The IV Forum of Associations and Consortia of Northern Territories was held in Tomsk on April 20–22. The programme of events was rich and engaging. The Northern Forum (NF) and the Russian-Asian Consortium for Arctic Research (RACAR) have actively supported this scientific and educational platform in the central part of the country from the very beginning. The main organiser of the forum, Tomsk State University, is one of the most active members of RACAR and heads the Northern Forum’s working group on assessing the quality of life of the population.
This year, the main topics of discussion included global climate challenges, the sustainable development of the country’s geostrategic Arctic and northern territories, human capital, issues of digitalisation and artificial intelligence, and the role of science in the context of the global technological revolution.
At the plenary session “Sustainable Development of the Arctic – Sustainable Development of the Planet,” NF Executive Director Vladimir Vasiliev delivered a welcome address, while RACAR Permanent Chairman and Rector of M.K. Ammosov North-Eastern Federal University Anatoly Nikolaev, together with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation and NF Goodwill Ambassador Anton Vasiliev, were the key speakers at this important event.
Vladimir Vasiliev also presented the importance and opportunities for expanding international cooperation and showcasing scientific and educational potential at such a global platform as the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change during a working meeting of associations and consortia.
As part of the forum programme, RACAR organised a scientific conference whose sessions were moderated by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation and NF Goodwill Ambassador Anton Vasiliev (Roundtable III on the International Polar Year), Director of the Institute of Natural Sciences of NEFU Vasily Kolodeznikov (Environmental Monitoring Network), and RACAR Executive Secretary and Northern Forum Deputy Director Daryana Maximova (Current Agenda for Arctic Scientific Research).
An off-site session of the Northern Forum on Sustainable Development, “Human Capital in the Era of AI: Demography, Strategies, Competencies, and the New Reality of Work,” was also held.