Karelian Research Centre RAS in collaboration with the North Center Association and with support from the Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund is implementing the international project «Under the Pressure of Global Climate Change: A Youth Network for Water Ecosystem Research». In its first stage, the call for applications was announced for young scientists from the CIS (master’s and doctoral students, early-career researchers) to participate in the hands-on youth school in Petrozavodsk on March 24-27. The project’s key theme is the study of the state of aquatic ecosystems under global climate change.
The organizers received 170 applications. Specialists at the KarRC RAS Department for International Cooperation sieved the applications for requirement compliance. Quality evaluation was done at the Northern Water Problems Institute KarRC RAS. Ultimately, 16 winners were selected, which is less than one out of ten applications submitted for the youth school.
– A vast majority of the motivational letters were really impressive, making it hard to choose. A thing to note apart from the great interest exhibited by the applicants is the variety of the fields in which the participants plan to work or already have some professional experience: from research in limnology, hydrochemistry and hydrology to environmental management. The geography of the applications is also very satisfying, – commented Aleksey Tolstikov, Head of Hydrology and Geography Laboratory at the Northern Water Problems Institute KarRC RAS.
The school will bring together young scientists from Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan, as well as from several Russian regions: Kamchatka, Tomsk Region, and St. Petersburg. They will be joined by five Karelian participants – early-career researchers from the Karelian Research Centre RAS and Petrozavodsk State University. The audience will be a total of 21 learners.
The youth school’s lecturing staff is also international: experts in hydrology, hydrophysics, hydrochemistry, paleolimnology, and other disciplines from Karelia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Armenia will deliver in-person, while lecturers from China and India will contribute online.
– The participants will be offered a series of theoretical lectures and hands-on sessions in laboratories and directly on an ice-covered ice. Karelian scientists have extensive experience in studying the ice cover and doing winter observations of water bodies, so the participants will gain valuable first-hand knowledge. The program will also include a roundtable, where young researchers will present their own studies and get feedback from experts, – shared Head of the KarRC RAS Department for International Cooperation, Project Leader Alexandra Smirnova.
The young scientists’ school is meant to serve as a platform for exchanging experience, ideas, and developments among early-career researchers from CIS countries. In addition to its scientific and educational objectives, the event seeks to foster peer networking among young researchers of CIS countries and strengthen ties among the scientific communities of the participating nations.
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February 11, 2026
Competition for participation in the KarRC RAS’s youth school for aquatic ecosystem research is ten applications per spot
The selection process for applications for KarRC RAS’s international project "Under the Pressure of Global Climate Change: A Youth Network for Water Ecosystem Research" is over. A total of 170 applications were submitted by young researchers from scientific and educational organizations of Russia and the CIS. The winners come from Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, and other countries.
The selection process for applications for KarRC RAS’s international project "Under the Pressure of Global Climate Change: A Youth Network for Water Ecosystem Research" is over. A total of 170 applications were submitted by young researchers from scientific and educational organizations of Russia and the CIS. The winners come from Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, and other countries.
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March 30, 2026
Young CIS scientists networked on common water problems at a school and workshop organized by the KarRC RAS
The international school and workshop “Under the Pressure of Global Climate Change: a Youth Network for Water Ecosystem Research” in Petrozavodsk has come to an end. During four days, young researchers from Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan listened to lectures and mastered scientific techniques in practice, under the guidance of seasoned experts. In conclusion, the participants agreed to maintain the network and keep looking for opportunities to jointly study common environmental problems.
The international school and workshop “Under the Pressure of Global Climate Change: a Youth Network for Water Ecosystem Research” in Petrozavodsk has come to an end. During four days, young researchers from Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan listened to lectures and mastered scientific techniques in practice, under the guidance of seasoned experts. In conclusion, the participants agreed to maintain the network and keep looking for opportunities to jointly study common environmental problems.
March 27, 2026
RAS Corr. Fellow Olga Bakhmet: Arctic biodiversity conservation is impossible without science as its foundation
The International Forum "Polar Bear Universe", organized by the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia and the Government of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, is taking place in St. Petersburg. At the forum’s Bio-ecological Arctic Cluster, KarRC RAS leader, RAS Corr. Fellow Olga Bakhmet spoke about the scientific foundations for conserving Arctic biodiversity and presented the expertise of Karelian scientists in this field.
The International Forum "Polar Bear Universe", organized by the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia and the Government of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, is taking place in St. Petersburg. At the forum’s Bio-ecological Arctic Cluster, KarRC RAS leader, RAS Corr. Fellow Olga Bakhmet spoke about the scientific foundations for conserving Arctic biodiversity and presented the expertise of Karelian scientists in this field.
March 26, 2026
Olga Bakhmet presented KarRC’s proposals for the federal Clean Ladoga project in St. Petersburg
Experts of the Karelian Research Centre RAS have prepared proposals for the federal project Clean Ladoga. The Centre’s CEO, Olga Bakhmet, presented them at a joint meeting of the Environmental Council under the Governor of St. Petersburg and the Public Environmental Council under the Governor of the Leningrad Region. The main point of her presentation was that the integrated program for the environmental rehabilitation of Lake Ladoga must encompass also the water bodies located throughout the lake’s catchment area.
Experts of the Karelian Research Centre RAS have prepared proposals for the federal project Clean Ladoga. The Centre’s CEO, Olga Bakhmet, presented them at a joint meeting of the Environmental Council under the Governor of St. Petersburg and the Public Environmental Council under the Governor of the Leningrad Region. The main point of her presentation was that the integrated program for the environmental rehabilitation of Lake Ladoga must encompass also the water bodies located throughout the lake’s catchment area.
March 24, 2026
A youth school and workshop on aquatic ecosystem studies gathers learners and lecturers from CIS countries at the KarRC RAS
The international school and workshop "Under the Pressure of Global Climate Change: a Youth Network for Aquatic Ecosystem Research" was launched in Petrozavodsk on March 24. Over four days, young researchers from Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan will engage in theoretical and practical training under the guidance of experts from the KarRC RAS and researchers from CIS countries, India, and China.
The international school and workshop "Under the Pressure of Global Climate Change: a Youth Network for Aquatic Ecosystem Research" was launched in Petrozavodsk on March 24. Over four days, young researchers from Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan will engage in theoretical and practical training under the guidance of experts from the KarRC RAS and researchers from CIS countries, India, and China.
March 16, 2026
Karelian entomologist, Andrei Humala, discovered six new species of parasitoid wasps last year
In 2025, entomologist from Karelia, Andrei Humala, described four new parasitoid wasp species from Africa. They all belong to a genus relatively rare in that region, Eusterinx. One more finding was made in each of samples from Mexico and Russian Far East. The scientist has specialized in the study of parasitoid wasps for over 30 years, during which time he has described 3 genera and 149 species new to science.
In 2025, entomologist from Karelia, Andrei Humala, described four new parasitoid wasp species from Africa. They all belong to a genus relatively rare in that region, Eusterinx. One more finding was made in each of samples from Mexico and Russian Far East. The scientist has specialized in the study of parasitoid wasps for over 30 years, during which time he has described 3 genera and 149 species new to science.