Attending ASSW 2025 an ICARP IV in Boulder provided essential frameworks, collaborative opportunities, and insights into geopolitical dynamics, knowledge transfer, and ethical considerations, all directly enriching and advancing my research on China’s Polar Science Diplomacy.

From the workshop Bridging Science and Policy: Enhancing Knowledge Transfer and Personal Well-being in Arctic Cooperation held on the first day, I gained valuable insights into bridging science and policy, particularly the mechanisms for transferring scientific knowledge to decision-makers and the emotional challenges for scientists in these roles. This aligns with and enriches the framework I am applying in my PhD research on China’s Polar Science Diplomacy, where I study the science-policy interface within legal frameworks in polar regions.

I contributed to ICARP Research Priority Theme 4 on Arctic Science Cooperation and Diplomacy, participating in discussions to define research priorities and needs in an uncertain global context. Through academic and business exchanges with senior scholars from diverse fields, I gained new perspectives and encountered unexpected challenges in Science Diplomacy discussion. Although our team has not yet finalized the five research priorities and needs, the ongoing dialogue has deepened my understanding of the complexities of conducting research in today’s geopolitical climate. During the Town Hall presentation on the 26th, we shared our work and received valuable feedback and insightful questions from the audience. These discussions focused on clarifying priorities and highlighted some challenges we face as an international team with varied backgrounds. Issues such as overlapping priorities and underemphasized areas—like the importance of youth engagement—were particularly emphasized.

Sessions on climate intervention and geoengineering provided critical perspectives on governance and the inclusion of Indigenous views. These insights inform my work, emphasizing ethical considerations in polar research—relevant for my role as the co-organizer of the second Inter-Polar Conference connecting the Arctic with the Hindu Kush Himalayas which will be held in Kathmandu next September.

With specific regard to my research on China’s Polar Science Diplomacy, attending sessions helped me grasp the current status and future developments of Asian engagement in Arctic science. The session Arctic research with more perspectives and wider impacts: Aligning Asian and Arctic initiatives with shared visions helped in mapping Asian research contributions (China, Japan and South Korea), identifying knowledge gaps, and exploring societal benefits while addressing coordination, cooperation, and challenges. Even though the priorities advanced in the Arctic policies of the three countries are slightly different, their shared interests converge on the effects that changes in the Arctic have on climate and climate-related events. Therefore, the shared necessity to foster Arctic research cooperation while also developing economic opportunities offers wide space for increasing cooperation in these times of growing tension.

This experience bolsters my research focus on understanding China's contributions to Arctic and Antarctic initiatives while addressing the complexities of diplomacy, ethical governance, and knowledge exchange in polar regions. Participating in both conferences proved invaluable for deepening my understanding of the complex challenges currently facing international cooperation in Arctic science and for actively engaging in efforts to address these issues.

This student participation opportunity was made possible thanks to funding from Global Affairs Canada.