The International Polar Year (IPY) 2007-2008 was an intense, internationally coordinated campaign of research that initiated a new era in polar science.
- IPY 2007-2008 included research in both polar regions and recognise the strong links these regions have with the rest of the globe.
- It involved a wide range of research disciplines, including the social sciences, but the emphasis was interdisciplinary in its approach and truly international in participation.
- It aimed to educate and involve the public, and to help train the next generation of engineers, scientists, and leaders.
The IPY Oslo Science Conference in June 2010 will demonstrate, strengthen, and extend the International Polar Year’s accomplishments in science and outreach. News and more information on the program and abstracts is available at the conference homepage.
IPY in Finland
The Finnish Internatinoal Polar Year was launched at the Arctic Centre in Rovaniemi 1st of March 2007 in parallel with the global opening. The honorable President of Finland Tarja Halonen was the benefactor of the IPY in Finland. The opening seminar was attended by over hundred participants from 16 organizations including representatives from ministries of Education and Environment and from the Sami Parliament.
Finnish scientists participated altogether into over 50 international IPY projects. Finland did not allocate any special funding for IPY research activities. However, as Finland has high expertise on northern and arctic research, the Finnish scientists were successful in getting external funding for their research for participating to IPY. The funding for IPY projects came mostly from the own budgets of the participating institutes as well as through general calls by Academy of Finland.
Finnish IPY activities also included education and outreach. For example Kinnvika project was cooperating with Finnish schools by preparing a Kinnvika NetS chool and a feature document film will come out for international distribution in 2010. Furthermore, a major science centre exhibition, "Arctic in Change", was opened in April 17 at the Arctic Centre.
Report from the Finnish activities during the IPY
This report compiled by the Arctic Centre briefly summarizes the scientific work done during the International Polar Year in Finland.
The Arctic Centre of the University of Lapland and the Thule-institute of the University of Oulu served as the IPY secretariat for Finland.