3.3
Strong Partnerships Produce Synergism
Patrick J. Webber (President 2003 – 2006)
opment of partnerships, cooperation, and inclusiveness became my persistent mantra and
activity.
At the start of each annual Council meeting I would
restate my mantra. This was received quietly, per-
I remain honored to have been elected President
haps because the members felt that they were
in 2002 by members of the IASC Council. I was the
already doing this; nevertheless, I never heard any
representative of the United States Polar Research
objections to my platform. I am heartened to see
Board to the IASC Council from 1999 to 2006 and
current and abundant evidence of more and many
had served as a Vice President within the Executive
strong partnerships between IASC and the com-
committee since 2001. I brought to the office my
munity. This, and a number of things that I shall
background as a 40-year veteran of arctic scientific
mention below were recommended strongly in the
research, teaching, and large project and institution
2007 Review and Strategy Group report on IASC
management in universities and government. I am
and are reflected in today´s IASC.
an old-fashioned natural philosopher in the 19th
century sense and I believe, firmly, that there should
Below are some examples of my efforts that are
be no boundaries in science between disciplines,
germane to my mantra. None of these ideas or
geography, or culture. My modus as a scientist, even
accomplishments were mine alone and most were
evangel, was to use a triad of systems science, hy-
not new to my term of office. IASC´s progress during
pothesis-based research, and synthesis. I was also
this time was a team effort by elected IASC officers
an advocate of long-term studies, networking and
and dozens of active scientists and organizations. I
data archiving. These convictions colored my pres-
describe these accomplishments under Champion-
idency. I believe firmly that Arctic Science must
ing Ongoing Activities and Sowing and Supporting
be international team science and that the Arctic
New Initiatives. My screed is full of the celebrated
should be treated as a system within the Earth Sys-
IASC acronyms. The definition, background and sta-
tem. Since the IASC presidency is a fixed-term lead-
tus of these entities are contained elsewhere in this
ership responsibility, I lived by a quasi-Hippocratic
volume and cross-referenced to side-boxes.
Oath that one should do ‘no harm’ and that the organism should enjoy a long life beyond completion
Championing Ongoing Activities
of the treatment.
IASC has Observer Status at the Arctic Council (AC)
which was a continuance of its role in the Arctic
As I began my presidency, I was aware that there
was an alphabet soup of organizations, projects and
had been mostly represented at the Arctic Council
institutions, and moreover the majority of practic-
by the chair of the Regional Board of IASC, how-
ing Arctic scientists was only dimly aware of what
ever, I took it upon myself to attend Arctic Council
IASC was or how IASC might help their enquiry. This
meetings and brief members at every opportunity
awareness led me to decide that the main thrust of
on IASC and about its programs. This activism is
my presidency would be that IASC would expand its
necessary since the turnover rate of Arctic Council
partnerships with existing and emerging organiza-
SAOs is fairly high and IASC´s place in the scheme
tions and projects in order to confirm its usefulness.
of things bore repetition. I promoted the idea that
I believed that by strengthening and increasing its
IASC was available to be ‘science advisor’ to the
partnerships, IASC would be confirmed as the rec-
AC and should be seen as a partner to AC working
ognized leader in the pursuit of Arctic knowledge
groups like CAFF and AMAP. At the time, IASC was
and in the solution of Arctic problems. Therefore,
the senior partner with the AC on the ACIA project
espousing the value and nurturing the devel-
76
Council´s forerunner, AEPS. Prior to my tenure, we
and this serves as a good example of my mantra.
03 Contributions of Former IASC Presidents