A course of Arctic studies has been added to the curriculum at the International Arctic School (IAS), the first educational institution of its kind in the Russian Far East, which opened in Yakutsk in September 2020.  

“Along with an international training program, the school prioritizes Arctic research. Earlier this year, we launched a course of Arctic studies for seven- to ten-year secondary school students, developed by the Arctic Research Center (ARC). The course culminated in a conference titled “Opening the Arctic” attended by the IAS students and satellite school students from all over the republic,” school principal Sardana Tatarinova said.   

The course itself starts with an introduction to the history of the Arctic’s discovery and exploration and a workshop titled “A Personified History of Arctic Exploration.” Some parts of it are dedicated to Arctic policies of foreign countries, histories of science and technology in the Arctic, and specific features of this territory. The course ends with a series of lectures on the history of Yakutia’s Arctic areas. 

The IAS has a potential for 220 students and at the moment there are 186 from 22 districts of the republic and the city of Yakutsk.  

The school has a swimming pool, an auditorium, a video conference hall, a synchronized translation system, a workshop, robotics and quadrotor rooms, VR/AR, 3D, a gym, a simulator room, a dance hall, a rock-climbing wall, a planetarium and a video studio. Study rooms have interactive panels and other equipment meeting modern educational standards. There is accommodation for 80 boarders intended for those from provincial areas. “We are a full-day school. Lessons are scheduled before lunch. After lunch, students engage in learning activities.  Boarders live nearby. We must see to it that they have their hands full from morning till night,” said Tatarinova.