APECS News

APECS is excited to join a new global coalition bringing together youth and Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOPs) working across marine science, policy, and advocacy. This new coalition will be officially launched during the 2025 UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3), which will take place in Nice, France, from 9 to 13 June 2025. The coalition builds on years of youth-led engagement in ocean governance and unites a diverse group of networks to strengthen collaboration and representation in global ocean processes.

The coalition, among others, will include APECS, the UN Ocean Decade ECOP Programme, the Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN), Youth4Ocean Forum, Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA), EarthEcho International, and many others. Its primary goal is to support youth and ECOP participation across regions and sectors.

In preparation for UNOC3, the coalition has been working to further increase youth and ECOP representation at the conference. The coalition also plans to launch a Youth Manifesto for the Ocean in collaboration with the French government.

APECS is currently looking for one APECS member to co-represent APECS in the coalition, together with an APECS Executive Committee member. This one-year volunteer position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the strategic direction of the coalition, ensure polar early career voices are represented in global ocean forums, and work collaboratively with peers from other networks.

Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) and the 4th International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (ICARP IV) were held from 20-28 March in Boulder, Colorado, USA. APECS and the Polar Science Early Career Community Office (PSECCO) collaborated to organize the Polar Early Career World Summit (PECWS; held 22-24 March) as a part of these events.

PECWS brought together early career researchers, professionals, Indigenous scholars and knowledge holders connected to the Arctic, Antarctica, and the wider cryosphere from across the world. The program and discussions were designed to gather early career voices to shape polar research priorities and the next IPY and strengthen polar early career networks and connections. Conversations at the summit and asynchronous input from the polar early career community will be synthesized into multiple output formats to influence polar science policy and decision-making processes – stay tuned for the release of these materials later in the year. For those who could not attend PECWS, please consider joining us at our online events in May.

During the Polar Early Career World Summit (PECWS), hosted 22-24 March 2025, 120 polar early career researchers (ECRs) came together to discuss and synthesize priorities for input to ICARP IV and IPY discussions. At the end of the third day, polar ECRs had discussed 12 priority themes (which had been determined ahead of time from polar early career input) and developed 12 vision statements, 75 priorities and 186 supporting reasonings and actions.

While this accomplishment is certainly reason to celebrate, it’s also important to acknowledge that there are many polar ECRs who were unable to attend the summit in-person to provide input to this process. With that in mind, the PECWS team is hosting three online events 27-29 May (depending on your time zone) that will provide an overview of what was discussed at PECWS and provide clear instructions for how polar ECRs from all over the world can provide input on these visions, priorities, reasonings and actions. These events are specifically intended for those who did not attend PECWS. Following the collection of this input, a final polar early career priorities synthesis report will be developed.

Are you preparing for fieldwork in the Arctic or Antarctic? Whether you're headed to land-based stations or embarking on polar research vessels, planning is key to a successful research campaign. Join us on 12 May 2025, 12:00 - 16:00 GMT, for the POLARIN fieldwork planning webinar to learn more about how to navigate permit processes and logistics challenges, understand risk assessment and field safety, implement ethical and sustainable research practices, and plan effective data management from the start. 

This training session is open to all — from early career researchers to experienced polar scientists. It is organized by the Polar Research Infrastructure Network (POLARIN), a project providing transnational access to polar research infrastructures and offering training resources for infrastructure users and the wider polar research community. Register through this link to attend.

The Albédo Foundation for the Cryosphere launches the “Génération Cryosphère” program, an initiative to support a new generation of French-speaking researchers specializing in the study of the polar regions and high-altitudes.

This program aims to identify, promote and support 16 young, French-speaking doctoral students by offering them exceptional opportunities for experience, visibility and immersion in the field of polar research.

As part of the Génération Cryosphère program, the participants will take part in a leg of the “One Ocean Expedition” that is organized by UiT The Arctic University of Norway. 

Passionate about the Arctic and a just, sustainable transition? Want to engage in meaningful discussions with youth from Europe and the Arctic? 

Apply for the Arctic Youth Dialogue 2025, 22-27 June in Kittilä, Finland!

What is your vision of polar research for the next International Polar Year (IPY)? Provide your input now to shape the next decade of polar research! The Polar Early Career World Summit (PECWS) 2025 organizers invite polar early career community members from around the world to provide their input on early career priorities. 

The end of January was an eventful yet rewarding time for the APECS International Directorate, with two back-to-back conferences: the Arctic Youth Conference (AYC) from 24-26 January, followed by Arctic Frontiers from 27-30 January.