On June 13-15, during Russia's 2024 BRICS presidency, Murmansk hosted the 6th Working Group meeting on oceanic and polar research cooperation. Deputy Governor Oksana Demchenko opened the event with greetings.
Over 50 specialists from seven BRICS nations participated. Research organizations presented recent scientific-technological achievements, discussed joint research agendas, and the Arctic's future potential – particularly establishing a major international research center on Svalbard.
MMBI RAS conducts comprehensive Svalbard research for years and hosts the "Integrated Environmental Studies of Spitsbergen and Adjacent Shelf" conference. Deputy Director for Science Denis Moiseev gave a comment on the new research center to Interfax-Russia:
We expect a Russian government decree establishing the center soon (...) This BRICS center will mirror Norway's University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS). We're also planning a joint China-Russia Svalbard research and scientist exchanges, currently preparing a joint Russian Science Foundation grant application...
Denis Moiseev also delivered two presentations in English: "Introduction to Polar and Oceanic Research by Murmansk Region Organizations" and "MMBI RAS Marine Ecosystem Research in the Arctic and Svalbard Region".
Participants agreed to update priority cooperation areas, including joint research projects, educational programs, young scientist involvement, and a BRICS expedition calendar.
The meeting was organized by the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Arctic and Economic Development of the Murmansk region with support from Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of Russian Academy of Sciences. Event coverage available on GTRK "Murman".
(Photo sources: Murmansk Region Government website, RGS website)
