The International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) has awarded a medal to Terry Callaghan, Professor at TSU and the University of Sheffield, a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, for his outstanding contribution to the study of the Arctic. An expert in the Arctic environment and one of the most cited scientists in the world, he is the link for the researchers from different countries involved in the study of the world’s northern regions.
- The medal is awarded in recognition of exceptional and uninterrupted contribution to the study of the Arctic, - the message of IASC stated. - The Committee notes the high achievements of Professor Terry Callaghan in the organization of international collaboration, as well as his impressive publications on terrestrial ecosystems of the Arctic and environmental changes.
For almost 50 years, Terry Callaghan has worked in the area of the Arctic environment. His research interest is the relationship between the environment, plants, and animals, including the reaction of Arctic ecosystems to climate change, carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere, and UV radiation.
Professor Callaghan played a crucial role in the formation of the British research base on the island of Spitsbergen in the high Arctic. One of the largest and most successful European network projects on the study of climatic changes in the Arctic - INTERACT, which brings together about 80 ground and high research stations, has appeared thanks to his initiative, supported by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. In 2016, it included three scientific bases of TSU - Aktru, Khanymey, and Kaybasovo.
Since 2013, Professor Callaghan heads the International Academic Council of TSU, taking an active part in promoting the University in the world. In 2016, with his direct participation under the auspices of TSSW (Trans-Siberian Scientific Way), the international network SecNET was established. Its purpose is a comprehensive and interdisciplinary understanding of environmental changes in Siberia and their social impact in the national and global scales. Researchers from academic centres in Britain, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden, the Czech Republic, and different regions of Russia - Moscow, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Altai Krai, Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic, and Tyumen Region, took part in this project.
The award ceremony of the International Arctic Science Committee will take place at the Arctic Science Summit in Prague, which will be held from March 31 to April 6, 2017.