02 I AS C I n i t i at i ve s
2.1
International Science Initiative in the
Russian Arctic (ISIRA)
Sergey Priamikov and Odd Rogne
Reviewer: Lee Cooper
After a short period of time when foreign research
groups flooded into the Russian Arctic (a region that
had been mainly forbidden to foreigners), a federal
access system was put in place with permits and
logistical requirements.
IASC was founded just after the end of the Cold
War and as circumarctic cooperation was about to
The idea of an International Science Initiative in the
emerge. However, there were several barriers to
Russian Arctic (ISIRA) was launched in 1993. This
overcome before such cooperation could become a
was a Russian and international cooperative initia-
reality. A lack of contact networks between eastern
tive designed to assist arctic science and sustain-
and western scientists, language barriers, and fund-
able development in the Russian Arctic by:
ing opportunities were just a few of the challenges.
- Initiating multinational research programs that
would address specific key problems in the Rus-
Toward the end of the Soviet Union, a few bilater-
sian Arctic;
al agreements had been signed and some progress
- Providing a forum to link on-going or planned
had been made in joint arctic studies. However, the
bilateral projects to achieve added value and
collapse of the Soviet Union and the ensuing eco-
avoid duplication;
nomic problems severely handicapped Russian arc-
- Facilitating improved scientific access to the
tic scientists and science institutions – a community
Russian Arctic;
that could contribute significantly to addressing
- Advising on funding and organizing the imple-
some of the vast environmental and other challeng-
mentation of agreed-upon projects.1
es in the Russian Arctic and beyond.
At first, the ISIRA secretariat (served by the IASC
For western arctic scientists, the Russian Arctic –
Secretariat) was focused on identifying potential
covering almost half of the Arctic polar region – con-
partners on both sides, pushing for funding oppor-
stituted a wealth of research opportunities both in
tunities (from the European Union – EU, and nation-
the natural sciences and also, to some extent, in the
al sources), and promoting the Russian Arctic as an
human and social sciences.
outstanding laboratory for both natural, and human
Meeting of the IASC Advisory Group International Science Initiative in the Russian
Arctic (ISIRA) at the Arctic Science Summit
Week 2014 in Helsinki, Finland.
Photo: IASC Secretariat
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02 IASC Initiatives