On 20 July, the Floating University expedition set sail for the Arctic aboard the scientific research vessel Professor Molchanov.

The Floating University expedition commenced in Arkhangelsk and will conclude with a landing in Tiksi. Over the course of 41 days, six scientific teams, composed of 20 scientists, will conduct studies on water masses in the shelves and continental slopes of the seas of the Russian Arctic.

This year, the Floating University programme includes 26 students. They joined the expedition after participating in the Winter School of the Floating University 2024, where they received training in various areas of oceanography. Through this programme, they found scientific supervisors who are accompanying them on the expedition.

Joint expeditions between Phys-Tech and the Institute of Oceanology have been taking place for several years and have established a platform for bringing together scientists from different organisations for collaborative discoveries and for educating a new generation of oceanologists.

Year after year, these expeditions not only confirm the scientific hypotheses from previous years but also open new avenues for research. This year, the geography of the expedition will significantly expand to the east, allowing for monitoring in a region where the effects of climate change are particularly pronounced and where expeditions are rare due to nearly year-round ice cover.

Last year’s Floating University research expedition advanced the understanding of the structure and circulation of water masses that influence ice characteristics along the Northern Sea Route.

The Floating University serves as a stepping stone for actively engaging youth in science. In five to ten years, it is expected to produce new PhDs and leaders of grants and scientific expeditions.

A shortage of personnel is currently noted in many fields, and the scientific community has long faced this challenge. Programmes like the Floating University help to build a professional pathway and develop students into scientists.

Also read about the last expedition of the Floating University on the website of the Arctic Century.

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A Recent Polish Expedition Clarified the Impact of the Baltic Sea on the Arctic