In August, under the auspices of the Norwegian Polar Institute (Norsk Polarinstitutt), the 12th SCAR Open Science Conference of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) was held in Oslo, Norway. The academic forum brought together more than 1,400 leading scientists and researchers from around the world under the scientific motto “Diving into Antarctic Science – Making Waves for the Future”.

The Republic of Bulgaria holds a prominent place at this year’s scientific gathering, with a distinguished delegation of scientists and experts representing the Polar Research Center at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” and the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute (BAI). Bulgarian polar researchers are actively participating in multidisciplinary discussions and presenting posters based on data collected during the country’s annual expeditions to the “St. Kliment Ohridski” Bulgarian Antarctic Base on Livingston Island.

Representing the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Assoc. Prof. Dr Marina Stefanova took part in the conference and presented, as part of the official programme, the results of her latest research into the attitudes of members of Bulgarian Antarctic expeditions over the years towards developing a sense of themselves as responsible stewards of the planet.

On the occasion of the conference opening, Prof. D.Sc. Hristo Pimpirev, head of the Bulgarian delegation, stated:

“This is the largest scientific conference in the world. It is organised every two years. Chile hosted it in 2024, and, to our great honour, Bulgaria was selected eight years ago from among many candidates to host the 13th global forum and the 40th Delegates’ Meeting in 2028. The event coincides with the historic celebration of 40 years of Bulgarian presence in Antarctica and represents the highest international recognition of our country’s contribution to the exploration of the Ice Continent. We must be prepared to welcome more than 1,500 participants—scientists from around the world, diplomats and logistics experts. I believe that, following its strong presence on the map of Antarctica, Bulgaria will prove that we are capable of hosting scientific events of global significance”.

The academic programme of SCAR 2026 includes more than 50 highly specialised parallel sessions, structured around four main areas: physical sciences, Earth sciences, life sciences, and humanities and social sciences. The presentations focus on cryosphere dynamics, oceanographic processes in the Southern Ocean, biodiversity in polar regions, and global climate change.

The discussions aim to provide independent, cutting-edge scientific expertise in support of the Antarctic Treaty System. In addition to the main plenary lectures, the congress programme includes dozens of specialised weekend workshops, methodological training sessions in geospatial analysis (GIS), and satellite events. A number of closed meetings of SCAR’s permanent scientific research groups are also being held.