ArCS activities consist of three categories: promotion of internationally collaborated research, enhancement of platforms for research in the Arctic, and dispatch of young researchers and specialists to Arctic research institutions and conferences. Here, promotion of research refers not only to natural science but also to social science to assess possible impacts of changes in the vulnerable Arctic environment on the world human activities and lives of people living there.
At the same time, based on research results, ArCS holds symposiums and other events comprehensively for the general public, which are also very important for ArCS to encourage understanding of the importance and significance of Arctic research with everyone even in Japan.
Three years have passed since the start of the project, ArCS’s fundamental objectives are “to understand changes in natural environment, which are taking place in the Arctic, for prediction and forecast with the least ambiguity, and to provide necessary and sufficient information to people including decision makers in Japan and abroad.”
It is the time now when we, ArCS researchers should apply a great deal of effort to create new knowledge by integrating research results not only outlined in the booklet but also all other results obtained through ArCS.
Masao Fukasawa (ArCS PD)
