KarRC RAS international cooperation results in 2023

In 2023, due to the current geopolitical situation (including the suspension of the European cooperation programmes as well as the search for new potential partners and financial resources still being in its early stages) KarRC RAS faced evident stagnation in international activities.

Last year KarRC RAS and its staff were involved in the implementation of 6 international projects, including 1 multilateral and 5 bilateral ones. Among the bilateral projects, 1 was implemented in partnership with scientists from the Republic of Belarus in the field of nanotechnology (IG KarRC RAS). We continued to work on the completion of the ongoing cross-border cooperation programmes (1 – KarRC RAS, 3 – FRI KarRC RAS). In addition, KarRC RAS is currently implementing joint research activities under the Memorandum of Understanding between the Bundelkhand University of Jhansi (India) and IG KarRC RAS, Memorandum of Understanding between the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (Palani, India) and IG KarRC RAS, and Agreement on creative and scientific-technical cooperation between the A.V. Luikov Institute of Heat and Mass Transfer of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and IG KarRC RAS.

Last year I.N. Bakhmet, a member of IB KarRC RAS, conducted long-term (3 months) collaborative research to assess the physiological impact of the innovative antifouling nanomaterials on the brown mussel Perna perna in the University of Sao Paulu, Brazil (FAPESP Grant No. 2022/13503-0).

In 2023 KarRC RAS signed one new Memorandum of Understanding with the Institute of Hydrology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Wuhan). In total, KarRC RAS and its institutes have 47 treaties, memoranda and agreements on cooperation with scientific organizations from the Republic of Belarus (5 - KarRC RAS, 1 - IB KarRC RAS, 1 - IG KarRC RAS, 1 - FRI KarRC RAS, 2 - IE KarRC RAS), India (1 – NWPI KarRC RAS, 2 - IG KarRC RAS), Spain (1 – ILLH KarRC RAS), China (2 - KarRC RAS, 1 - IG KarRC RAS), Norway (1 - IG KarRC RAS, 1 - FRI KarRC RAS), Republic of Armenia (1 - IG KarRC RAS), Republic of Korea (1 - ILLH KarRC RAS), Republic of Serbia (1 - KarRC RAS), Finland (2 - KarRC RAS, 2 - IB KarRC RAS, 1 - IG KarRC RAS, 5 - FRI KarRC RAS, 8 - ILLH KarRC RAS), Czech Republic (1 - ILLH KarRC RAS), Estonia (1 - IB KarRC RAS, 2 - ILLH KarRC RAS), BRICS National Research Committee, Russia (1 - KarRC RAS), Agreement on joining the consortium Russian-African Network University (1 - KarRC RAS), Agreement on membership in PILA – the Publisher International Linking Association.

At present, the geography of KarRC RAS partnership is shifting towards Belarus, India, China and the African region, and we are striving to intensify our contacts with new partners in the friendly and neutral countries all over the world. There are 10 agreements on cooperation with scientific organizations in Belarus (with the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Vitebsk State University, the Belarus State Economic University, the Institute of Economics of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, the Belarusian Trade-Economic University of Consumer Cooperation, the Centre for the Belarusian Culture, Language and Literature researches of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, the Polesie Agrarian-Ecological Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Institute of Experimental Botany named after V.F. Kuprevich of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, the A.V. Luikov Institute of Heat and Mass Transfer of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus), 3 agreements with China (with the Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, School of Earth and Space Sciences of the Peking University), 3 agreements with India (with the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management, Kozhikode, the Bundelkhand University of Jhansi, the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani).

Joint research topics include biodiversity conservation and environmental protection, environmental awareness and education, sustainable management of natural resources, geology, nanotechnology, business development and history.

In 2023 KarRC RAS organized a working videoconference between the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and KarRC RAS scientists (27 April), an international workshop with the Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences devoted to “The Cooperation in climate change research, environmental monitoring and modelling” (November 8). In September (14-15) KarRC RAS held the First scientific Research-to-Practice conference “Regional cooperation within BRICS: sustainable nature management – environment, education, tourism”, and in 2024 we are planning to organize the second BRICS conference in order to further deepen regional partnership in science.

The KarRC RAS management and staff participated in the VII BRICS International School (held in Moscow, 13-18.11.2023), XXI International Strategic Forum (Saint-Petersburg, 30-31.10.2023), International Scientific Conference “Monitoring and Assessment of the State of Vegetation” (Republic of Belarus, Minsk, 8-15.10.2023), Second Summit Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum (St. Petersburg, 27-28.07.2023), Russian-Armenian Scientific and Educational Forum “Integration of Science, Education and Production - Driver of Economic Modernization” (Yerevan, 12-15.06.2023), International Specialized Exhibition “Belagro-2023” (Minsk, 6-11.06.2023), Congress of Young Scientists of Belarus and Russia (Minsk, 25.03.-01.04.2023), International Forum “Sustainable Development of Mountain Areas” (St. Petersburg, 12-13.10.2023), XXIII International Environmental Forum “Baltic Sea Day” (St. Petersburg, 22-24.03.2023), V International Scientific and Practical Conference “Big Eurasia: national and civilizational aspects of development and cooperation” (Moscow, 22-24.11.2023), as well as in all seminars of the Consortium of the Russian-African Network University - RAfU (Accession Agreement signed 10.10.2022).

KarRC RAS took part in 149 international scientific events (conferences, symposia, workshops) in both online and offline formats. KarRC RAS organized 9 conferences and workshops with international partners (KarRC RAS – 2; KarRC RAS, NWPI KarRC RAS – 1; IB KarRC RAS – 2; NWPI KarRC RAS – 1; FRI KarRC RAS – 1; IAMR KarRC RAS – 1; IE KarRC RAS – 1). The Research Centre had a total of 9 foreign specialists and 24 of its own specialists travelling abroad.