Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

International Polar Year IV: Context and Promise  (NOST216)

Outline
Overview: NOST216 (the Yukon College course designation) is a second-year universitylevel multidisciplinary online course that examines the historical and, to a lesser extent, the scientific context of the current International Polar Year, its planning and development as well as the ethical and regulatory contexts of polar research. The principle aim of the course is to assist the learner to develop an understanding of the current IPY’s debt to the IPY/IGY legacy and an appreciation of the potential and promise the Fourth International Polar Year offers. Outline: NOST216 introduces the context and promise of the Fourth International Polar Year (IPY) (2007-2008), a two-year program of science, research and education focussed on the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Readings and discussions place this important 24-month period of intense research activity into the larger polar and pure-science research context. The course first reviews the motives, personalities, events and outcomes of the previous IPYs (1882-83, 1932-33) and IGY (1957-1958). Next, the course focuses on the conduct of many forms of polar research, especially in the North, where practice has come under increased community scrutiny since the 1970s. Today, guidelines and requirements for ethical conduct in research attempt to create a zone of comfortable and respectful interaction for northerners and researchers. Consideration will also be given to the regulatory framework encountered by researchers in the area covered by the Antarctic Treaty. Finally, the current IPY is considered in some detail. Planning, coordination and implementation are considered, as are the major research themes developed to guide IPY activities. This course would be of interest to individuals working in government, media or business who seek to understand this international enterprise a bit better. In addition, students of the North, history, science, or contemporary issues should find the course interesting.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
Generally speaking, there will be few, if any, immediate, significant advances expected from this project, simply because this is an educational activity, the intent of which is to educate university students or faculty, or, for example, individuals working in government, administration, media or business, on the current IPY, what it is doing, what it is supposed to do and where it came from. It is entirely possible that, after taking this course, students or faculty might find topics of interest for further study. The IPYs and IGY are surprisingly poorly analyzed; there is great potential there for both broader and deeper study of them all. This course will demonstrate that there is a great deal of scope for new studies of just about every aspect of the past IPYs and IGY. There is, as well, much to be learned from comparing the current IPY to those of the past. The course could serve as a starting point for some significant research later.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
Some. This course was developed by a faculty member at Yukon College (Canada) and offered by Yukon College online. As a second-year course, most of the inputs to the course have been published papers and monographs. It is, however, a simple matter to include guest “lecturers” from anywhere in the online course.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
Not applicable. No field work.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: n/a
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
None of the type listed.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
n/a

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
Yes - Endorsed at the national level

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE

Is the project a short-term expansion (over the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe) of an existing plan, programme or initiative or is it a new autonomous proposal?
no

The course was developed autonomously but it now joins an existing Education and Outreach project.

How will the project be organised and managed?
The course is organized and managed by the Yukon College and the instructor. Coordination and liaison with other institutions and individuals to be carried on by the instructor unless institutional involvement is required.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
This is an education, outreach and communication project. As such, it is primarily concerned with outreach and disseminating information. In conjunction with the course, a web site has been established at http://dl1.yukoncollege.yk.ca/ipy/ and it joins three other sites that focus on providing news and information about the polar regions and research: http://dl1.yukoncollege.yk.ca/agraham/ (Circumpolar Musings, since November 2004) and Svalbard http://dl1.yukoncollege.yk.ca/svalbard/ and Antarctica! http://dl1.yukoncollege.yk.ca/antarctica/

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
Course outlines and non-confidential student work are and will be hosted on http://dl1.yukoncollege.yk.ca/ipy/ Electronic copies of these materials, in text, rtf or pdf, would be deposited with a designated data warehouse for such materials.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
Yukon College has made in-kind contributions to this project in terms of instructor time and institutional resources. The instructor has made personal contributions to the project. Athabasca University has contributed resources and support to the project. Other individuals have donated time, knowledge, references and/or materials. The result is a project that has been developed with and required little or no funding.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
The detailed course outline is online at http://ycdl4.yukoncollege.yk.ca/frontier/files/ipy/ipycourseyukoncollegenost216.pdf

PROPOSER DETAILS

Ms Amanda Graham
Yukon College
PO Box 2799
Whitehorse, YT
Y1A 5K4
Canada

Tel: +1-867-668-8773
Mobile: no
Fax: +1-867-668-8805
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation