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International Polar Year 2007–2008 - WMO

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The <strong>International</strong> Antarctic Institute<br />

and the <strong>International</strong> <strong>Polar</strong> <strong>Year</strong><br />

Patti Virtue<br />

History of our partnership with IPY<br />

At the very beginning, during our ‘dreamtime’<br />

in late 2004, it was proposed that IPY would be the<br />

platform upon which to launch the <strong>International</strong><br />

Antarctic Institute (IAI) (Fig. 5.4-11). We were indeed<br />

launched upon this wonderful platform and, with the<br />

help and guidance of many organizations, we came<br />

into being in 2006 with our constitution adopted<br />

in 2008. IPY was an opportunity to establish the IAI<br />

and to build a legacy for Antarctic education into<br />

the future. The IPY Joint Committee endorsed our<br />

proposal to establish the IAI (EoI no. 415) and, together<br />

with the University of the Arctic, we were identified<br />

as potential lead players in Education and Outreach.<br />

This gave us great impetus to grow and evolve as we<br />

continue to do so in the footsteps of the University of<br />

the Arctic. We may not have been a big player in IPY,<br />

but IPY was a big part of us, and will continue to be<br />

through the collaborations, connections and friends<br />

we made throughout <strong>2007–2008</strong>.<br />

The need for international training in polar<br />

research<br />

By international agreement, the Antarctic continent<br />

has been set aside for peace and scientific collaboration.<br />

As has been seen over the past half-century, and<br />

as evidenced through IPY, international cooperation is<br />

the key to the success of large-scale research programs<br />

in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. With climate<br />

change now accepted as being a result of human influence,<br />

the importance of understanding the role of<br />

polar regions on climate mechanisms needs to be part<br />

of global education. The delivery of knowledge and<br />

information to the next generation of researchers and<br />

policy-makers needs to address sustainable resource<br />

management, climate impacts and other global environmental<br />

and social issues associated with Antarctica<br />

and the Southern Ocean. In addition to traditional disciplines,<br />

it is important to provide opportunities for students<br />

during their formal training to look beyond their<br />

home borders. We need to educate our students to be<br />

open and receptive to different ways of thinking, of researching<br />

and of viewing the world.<br />

The <strong>International</strong> Antarctic Institute was estab-<br />

lished during IPY as an educational and research<br />

platform for all nations, facilitating cooperation and<br />

collaboration among member institutes. This platform<br />

was built on existing international research and<br />

educational programs concerning Antarctica and the<br />

Southern Ocean, using recognized skills and expertise<br />

within the IAI network. The IAI is governed by a council<br />

comprising a person appointed by each participating<br />

Institution. The main focus of the IAI is to enhance<br />

interdisciplinary studies in relation to Antarctica, the<br />

Southern Ocean ecosystem and global climate understanding.<br />

Our aim is to cross-credit study programs,<br />

develop joint curricula, and share teaching, educational,<br />

and other resources and facilities. Together we<br />

offer multi-disciplinary and multi-institute courses<br />

and units of study. A certain number of places in these<br />

courses are allocated for IAI students from partner<br />

universities with no associated tuition fees. Students<br />

maintain enrolment at their home university and can<br />

undertake either course work or research projects at<br />

other IAI member universities.<br />

Our Goals<br />

The goals of the IAI, now a consortium of 20<br />

institutes representing 13 countries 4 are to:<br />

• Develop and provide students with international<br />

opportunities in Antarctic education that will<br />

enable them to become expertly trained scientists<br />

and social scientists with international experience<br />

and skills in research and its application.<br />

• Deliver the knowledge and information needed by<br />

the next generation of researchers and policy-makers<br />

to address sustainable resource management,<br />

climate impacts and other global environmental<br />

and social issues associated with Antarctica and the<br />

Southern Ocean.<br />

• Facilitate the engagement of the international<br />

scientific community in Antarctic and Southern<br />

Ocean education.<br />

• Extend existing national teaching bases in Antarctic<br />

education into the international arena.<br />

IAI activities during IPY <strong>2007–2008</strong><br />

Throughout IPY, we focused on developing new<br />

and innovative Antarctic courses, developing effective<br />

ways to share teaching resources among partner<br />

universities and developing clear articulation of<br />

l e g a C I e s 589

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