Alexander Makarov on Russia’s Role in International Scientific Cooperation
Breakthrough scientific achievements will be made possible through continued cooperation among countries in the high latitudes.
March 20, 2026
Arctic scientific cooperation, which for decades remained unaffected by the political context, is currently going through challenging times. Alexander Makarov, Director of the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI), commented on the current state of international scientific ties in the region and Russia’s role in them.
In early March, the AARI celebrated the 106th anniversary of the establishment of the Northern Scientific and Commercial Expedition, which became Russia’s premier polar institute. Today, despite difficulties related to the severance of full-scale international ties in scientific exchanges and expeditionary activities in the Arctic, the AARI continues regular research in the settlement of Barentsburg in Svalbard and places great importance on expanding scientific ties with representatives of relevant organizations from BRICS countries, primarily China and India, Makarov noted.
The expert also emphasized that the institute maintains working relations with the Norwegian side in the archipelago.
«We look to the future with optimism. We are not isolated. We are developing major projects, such as the development of permafrost monitoring systems and the annual ‘North Pole’ expeditions on the [ice-resistant self-propelled] platform,» Makarov said, expressing confidence that breakthrough scientific achievements will be made possible through international cooperation.
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