Photo: Michil YAKOVLEV / NEFU Newsroom

On 19 August, participants of the University of Arctic Summer School “Permafrost history and its distribution globally” presented their research projects at NEFU after a three-week field work and lectures.

The young researchers from the US, China, Germany, India, Norway, Great Britain, Japan and Russia presented the research results on interaction between permafrost and landscapes, infrastructure, flora under climate change. The field work was carried out in Khangalassky, Megino-Kangalassky, Namsky and Churapchinsky regions of Yakutia. “The Summer School will continue to work until October. The students will write the reports and research papers on the results of research projects. Only after that they will get ECTS Certificates”, said Dmitry Osipov, school coordinator.

The participants carried out drilling with the staff of P.I. Melnikov Permafrost Institute. “We used a satellite tracking system and mapping in our research, including Landsat with open data. We analyzed landscape and flora of the Central Yakutia, regions on the other side of the river and Yakutsk. Due to teamwork, we gathered enough material for further work in the field of permafrost”, said Lucy Haem, student from Great Britain.

Professors and scientists of the University of Alaska, Hokkaido University, Texas University, the Institute of Biological Problems of Cryolithozone and Federal University gave lectures on permafrost, climate, biogeochemistry for the participants of the school. "Working in mixed teams with the foreign teachers develops internationalization, skills in the teamwork. For students - it is an invaluable experience of international communication, acquaintance with the culture and history of Yakutia", said Dmitry Osipov.

The Summer School was organized within the frameworks of “Cold lands” Seminar of NEFU Department of Northern Studies. Professor Kenji Yoshikawa, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, head of the Arctic Thematic Network on Permafrost and Mikhail Prisyajny, head of NEFU Department of Northern Studies, led the school.