MOSCOW, February 2. /TASS/. The first phase of the International Youth Forum "The Arctic Expedition" will be launched the Tver region, in the village of Svetlitsa on Monday. The event will be bring together young scientists from Russia, Finland, Norway, Canada and the United States.
"More than 250 applications for the participation in the forum have been submitted by representatives of more than 50 universities and 10 research institutes. The winners and participants of the first phase of the forum are 150 young scientists, graduate students, whose area of interest is related to the study of the Arctic and the Arctic zone. In addition to the young people of Russia, the forum will also be attended by representatives of the Arctic Council member states: Denmark, Iceland, Canada, Norway, the United States, Finland and Sweden," said the press service of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh), the organiser of the event.
The International Youth Forum "The Arctic Expedition" will be held in two phases and will bring together young scientists specialising in the study of the Arctic and the Arctic region. The first stage of the forum will run until February 7. A series of events, competitions, intellectual and adventure games will determine several winners of the "Expedition" who will participate in the second stage of "The Arctic Expedition" forum and in April will go to the Russian drifting station Barneo, in order to reach the North Pole from there.
The forum sets new standards in the approach to educational camps and aims to develop initiative and the spirit of leadership in young people. "The Arctic Expedition" is a unique educational content with thematic lectures read by professors of the best universities, panel discussions, exhibitions and workshops, with live communication between participants, experts and invited guests. The forum programme will allow young people to apply their skills in practice in their academic studies and professional career.
Leading researchers, specialists and experts on the development of the Arctic and the Arctic region, representatives of the scientific community, business and government are expected to take part in the forum as honoured guests. Among them: Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak, Foreign Ministry’s Ambassador at Large Valery Kenyaikin, Russia's representative to the Arctic Council Vladimir Barbin, senior vice president of the Russian Geographical Society Artur Chilingarov, CEO of the Rosgeologiya geological holding Roman Panov and others.
The action "Parade of Flags of Regions of Russia," dedicated to the 70th anniversary of Victory in World War II (the Great Patriotic War of the USSR against Nazi Germany of 1941-1945) will be held during the expedition on the Barneo ice station. The Russian flag (40 by 26.6 m in size), officially recognised as the largest in the country, and 85 flags of Russian regions (each 4 by 3 metres in size) will be installed during the action. A working group comprising 30 people will be engaged in the flags’ installation. When the expedition is over, the Russian flag that has been on the North Pole will be hoisted on the country’s highest flagpole, which will be located on Poklonnaya Hill.
The Arctic - 2015 integrated project is being implemented under the auspices of the environmental movement Living Planet in co-operation with the Russian Geographical Society.