Autumn 2025 Plenary of the European Polar Board, Gebze, 18–19 November
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On 18-19 November 2025, the European Polar Board (EPB) convened its autumn plenary meeting at the campus of our Member TÜBİTAK Polar Research Institute (KARE) in Gebze, Türkiye. The two-day gathering brought together representatives from EPB’s Members with a focus on both operational and strategic priorities.
One of the landmark outcomes of the plenary was the formal approval of EPB’s Code of Conduct. After a year of dedicated effort, in-depth discussions and extensive consultations, and with the expert support of Victoria Christensen Lopez, the Code of Conduct was adopted. This milestone is of vital importance. It was treated with great care and reflectively developed to ensure it truly embodies EPB’s values, multicultural, inclusive and interdisciplinary identity. The plenary also focused on the importance of sustained funding for polar research at national and EU levels. Invited colleagues from the European Commission provided updates on key initiatives including FP10, the Ocean Pact and the revision of the EU Arctic Policy.
The second day of the Plenary opened with a presentation by Sena Altun, Vice Chair of APECS Türkiye, who shared updates on their recent activities. Members warmly applauded APECS Türkiye’s work and emphasised the value of national APECS groups in sharing experiences and strengthening the wider polar research community.
The EPB Plenary warmly welcomed the new EPB representatives: Gael Durand (CNRS), Line Bekker Poulsen (DASHE), David Renault (IPEV), Sophie Opfergelt (FNRS), and Elie Verleyen (FWO). We look forward to their contributions to the EPB community.
The Plenary also expressed its sincere gratitude to the outgoing representatives: Marie Noelle Houssais (CNRS), Naimah Hussain (DASHE), and Johanna Ikävalko (Arctic Centre, University of Lapland) for their dedicated service.
New Executive Committee Member
Following two full terms served by outgoing EXCOM member Egill Thor Níelsson, EPB welcomed a new Executive Committee (EXCOM) member, Peter Schweitzer, Professor at the University of Vienna, Austria. Peter is a specialist in social and cultural anthropology with longstanding research interests in Arctic and sub-Arctic communities, built environments and the impacts of climate and mobility. His appointment brings valuable expertise in the human dimensions of polar research to EXCOM.
New Action Group on IPY-5
The plenary approved the establishment of a new Action Group on Fifth International Polar Year (IPY‑5). The purpose of this group is to identify opportunities for enhanced cooperation and collaboration across Europe, with the ambition to make strong contributions that advance the state of the art in polar research and deliver long-lasting outputs. The group will be chaired by Jon Børre Ørbæk (Research Council of Norway). This initiative signals EPB’s commitment to forward-looking, collaborative polar science.
30 Years of EPB
A special moment during the plenary was the celebration of EPB’s 30-year anniversary. The Chair, together with feedback from the Plenary, has developed a commemorative statement that will be published later this year.
On November 20, TÜBİTAK KARE also organized a cultural excursion in Istanbul, offering a smooth and immersive experience that combined history, architecture, and local culture. The program featured key landmarks such as the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, the Basilica Cistern, and Topkapı Palace. The EPB Member representatives enjoyed a shared lunch and later explored the vibrant Spice Bazaar during their free time. We thank our hosts at TÜBİTAK KARE for their warm welcome and excellent organization of the EPB Plenary and excursion.
The next EPB plenary will take place on 14-15 April 2026 in Cambridge, hosted by our Member Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) at the facilities of the British Antarctic Survey (BAS).
