NEFU International UNESCO Chair in Social and Human Adaptation of the Arctic Regions to Climate Change

The main objectives of the Chair are to:

—    provide scientific justification and assessment of the Arctic's role in global climate processes and natural climatic changes in various environments; 

—    conduct scientific research on the development and the influence of these factors on the social and human adaptation in the Arctic;

—    collect and summarize the results on the abovementioned issues and design an educational and informational portal on the Arctic issues;

—    organize an integrated educational process on the issues of social and human adaptation to climate change and globalization in the Arctic regions through the development of new courses in this field at the North-Eastern Federal University;

—    contribute, as appropriate, to the implementation of the relevant provisions contained in the UNESCO Strategy for Action on Climate Change.

Chair realizes the target goals as an international scientific and educational UNESCO center and works on:

—    coordination of scientific and educational activity of NEFU structural units in Social and Human Adaptation of the Arctic Regions to Climate Change in regard to education, science and culture;

—    coordination of NEFU integrated educational process in Social and Human Adaptation of the Arctic Regions to Climate Change through teaching materials, new educational courses development based on scientific and educational projects of UNESCO and NEFU such as in ecology, biology, demography, international (polar) law, “Mediation”, “Northern Studies”, “Circumpolar Culture”, “Arctic Telemedicine”, “Distance Education”, “Knowledge-based Economy” etc.;

—    international education and information portal development in order to provide information accessibility, distance education system organization, informational support of international scientific collaboration;

—    scientific rationale and assessment of the role of the Arctic in global natural and climatic changes, research of social and human adaptation of the Arctic regions to climate change, to Arctic industrial development outcome;

—    study guides and monographs development and publishing with focus on UNESCO Chair/UNITWIN activity;

—    establishment of interuniversity cooperation network based on special competency under the aegis of UNESCO; educational and scientific activity of students, graduates professional development in areas of establishment and operation of new systems, living management forms in the Arctic that meet challenges and focused on living quality in Arctic regions;

—    expansion of regional and international cooperation of NEFU through UNESCO/UNITWIN program; students, PhD students and staff exchange with other universities and scientific institutions;

—    organization of international conferences, symposiums, round tables, workshops under the aegis of UNESCO/UNITWIN.