TASS, September 15. The Arctic Floating University's expedition for young scientists from BRICS countries may begin from Karelia, leader of the Russian Academy of Sciences' regional scientific center Olga Bakhmet said.

"The Floating University Project is aimed at training young specialists in the World Ocean studies," she said. "One of the components is sailing along the Northern Sea Route. The Karelia scientific center suggests beginning expeditions from Karelia, where we have the White Sea, the scientific fleet to be used for interesting expeditions involving young scientists."

The Karelian scientific center is a regional representation of the national committee for BRICS studies, she continued. The center's task is to develop partnership in the interests of common scientific ideas. For example, experts of China's Academy of Sciences will come in November. The center has been discussing new projects with scientists in South Africa, India and Brazil.

In August, Russia's Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov at an annual meeting of BRICS member states' science ministers in South Africa invited the countries to join the Floating University Project.

The Arctic Floating University is a joint project of the Northern Arctic Federal University and the Northern Branch for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring. The expeditions continue since 2012. The first expedition in 2023 was on board the Professor Molchanov between June 23 and July 15. The project's partners and sponsors are the Ministry for Development of the Far East and Arctic, VTB, Novatek, Norilsk Nickel, the Arkhangelsk Region's government, and the Russian Geographical Society.