3.2
Thinking about Strategy
David J. Drewry (President 1997-2002)
of Science and Technology at the Natural Environment Research Council). The meeting was in
Roveniemi, and it was apparent to me how much
IASC had matured and moved forward with a comprehensive slate of projects and in advancing its
relations with other Arctic communities. Despite
I was fortunate to be present at the IASC Found-
such growth, and maybe because of it, the Council
ing Meeting in Resolute Bay, NU, Canada in August
decided that after five years it was important to
1990. I was one of several non-Arctic rim country
review progress and map out directions for the fu-
observers attending to witness the signing of the
ture. I found myself appointed to chair the review
Founding Articles. I was there on behalf of the
group, a task only made tolerable by the strength
UK alongside Claude Lorius from France, Gotthilf
of the other members of the Review Group and the
Hempel from Germany, Takao Hoshiai from Japan
inestimable support of Odd Rogne! I discuss the
and Maciej Zalewski from Poland -all of us repre-
Review, what we discovered and how IASC imple-
senting states with a history of and current involve-
mented its recommendations in another section of
ment in Arctic science. For me, that first step was
this book. Also at Roveniemi there was a briefing on
significant - it marked the creation of a new orga-
the planning for the ICARP I meeting in Hannover,
nization that would act as a forum for the discus-
NH which was entering its final phase. In December
sion and development of improved cooperation in
that year, Dartmouth College hosted the meeting.
research and facilitate better sharing of information
It was a great success in covering the broad sweep
and opportunities.
of IASC interests and engaging both scientists and
administrators. It also demanded, in the brief to the
At that time I was much focused upon the other
participants, that we should think ‘outside the box’
end of the Earth - the Antarctic - being Director of
and look to future opportunities and innovations.
the British Antarctic Survey. This duality of interest
was a thread that ran, and indeed has continued
Two years later, our Russian members - Igor Ser-
to run, through the fabric of IASC - an inelucta-
gevitch Gramberg and his colleagues - generously
ble cross-fertilization between the Polar Regions.
hosted the 1997 Council in St. Petersburg. At that
Whilst both poles have their profound differences,
meeting, I had the privilege to be elected IASC
the very nature of scientific investigation assumes
President. For me this was a great honor but it also
no barriers, no artificial geographical separation. I
demonstrated IASC’s focus on science and not sim-
was also heavily involved in the workings of COM-
ply geography, as I was from one of the non-Arctic
NAP and SCAR which gave me, along with a number
nations. During the meeting we also initiated the
other colleagues, a perspective on how such organi-
process which led to the formation of FARO. We rec-
zations might best operate. This included, natural-
ognized the essential role that logistics and related
ly, the new hard-working Executive Secretary, Odd
support activities play in the Arctic and the need to
Rogne, who had been Director of the Norwegian
have them better coordinated in support of the up-
Polar Institute (NPI). It seemed at the time, in the
and-coming science agenda.
heady post-1989 political environment, that IASC
had an opportunity to achieve much more than hith-
Several other initiatives emerged during the next
erto and forge deeper international cooperation in
few years whilst I held the Presidency. In Tromsø in
the North.
1999 we agreed to start ASSW. This was to give
active scientists, as well as younger researchers, a
It was a few years later, in 1995, that I found myself once more at the IASC Council table officially
investigations in support of science being nurtured
representing the UK (now in a role as the Director
74
chance to come together and present their latest
by IASC, or areas that might lead to new projects.
03 Contributions of Former IASC Presidents