Sino-Norwegian IPY project
The trip is part of a joint Sino-Norwegian Project during the International Polar Year (IPY), and has the aim to teach young Chinese students more about polar research and education, as well as everyday life in the Arctic region.
– Our focus is also on the climate, global warming and environmental changes, says Anna Sæbø, the Norwegian consul in Shanghai, and one of the group leaders for the Chinese students.
Before setting out for Svalbard the group visited the “Climate X” exhibition at The National Museum for Science and Technology in Oslo, as well as the Fram museum and Fridtjof Nansen Institute. They have also met with researchers at the Norwegian Polar Institute in Tromsø.
Longyearbyen by night
In Longyearbyen the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) has been responsible for arranging and organizing the activities for the students. At UNIS the students have followed lectures in different Polar sciences, as well as a safety course on field work. The stay in Longyearbyen also included an excursion to different scientific installations.
In addition to Longyearbyen the group has also visited Ny Ålesund in Svalbard, the northernmost settlement in the world. Ny Ålesund is a hub for scientific activity, and the students visited several research stations there and participated on various field trips.
Excursion to the glaciers outside Ny Ålesund
A milestone in our lives
The students were very satisfied with their trip.
– It has been excellent, but also very intensive, with a lot of impressions, they say.
– It is quite a different experience – it is a milestone in our lives, says Wang Huanhuan (19).
Yang Meng (19) agrees. – Polar life is so far away from our daily life, but this has been a unique opportunity for us to learn more about the Arctic – and that’s an opportunity we must grasp, she says.
Students interviewing the museum curator at the Climate X exhibition in Oslo
The project is supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Oslo, the Norwegian Polar Institute in Tromsø, the University Center in Svalbard, the Chinese Ministry of Education, the State Oceanic Administration and the Chinese International Polar Year (IPY) Committee.
On top of the Kjell Henriksen Observatory outside Longyearbyen