On the sixth edition of the Italian Research Day in the World, the Scientific Office of the Italian Embassy organized an event in collaboration with the Royal Polytechnic University of Stockholm (KTH) and the Italian Cultural Institute. The aim of the event was to explore the human being’s ability to face extreme situations. This was done in the form of a dialogue between Chiara Montanari who is the first Italian woman to lead an expedition to Antarctica, and the Swedish science promoter, Eva Krutmeijer.
From her experience in Antarctica, Chiara Montanari explained how it is possible to develop a mindset that she defines as the “Antarctic Mindset”. Specifically, Montanari explained that this type of mindset arises from the combination of her experience in the Polar Bases and the study of the sciences of complexity, i.e. a concrete proposal to learn to thrive in uncertainty. The event was attended by Ambassador Vinicio Mati, who in his welcome speech underlined “Chiara Montanari’s presence as a unique opportunity to have an interchange with Sweden which is one of the permanent members of the Arctic Council”. Furthermore, during his speech, Ambassador Mati affirmed that Italy, having obtained the status of Observer State in 2013, gives its contribution to the Arctic Council. Ambassador Mati also said that “considering the changes taking place in the Arctic region caused by climate change and the interactions between the main international players in the area, Italy’s participation in political cooperation initiatives in the Arctic represents a strategic priority “.
In the afternoon, a second event was held in collaboration with the KTH Climate Action Center. During the event, the Italian and Swedish researchers discussed possible scientific collaborations in the Polar Regions. The meeting, “Unraveling the Poles: Interdisciplinary Research Collaborations on Climate in the Arctic and Antarctic Regions”, brought together experts from various disciplines and was an opportunity to discuss how to improve the collaboration between the various institutions that are part of the network of the University of the Antarctica.
