Association «Centre for Problems of the North, Arctic and Cross-border Cooperation»

«North-Centre» was established in May 2009 in cooperation with Karelian Research Centre of the Russian Academy of Science and international youth movement «Association AWARD».

«North-Centre» is a new networking mechanism designed to unite the efforts of science, youth associations, non-profit organizations, business and authorities for the benefit of the development of northern regions

The Centre’s mission is to generate conditions for expansion of intersectoral (first of all international) cooperation to promote sustainable development of northern regions. The Centre acts as a mediator and a platform for interactions and cooperation of stakeholders representing similar or different areas of public life. The Centre helps the stakeholders build their capacity and unfold their potential by applying their efforts to the spheres they now deal with little, if at all.

Activities of the Centre help raise the level of the scientific and information-analytical background available to decision-makers through their interactions with science and the public sector enabling more timely response to urgent challenges related to the development of northern regions.

The overall objective of the North-Centre is to support, coordinate and promote the efficiency of scientific, educational, non-governmental, youth, political and commercial organizations and bodies in their activities dealing with topical problems of the North, the Arctic and border regions

Aims of the North-Centre

• establishment of components of the infrastructure for organizational support, methodological maintenance and technical assistance to stakeholders of international cooperation on studies of the North and the Arctic;
• promotion of common Northern intellectual space: the building of knowledge, development of methods for its accumulation and dissemination;
• integration of the efforts of scientific communities of Nordic countries and NW Russia to facilitate active utilization of resources of the Arctic and the North for sustainable development;
• establishment of the environment for constructive interactions of different sectors in specific projects;
• development of new models for international intersectoral network interactions; adaptation to and application under Russian conditions of European methodology and best practices;
• development of dialogue, mutual penetration of cultures, mutual development of competencies;
• promotion of cultural traditions needed for the transition of northern territories to the sustainable development mode.