Portrait of an interdisciplinary research centre: The Arctic Research Centre

Interdisciplinary collaboration is absolutely necessary to understanding the consequences of climate change at the top of the world. A new Arctic research centre gathers interdisciplinary research expertise from all over the globe, and its goal is nothing less than to become the foremost international centre for research in the field.

The ice is melting at a dramatic rate in the Arctic. This is where climate change is having the most dramatic consequences. Conditions for plant and animal life are being radically transformed, and this affects the health and lifestyles of the people of the Arctic.
One of Aarhus University’s new interdisciplinary research centres is devoted to understanding climate change and its consequences for the mighty Arctic region.
’The Arctic region is facing colossal upheavals, and our research has to be right at the forefront so that we can inform and advise the population about the consequences,’ explains Professor Søren Rysgaard, who is co-director of the new Arctic research centre that will be officially established 21 September  2012. The other director is Professor Jesper Madsen.
Oceanographers, doctors, biologists, statisticians, physical geographers: researchers from virtually all fields will work closely together at the Arctic Research Centre to explore the many complex issues raised by climate change in the region. Joint research expeditions, where researchers from different fields will need to work together, will be a central aspect of the centre’s approach
’Joint field campaigns are the best way to get people to work together and gain insight into each other’s fields. This close collaboration is what allows new ideas to emerge across academic specialisations,’ says Søren Rysgaard. The centre got an early start in March and April, sending the expedition to three different locations in the biting winter cold of Northeast Greenland. Fifty participants from eight countries returned home with new and valuable data on questions such as the significance of sea ice for the global carbon cycle and the accumulation of xenobiotic substances in the Arctic population.

Broad international collaboration

The centre views the globe from above – literally speaking. And as Søren Rygaard explains, from this perspective, it is clear that Artic research not only requires interdisciplinary cooperation. It also requires close cooperation among the Artic nations.
’Investigating changes in ocean currents, sea ice extent and substance exchange involving the sea, the ice, the land and the atmosphere requires extremely large-scale studies.’
To meet this need, the centre is in the process of establishing a close international research collaboration through the organisation Arctic Science Partnership (ASP), with the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources and the University of Manitoba in Canada as active partners. More than 200 leading Arctic researchers are involved in the ASP partnership.

Accumulating knowledge locally and globally

’This cooperation means that we will accumulate an enormous knowledge bank and establish an effective logistical platform that researchers and student in Aarhus will be able to draw on, just as it will attract the best Arctic researchers in the world,’ says Søren Rysgaard. He goes on to point out another benefit:
’The centre will become a real magnet for new students. One of our goals is to create a very attractive, dynamic study environment where students get involved in broad international collaboration at a high academic level from day one.
With the opportunities we have for doing interdisciplinary, international research, our clear goal is to become an innovative centre at the forefront of the international scene. We’re going to produce some of the knowledge that is crucial for the future of the Arctic and for how we’re going to tackle the major climate challenges,’ says Søren Rysgaard.

Interdisciplinary research centres

Aarhus University has established a total of seven interdisciplinary research centres that will work to produce ground-breaking new research results by creating dynamic synergies across the spectrum of scientific and scholarly disciplines at AU.

These new centres are characterised by an interdisciplinary approach, a high level of research excellence, the potential to attract a significant level of external funding and a volume comparable to that of the departments.

The seven interdisciplinary research centres:

• Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO)
• MINDLab
• Centre for iSequencing (iSEQ)
• Centre for Integrated Registerbased Research (CIRRAU)
• Arctic Research Centre (ARC)
• Participatory Information Technology Centre (PIT)
• Interacting Minds Centre (IMC)