents and students alike towards sustainable development.

On December 14th, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and Monegasque car manufacturer Venturi co-organized the conference “Antarctica 1911-2011” to commemorate the centenary of Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen’s successful attempt to reach the South Pole. The event was held at the Oceanography Museum of Monaco under the high patronage of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco and in presence of SEM Michel Rocard, French Ambassador for the Poles.

On December 8th, TSH Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco honoured the official launch of the Polaris Climate Change Observatory (PCCO), a project of the International Polar Foundation, with their presence and support. The project was presented at the Clock Tower in Cape Town (South Africa) by Michel de Wouters, Secretary General of IPF South Africa; Nighat Amin, Vice-President of the IPF; and Prof. Uwe Brückner, creator of the scenography for the PCCO project.

Belgium has a vibrant young group of Polar Scientists. On Thursday December 1st, around 30 young polar experts held a workshop in on Antarctic sciences and celebrated the International Antarctica Day.

HRH Prince Philippe of Belgium led a trade mission to China from the 19th to the 29th of October, celebrating the 40th anniversary of China-Belgium diplomatic relationships. As part of this visit, the Prince travelled to Shanghai to attend an official ceremony organized by the Consul Général of Belgium in Shanghai, Mr Bruno Georges, and the Director of the Polar Research Institute of China (PRIC), Dr Huigen Yang. The Prince was accompanied by the President of the International Polar Foundation (IPF), Alain Hubert, and the ceremony took place onboard the Chinese icebreaker, the XueLong (“Snow Dragon”), just hours before its departure for Antarctica.

On November 22nd, the International Polar Foundation (IPF) had the pleasure to welcome a delegation of representatives from various Arctic Indigenous Peoples' organizations. Following the Arctic Futures Symposium of October 2011, in which Indigenous peoples’ issues were, one of the four main themes addressed along with international cooperation, science and economy, the representatives wanted to gain a better understanding of the IPF, its mission and its projects.

The InBev-Baillet Latour Fund, in partnership with the International Polar Foundation announces the opening of the 2011 Call for Proposals for the InBev-Baillet Latour Antarctica Fellowship, a grant of €150,000 providing an exceptional opportunity for a young scientist to carry out research in Antarctica.

From October 12th to 14th, the International Polar Foundation (IPF) had the pleasure to co-organize the second Arctic Futures Symposium with the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation at the Royal Library of Belgium in Brussels. Building on the success of the first Arctic Futures Symposium in October 2010, this year's symposium was an even greater success.

From September 4th to 8th, the International Polar Foundation participated in the 6th Science Centre World Congress held in Cape Town (South Africa). At the event, which is organized every three years, IPF's Mieke Sterken and Michel de Wouters manned the IPF booth to outline the actions of the IPF and present the new Polaris Climate Change Observatory project. The event was an ideal opportunity for networking, as many South African and African science centre representatives were present.