An outstanding event took place on 12 December at the French embassy in Berlin. Experts retraced 75 years of French and German Arctic research, paying tribute to Jean Malaurie, France’s most distinguished Arctic researcher, on the occasion of his 100th birthday.
The event focused on the development of Arctic research since Professor Malaurie’s legendary expedition to Thule in North-West Greenland during the winter 1950-51 and his extraordinary account thereof entitled The Last Kings of Thule (1955), the most widely distributed book about Greenland in the world.
Prof. Borm from MIARC payed hommage to Jean Malaurie’s exceptional career, giving a lively and visually documented presentation of Malaurie's works and expeditions.
Prof Markus Rex from AWI gave an account of the MOSAiC expedition (Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate) that he recently led - the biggest, most elaborate Arctic expedition ever.
Finally, experts discussed the most recent developments in Arctic research and highlited the impact of current changes (environmental, economic and geopolitical) on Arctic societies.
DOWNLOAD HERE THE OFFICIAL PROGRAMME
Opening
Thomas Guibert, First Counsellor, French Embassy in Berlin
Prof Alain Bui, Président of UVSQ (Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, associate member of Université Paris-Saclay)
Prof Antje Boetius, Director of the Alfred Wegener Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (video statement)
Lectures
"From Stones to Soul – Jean Malaurie's 75 years of circumpolar research and defence of Arctic Indigenous societies"
Prof Jan Borm (Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines/MIARC)
"Frozen at the North Pole – The MOSAiC Expedition to the epicentre of climate change”
Prof Markus Rex (Alfred Wegener Institute / MOSAiC)
Panel Discussion
Arctic geopolitics and security: new challenges to the environment and societies
Prof Markus Rex (Alfred Wegener Institute / MOSAiC),
Prof Rasmus Bertelsen (Nansen Professor, University of Akureyri / UiT The Arctic University of Norway),
Gunn-Britt Retter (Head of Arctic and Environmental Unit in the Saami Council, Norway)
Prof Jan Borm (UVSQ/MIARC)
PHOTOS OF THE EVENT:
UVSQ and AWI representatives. From left to right :
- Prof. Jan BORM, UVSQ, Vice-President for International Affairs, Director of the Malaurie Institute
- Dr Renate Treffeisen, AWI, Head of the Climate Office for Polar Regions and Sea Level Rise and member of the REKLIM Coordination Office
- Prof. Alain BUI, UVSQ, President
- Dr Klaus Grosfeld, AWI, Managing Directof of the Helmholtz Climate Initiative REKLIM (Regional Climate Change and Humans)
The Panel Discussion. From left to right
- Prof. Jan BORM (UVSQ / Malaurie Institute)
- Prof. Markus Rex (AWI / MOSAiC)
- Gunn-Britt Retter (Saami Council)
- Prof. Rasmus Bertelsen (University of Akureyri and UiT The Arctic University of Norway)
- Grace Dobush, Moderator
