Norwegian Scientific Academy for Polar Research

The Norwegian Scientific Academy for Polar Research (Norges Vitenskapsakademi for Polarforskning, NVP) was established on 27 March 2008 and has its main office in the Arctic, at the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) in Longyearbyen, Svalbard.

NVP is the only international scientific academy in the world concerned solely with the polar regions. NVP’s chosen role in the society can in a condensed form be depicted as follows: through expertise, interdisciplinary and national / international cooperation, NVP shall strengthen research and education in and about the polar regions, and promote sustainable development through enhanced holistic understanding among the society’s stakeholders about relationships between environment, climate, resource management, geopolitics, culture and governance.

The Academy is a politically neutral and non-profit foundation with the following missions:

• Promote research and education in polar areas
• Stimulate national and international cooperation and interdisciplinary polar research
• Contribute to communicating the knowledge of polar regions and the people that live there, to national and international governing bodies, industry and the public
• Contribute to the understanding of environmental and climate changes and human activities that affect and are affected by these
• Promote sustainable development on Svalbard and in northern regions
• Contribute to the development of expertise at the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) and the polar scientific community in general

Facts and figures

Web http://www.polar-academy.com
Year Established 2008
Total Number of Staff 2
Focus Areas

Increase the Academy's role in the public sphere, particularly when related to multi- and interdisciplinary research philosophy and approach with holistic insights

Translate scientific insights into practical use, through discourse and interaction with the members of the Academy and other stakeholders throughout the polar regions

Contribute to regional sustainable development by providing inter-sector insights to the knowledge based management/governance of the polar regions

Arrange scientific seminars in Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, Tromsø and Longyearbyen and summer schools in Longyearbyen, in cooperation with the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) and other partners

Promote interdisciplinary education and research in partnerships with members and like-minded institutions/ networks, in Norway and abroad