A globally recognized leader in polar research, MBARI President and CEO Antje Boetius participated in the three-day 2026 Monaco Polar Symposium, highlighting how international collaboration can support science critical to understanding and protecting vulnerable communities and environments in the Arctic and Antarctic. 

Boetius was invited to a panel discussing how international collaboration can remain resilient and effective in a rapidly evolving geopolitical context—and how we can collectively shape the future of international polar research.

Held every two years, the Monaco Polar Symposium is a key moment for dialogue and collective reflection, bringing together key stakeholders to address the major challenges facing the Arctic and Antarctic. Organized by Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco, the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, the International Arctic Science Committee, and the Institut Océanographique, the symposium aims to strengthen dialogue and transform polar science into action. Participants in this year’s symposium also discussed important milestones towards the upcoming Fifth International Polar Year in 2032–2033.

This symposium followed a two-day workshop on Antarctic academic cooperation organized by the University of the Arctic network, including 25 US member institutions, to enhance Antarctic knowledge and education, in collaboration with the International Antarctic Institute.

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