The largest ever gathering of polar researchers

The IPY Oslo Science Conference has brought together well over 2,000 polar researchers from over 60 countries to Norway’s largest exhibition and convention centre in Lillestrøm just outside of Oslo.

“This conference definitely comes at the right time,” said Crown Prince Haakon in his opening remarks, in which he shared his own impressions from the trips to Svalbard and Greenland that he took together with Crown Prince Fredrik of Denmark and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden.

“If you want to fight poverty, it actually makes sense to go to the Arctic. Dealing with climate change is a prerequisite for reaching our goal of eradicating extreme poverty,” he said. Crown Prince Haakon met with several of the younger researchers participating in the conference and visited several of the stands in the exhibition area.

Research generated by the International Polar Year

The IPY Oslo Science Conference is summarising the findings of the fourth International Polar Year, which was opened by the Crown Prince at City Hall Square in Oslo in March 2007. Researchers connected with the 160 projects coordinated under the IPY have convened to present their findings and share their knowledge.

A total of 1,200 presentations are being given in six different thematic areas:

1. Linkages between polar regions and global systems
2. Past, present and future changes in polar regions
3. Polar ecosystems and biodiversity
4. Human dimensions of change: Health, society and resources
5. New frontiers, data practices and directions in polar research
6. Polar science education, outreach and communication

The conference lasts through 12 June, and many of the presentations are available as webcasts on the conference’s website.