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Notes from the SCAR President, number 8 (February/March 2009)
The Listening Tour
Colleagues,
Due to extensive travel, this Note covers a two-month period - February and March 2009. This has been a very busy time for SCAR! In February, I appeared before the SCAR 2009 External Review Committee in Cambridge, England and attended the Cross- Linkages Workshop in Modena, Italy. My next travel is attendance at the Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) in Bergen, Norway at the end of March and the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings in Baltimore/Washington DC, USA during the first few weeks of April.
One objective I set for myself during my tenure as President is to visit as many SCAR nations as possible, no small task with 35 national members! I have called this a "Listening Tour" with two simple goals:
- to promote SCAR and increase its visibility in member nations and
- to answer questions and listen to concerns, suggestions, and ideas you may have about SCAR.
I recently had the opportunity to visit King George Island as a guest of the Instituto Antarctico Uruguayo and the US Embassy in Montevideo. The details of this trip are covered in a SCAR News item but I provide some highlights for your information. As far as I know, this is the first time a current SCAR President has visited Antarctic stations and it allowed me to see first-hand the programs of five SCAR nations.
We were graciously provided accommodations at Uruguay's Artigas Base. During the 8-day trip I visited Korea's King Sejong Station, China's Great Wall Station, Chile's Escudero Station, Uruguay's Artigas and ECARE stations, and Russia's Bellingshausen Station. At each station, researchers presented their scientific activities and facilities were toured. In addition, I met guest scientists from Argentina, Germany, Venezuela, Brazil, New Zealand, and Switzerland. Several stations are undergoing significant improvements in support facilities and laboratories. The visit provided me with a better understanding of the capabilities in the King George Island area and reinforced that there is great potential for cooperation and partnerships in the region. Unfortunately time and logistics did not allow me to visit all SCAR nations' facilities.
SCAR's King George Island Expert Group is considering how scientific programs in the region might more effectively contribute to SCAR scientific initiatives. The topic of SCAR and King George Island science will be discussed at COMNAP's annual meeting in August 2009 in Punta Arenas, Chile. While SCAR has no desire to intervene or comment on the national scientific priorities of its member nations, SCAR can enhance communication and cooperation among countries when common interests are being pursued at the same location. The concentration of facilities, logistics, capabilities, research personnel, and scientific programs in the King George Island region is one-of-a-kind in the world and we should explore how these capabilities can best benefit Antarctic science and enhance national contributions to SCAR scientific activities. I ask that you consider the draft paper we are developing for the discussions with COMNAP and provide comments. I want to ensure that all scientific activities in the King George Island region are properly represented and that the mutual interests (or concerns) of all SCAR members are taken into account in these discussions.
As the next phase of the "Listening Tour", I will have lunch with Scandinavian SCAR Delegates in Bergen during the ASSW. As an aside, for those concerned about finances, almost all of my travel costs have been covered by non-SCAR funds. I look forward to visiting each of you in your home country and I will keep you updated as these opportunities for personal consultation arise!
Chuck K.
President of SCAR
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