KarRC RAS international cooperation results in 2021

In 2021, KarRC RAS and staff of its institutes took part in the implementation of 37 international projects, including 7 multilateral (in 6 projects KarRC RAS and its institutes were partners, and in 1 project IG staff acted as experts) and 30 bilateral ones.

Among the bilateral projects, 22 were implemented together with Finnish scientists, 3 with scientists from Belarus, 3 with Swedish partners, scientists from Great Britain and from Spain were partners in 1 project each. This year, 7 new cooperation agreements and memorandums were signed and enacted with organizations from Finland (1 with KarRC RAS, 1 with ILLH), Norway (1 with IG), India (1 with IG), Sweden (1 with KarRC RAS), South Korea (1 with ILLH), Great Britain (1 with ILLH). All in all, 55 cooperation agreements and memorandums are currently in force.

KarRC partnership geography is quite extensive but the share of bilateral projects with Finnish scientific organizations – traditionally the main partners in KarRC’s international cooperation – was more than 70% of the total. Also quite high was the share of multilateral (more than two participating countries) projects: in 2021 it was approx. 20% of the total number of international projects.

The themes of joint research include 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, linguistics, ethnography.

A substantial part of the cooperation is international research of applied nature, including scientific support to projects and programs addressing the tasks of long-term development of the Republic of Karelia. Examples of such projects are: “Water management in Baltic forests – Tool box”, “Wolf: Barents predators – managing large carnivores in the Barents region”, “Cross-border tools for biodiversity hotspots preservation via monitoring and prevention of forest fires along Russian-Finnish border”, “Multi-level Education Towards Advanced Forestry”, “Forestry Ensuring Sustainable Tomorrow”, “Adapting management of Barents forests to future climate and economy conditions”, “Sustainability Under Pressure: Environmental Resilience in natural and cultural heritage areas with intensive recreation”, “Collaborative Data and Information Exchange Network for Managing Invasive Alien Species”, “Shungite water treatment technologies”, “Boosting Forest Cluster SME Business in two Karelias”, “Diverse and clean forests - successful bioeconomy”, “Advanced forest nursery”, “Kalitka – the development of cross-border gastronomic tourism”, “Empowering Underground Laboratories network usage”, “Salmonid Fish and Freshwater Pearl Mussel - Riverine Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity in the Green Belt of Fennoscandia”, “Mechanisms for conserving the languages and ethnic identity of titular ethnic groups of Karelia and Belarus: youth initiatives”, etc.
KarRC RAS employees in 2021 took part in 166 international scientific events (conferences, symposia, workshops). KarRC RAS organized 25 conferences, symposia, workshops, etc. with international participants (KarRC RAS – 5; NWPI – 1, IG – 3; FRI – 4; IAMR – 2, IE – 2).

KarRC RAS, its institutions and their staff participated in EU programmes: Baltic Sea Region Interreg Programme: KarRC RAS – 3; Karelia ENI CBC 2014–2020 Programme: KarRC RAS – 3; FRI – 3, IAMR & IE – 1; IE – 3); Kolarctic ENI CBC 2014-2020 Programme: KarRC RAS – 1; South-East Finland – Russia ENI CBC 2014-2020 Programme: IG – 1; FRI – 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; UNESCO International Geoscience Programme: IG (experts) - 1), various foreign organizations (Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities: ILLH – 1; Academy of Finland: FRI – 1; Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences: FRI – 1; Karelian Educational Society: ILLH – 5, Västerbotten County Board: KarRC RAS – 1, etc.), and foundations (Kone Foundation: FRI – 1, ILLH – 1; Hunters Association: ILLH – 1; Arcadia Foundation (Endangered Archives Programme, British Library): ILLH – 1; KKES Foundation (Karjalaisen Kulttuurin Edistämissäätiö): ILLH – 1), RFBR joint competitions for projects with foreign organizations: RFBR – Belarusian Republican Foundation for Fundamental Research: IB – 1, ILLH – 1, IG – 1.