1/18 EES Seminar: The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS): my personal impression and experience

Date: 2013年1月18日(金) — Jan 18, 2013
Time: 16:00-17:00
Place: D101
Speaker: Ines Tavernier (Coordinator of the Marine@UGent consortium, Ghent University, Belgium ; APECS Vice-President 2012-2013 ; Co-founder of APECS Belgium & APECS BeNeLux)

Title: The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS): my personal impression and experience.
Chair: Atsuko Sugimoto/ 杉本敦子（地球圏科学部門・教授）
I will take you on a journey through my experiences with APECS and share my personal impression with you about this organization, established by and for young polar researchers as a legacy of the International Polar Year (IPY) in 2007. It is an international and interdisciplinary organization for students, postdoctoral researchers, early faculty members, educators and anyone with interest in the polar regions. The aims are to stimulate interdisciplinary and international research collaborations and develop effective future leaders in polar research, education and outreach. To this end, APECS promotes education and outreach as an integral component of polar research, stimulates future generations of polar researchers, facilitates networking, and provides opportunities for professional career development. Over the years, APECS expanded and has now more than 3600 early career members in 79 countries worldwide.
My journey will take you from my first introduction with APECS at the IPY Polar Science conference in Oslo, Norway in 2010, to the revitalization of our national committee, APECS Belgium on Antarctica Day in 2011 (December 1st) and some amazing small events with enthusiastic researchers in Belgium. Then it was time to take my first small steps on the international level by establishing APECS BeNeLux (Belgium-the Netherlands-Luxembourg) after accidentally meeting the right people at the IPY conference in Montreal, Canada (2012). “United we stand, divided we fall”. Young polar researchers from 3 neighboring countries are united. Before the first APECS BeNeLux symposium (Belgium, October 2012) took place, with (inter)national keynote speakers and enthusiastic young researchers, I intended to increase my involvement in the organization by engaging at the international level, by applying to become a member of the Executive Committee and as such, my journey brings you
behind the scenes where I am active as APECS Vice-President.