28 March 2026 | 13:30 - 18:00 CET / UTC+1
Open Session - HYBRID
Room: Mødelokale 1
Organiser: Annette Scheepstra (Arctic Centre - University of Groningen, The Netherlands), Gertrude Saxinger (University of Graz, Austria), Sophie Elixhauser (University of Vienna, Austria) and Alison Perrin (Yukon University, Canada)
Session Description:
The next International Polar Year 5 (2032-33) is fast approaching, and ambitions are high. This workshop aims to discuss the outcomes of a survey, aimed at all polar researchers in academic institutions. The survey is part of the preparations for the 5th IPY and will also feed into the ongoing ICARP IV process. This initiative is intended to reflect current conditions, institutional structures and practices of the Arctic and Antarctic academic enterprise. We propose to contribute to the planning for the 5th IPY by reflecting on where we, i.e., the Arctic and Antarctic scholarly communities, are at right now, what institutional and funding structures we operate in and what equitable, ethical and inclusive research approaches and best practices we would like to be followed during the 5th IPY. In short, the main goal of our initiative is to suggest improvements to the status quo. In other words, the IPY 5 program should be drawing on best practices and IPY 5 objectives that must be consistent with the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion and promote collaborative, co-productive, culturally sensitive and sustainable approaches to research. The co-organisers of this workshop are an international and highly interdisciplinary group of polar researchers from different countries and contexts, including diverse genders and age groups, early career and senior researchers, and Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers. During the workshop we will present the results of the survey. We have asked a group of experts to reflect on (parts of) the outcomes of the survey. Confirmed presenters are Anne Lauenbacher (Arctic Youth Forum), Jonathan Spellenberg (University of Groningen), Peter Loovers (University of Aberdeen), Charleen Fisher (University of Alaska Fairbanks), Anita Lafferty (University of Alberta), Maria Grigoratou (EPB), Vanessa Spadetto (INTERACT), Tahnee Prior and or Gosia Smieszek-Rice (Women of the Arctic), Lena Cappelen Endresen (Norwegian Research Council), and Sophie Elixhauser (University of Vienna). In the second half of the workshop, we want to discuss the results in sup-groups in order to come up with implementation recommendations towards ICARP-IV and IPY-5 based on the results of the survey and the reflections of the experts.