The Arctic Floating University (AFU) will return to research the Svalbard archipelago after a six-year hiatus, Mikhail Danilov, Rector of the Northern Arctic Federal University (NAFU), told TASS. Preparations for the expedition have already begun, although the process is complicated by diplomatic and other approvals.
The joint project of NAFU and Sevhydromet has been operating since 2012. The last time the vessel "Professor Molchanov" with scientists and students on board approached Svalbard was in 2019: then researchers carried out five landings, conducted geological, biological, and microbiological work, and took samples of water, air, and permafrost. After that, the route shifted to Novaya Zemlya and Franz Josef Land.
Danilov emphasized that Svalbard is currently a focus of state attention. The return of the AFU to the archipelago is part of Russia's strategy to expand its scientific presence in the Arctic. The current, twentieth expedition of the floating university took place from July 1 to 22 with the support of VTB Bank.
The Arctic Floating University will for the first time apply new wave measurement technologies in the Arctic.
Read more on the topic:
- R/V "Professor Molchanov" sets sail for Svalbard
- Arctic Floating University to Apply New Wave Measurement Technologies in the Arctic for the First Time