KarRC RAS international cooperation results in 2019

In 2019 KarRC RAS and staff of its institutes took part in the implementation of 49 international projects, including 9 multilateral (in 8 projects KarRC RAS and its institutes were partners, and in 1 project FRI staff acted as experts) and 40 bilateral (two of them involved IB, NWPI and ILLH staff as experts) ones. Among the bilateral projects, 23 were implemented together with Finnish scientists, 4 with scientists from Sweden, and 2 projects with each of Belarus, the USA, and Estonia. Cooperation with research organizations from Denmark, Germany, India, Norway, Poland, Spain, and Ukraine was in one project each. In the reported year, research on 29 projects was continued, and 20 new projects commenced. This year, 18 new cooperation agreements and memorandums were signed and enacted with organizations from Finland (2 with KarRC RAS, 4 with FRI, 3 with ILLH), Belarus (1 with IG), Estonia (1 with IG), China (1 with IG), Sweden (1 with KarRC RAS, 3 with IG), Germany (1 with KarRC RAS, 1 with NWPI).

KarRC partnership geography is quite extensive and continues expanding. Yet, the share of bilateral projects with Finnish scientific organizations – traditionally the main partners in KarRC’s international cooperation – was more than 50% of the total. Also quite high was the share of multilateral (more than two participating countries) projects: in 2019 it was around 18% of the total number of international projects.

The themes of joint research are territorial development, biodiversity conservation and environmental protection, environmental awareness and education, sustainable management of natural resources, geology, socio-economic studies, business development, history and culture, philological and linguistic studies.

A substantial part of the cooperation is international research of applied nature, including scientific support to projects and programmes addressing the tasks of long-term development of the Republic of Karelia. Examples of such projects are: “Enhancing the predictability of fire activity and its environmental and socio-economic consequences in circumboreal forests through representative data comparisons”, “Adapting management of Barents forests to future climate and economy conditions”, “Modern resources of Karelian birch”, “Critical metals and industrial minerals in Fennoscandia. Raw materials for the 21st century”, “Sustainability Under Pressure: Environmental Resilience in natural and cultural heritage areas with intensive recreation (SUPER)”, “Collaborative Data and Information Exchange Network for Managing Invasive Alien Species (DIAS)”, “Shungite water treatment technologies (SHEM-WP)”, “Boosting Forest Cluster SME Business in two Karelias (Bofori)”, “Diverse and clean forests - successful bioeconomy”, “Advanced forest nursery”, “Kalitka – the development of cross-border gastronomic tourism”, “Baltic Sea Underground Innovation Network (BSUIN)”, “Salmonid Fish and Freshwater Pearl Mussel - Riverine Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity in the Green Belt of Fennoscandia”, etc.

KarRC RAS employees in 2019 took part in 166 international scientific events (conferences, symposia, workshops). KarRC RAS organized 16 conferences, symposia and workshops with international participants (KarRC RAS – 2; KarRC RAS & IG – 1, IB – 2; NWPI – 3, IG – 1; FRI – 2; IAMR – 1, IE – 2, ILLH – 2).

KarRC RAS, its institutions and their staff participate in EU programmes (Baltic Sea Region Interreg Programme: KarRC RAS – 3; CBC Karelia 2014–2020: KarRC RAS – 2, FRI – 4, FRI & IE – 1, IAMR & IE – 1, IE – 3); CBC Kolarctic 2014-2020: KarRC RAS – 1; CBC South-East Finland – Russia 2014-2020: IG – 1. Some projects are implemented with financial support from international organizations and programmes (Nordic Council of Ministers: KarRC RAS – 1; European Forest Institute – FRI – 1), various foreign organizations (Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities: ILLH – 1; Academy of Finland: FRI – 1, ILLH – 1; Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences: FRI – 3; Karelian Educational Society: ILLH – 3, etc.), and foundations (Kone Foundation: ILLH – 2, Hunters Association: ILLH – 1, Juminkeko Cultural Foundation: ILLH – 1, KKES Foundation (Karjalaisen Kulttuurin Edistämissäätiö): ILLH – 1), RFBR joint competitions for projects with foreign organizations: RFBR – Belarusian Republican Foundation for Fundamental Research: ILLH – 1.