Capacity Building, Education and Training (CBET) Advisory Group

SCAR is committed to helping scientists in all of its Member countries to participate in understanding scientifically the physical, biological, chemical and geological processes at work in the Antarctic region, to use that understanding to predict change both there and elsewhere in the world, and to provide objective and independent advice to policy makers, especially the Antarctic Treaty System. To achieve that goal requires that efforts be made to raise national scientific capacities, especially in developing countries. SCAR is also committed to promoting the incorporation of Antarctic science in education at all levels.

The SCAR CBET Committee was established to address these goals and to help Members’ scientists achieve the following objectives:

  • to engage in high quality international scientific research;
  • to benefit from SCAR’s activities;
  • to make best use of data and information;
  • to provide objective and independent scientific advice to their own governments;
  • to make best use of Antarctic examples to illustrate key scientific principles in schools and universities.

 

The SCAR CBET committee also provides different mentorship programs: For mentoring, see the Fellowships Mentoring page.

Current committee members

Terms of Reference of the CBET Committee

At the 2014 Delegates Meeting the new Terms of Reference for the CBET Committee, introduced in Working Paper 25 at that meeting, were approved. The suggested mechanisms to achieve the CBET Committee’s goals were set out in the paper, and repeated in Working Paper 26 presented to the 2015 EXCOM meeting for discussion.

The 2015 EXCOM meeting also considered the recommendations of the 2015 Structure Review. Issues identified from the Structure Review in relation to CBET were coordination with the Scientific Research Programs (SRPs), wider advertising for Fellowships and the Visiting Professor schemes, as well as helping improve wider participation from countries with less developed Antarctic programs by such measures as organising proposal workshops, webinars and mentor lists. The issue of mentoring was seen to be the most important area in which the Committee should seek to make progress. An online meeting of the existing CBET Committee to begin implementation was recommended.

SCAR Strategic documents on Capacity Building, Education and Training

 

 

Publications

Relevant Links and Publications

#SCARCBET

Since January 2022, SCAR and Polar Educators International (PEI) have been spotlighting Antarctic outreach and education through the social media feature #SCARCBET.
#SCARCBET is published on the first Thursday of each month. Follow along for inspiring stories, valuable educational resources, and insights into ongoing research from Antarctica. Our goal is to bring you closer to the incredible work happening at the poles and to promote Antarctic science through engaging outreach.

Reach out to us at [email protected] if you’d like to highlight an outreach or education initiative.