The 7th annual meeting of the International Expert Council for Cooperation in the Arctic was held at Gubkin University

On 7 November 2019, the 7th annual meeting of the International Expert Council for Cooperation in the Arctic (IECCA) was held at Gubkin University. The plenary session of the meeting was moderated by the Chair of IECCA, the Dean of the Faculty of Integrated Security of the Fuel and Energy Complex Sergey Grinyaev.

The event was organized with the financial support of the Alexander Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund. In 2019, the topic of the meeting was “Information technologies in the Arctic: navigation, communications and management”.

Within the plenary session, the partnership agreement was signed between Gubkin University and Concern Morinformsystem-Agat JSC, the company specialized in the domains of informational systems and technologies, system engineering in the sphere of marine data computing equipment, electromagnetic compatibility of radio-electronic facilities, degaussing systems, fire control systems of sea-based cruise and ballistic missiles, combat information and control systems and integrated management systems for surface ships and submarines.

Opening the meeting, the Rector of Gubkin University Viktor Martynov noted that “digitalization is aimed to reduce the costs associated with the exploration and production of hydrocarbons, as well as the production of special equipment”. “Information technologies allow us to track production indicators in real time, prevent breakdowns and accidents timely. The development of information infrastructure in the Arctic will ensure monitoring and handling quality of transport processes, and carrying out effective monitoring of transport safety” – said Viktor Martynov.

As part of the meeting, two round tables “Information technologies in the development of the Arctic: development trends, prospects, risks” moderated by the Head of the Department for Strategic Development of Gubkin University Pavel Kalashnikov, “The Arctic strategy and policy of the participant and observer states of the Arctic Council” moderated by the Head of the Center for Arctic Studies of the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences Valery Zhuravel, as well as the student session “Innovative technologies in the development of the Arctic” moderated by the Deputy Dean for Research of the Faculty of Integrated Security of the Fuel and Energy Complex Gubkin University Dmitry Medvedev were held.

At the meeting, the Dean of the Faculty of Integrated Security of the Fuel and Energy Complex Sergey Grinyaev presented the fifth edition of Arctic Review, the official publication of the International Expert Council on Cooperation in the Arctic.

Prior to the meeting on 6 November 2019, the open lectures titled “The role of information technologies in prevention, preparedness and response to oil spill in the Arctic” delivered by the Professor Tina Hunter, Director of the Aberdeen University Centre for Energy Law (Great Britain), and “Innovative technologies and safe development of the Arctic” delivered by the Director of the Institute of Arctic Oil and Gas Technologies of Gubkin University Anatoly Zolotukhin were also held.

The experts and scientists from leading Russian universities, representatives of large companies operating in the Arctic, government authorities, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and Far East as well as diplomatic representatives from China, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, India, Norway, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, UK and USA took part in the work of the meeting.

In total, the meeting brought together over 120 Russian and foreign experts, representatives of public organizations and the media.