AASCO 2025 – Arena for the Gap Analysis of Existing Arctic Science Co-Operations!

I had the privilege of attending the Conference —Arena for the Gap Analysis of Existing Arctic Science Co-Operations (AASCO 2025), held at the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco on 4-5 February 2025. His Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco inaugurated the event. The landmark event brought together leading researchers and experts from diverse disciplines engaged in Arctic studies and observations from across the Arctic world.

The Conference aimed to explore avenues to enhance collaboration among Arctic Research communities and advance critical approaches to understanding the Arctic dynamics. One of the crucial aspects of the Conference was to discuss several priority areas of the ICARP-IV (International Conference on Arctic Research Planning), to be held in Boulder in March 2025 (as part of the Arctic Science Summit Week). The main themes we discussed were as follows: 1) the Role of the Arctic in the Global System, 2) Observing, Reconstructing, and Predicting Future Climate Dynamics and Ecosystem Responses, and 3) Arctic Research Cooperation and Diplomacy. The event outputs are expected to benefit the preparation of the agenda for the 5th International Polar Year (2032–33). One crucial highlight of the event was discussing science-based insights that could lead to informed decision-making. Hence, we specifically focused on science communication and the need to involve stakeholders, policymakers, and funders.

I co-chaired the roundtable session entitled Pan-Arctic Science Research Collaboration (ICARP Research Priority Theme 4) with my great colleague Jennifer Spence from Harvard Kennedy School Arctic Initiative. In the discussion, we were guided by a number of questions, such as in the current geopolitical context, to what extent the pan-Arctic research collaboration is needed, what challenges we foresee in future Arctic research collaboration, and what sort of solutions we may find appropriate to continue research collaboration among Arctic communities. As we lost half of the Arctic due to the absence of scientific contributions from Russia as a result of the restrictions on collaboration resulting from the latter’s invasion of Ukraine, Arctic science cooperation has significantly been constrained. While the Arctic is a dynamic region and contains a dynamic natural system, the collection of continuous monitoring, assessment, and documentation requires cooperation and sharing of knowledge across borders. The knowledge of the Arctic change is relevant not just for the Arctic but globally. The dynamics of global sea-level rise cannot be understood without learning about the changes in the cryosphere in the Arctic region. Therefore, knowledge of the Arctic change and its translation into possible policy mechanisms for actions helps promote better global governance, particularly concerning environmental and planetary processes. Despite the challenges we face in accumulating data from the Russian Arctic, we must continue international collaboration in research with other Arctic nations and the rest of the world. After all, the Arctic is diverse – there is no one Arctic despite there being identical challenges. We must believe in the hope and vision that the political situation will change one day and that cooperation in science and research is for the common interest of all. We must bear in mind that, amongst the political actors, there will always be conflicts in some areas and cooperation in others. We need to find a balance between conflict and interest, and common interests are generated by sharing research-based knowledge. Common interests influence collaboration and cooperation at various levels, including the political level, which eventually offers credibility, trust, and legitimate decision-making.