Ciência Polar para o planeta! Malaysia vision: Polar science for planet Earth!

Latitude: 59.40 South
Longitude: 44.06 West

Muitas vezes as regiões polares são vistas como áreas de muito gelo e muito longínquas. Falando com Khadijah Abdul Rahman-Sinclair durante o forum organizado pela Universidade de Informação e Tecnologia Mara da Malásia, deu para perceber que países como a Malásia estão muito bem informados sobre os pólos, querem saber mais sobre o que se passa lá e mais importante, querem ter um papel activo em todo este processo do que se pode fazer.

(Khadijah with Miriam Hebling Almeida (Brasil) and Louise Hoffman (USA) during one of the numerous meetings during the International Polar Year in Europe)

As questões que respondi directamente da Antárctica hoje para Kuala - Lumpur foram sempre nesse sentido práctico e inteligente: o que se passa na Antárctica, o que se pode fazer, e como podemos ter um papel activo. A audiência com mais de 250 alunos de Direito dessa Universidade estavam super interessados e deu para apreender o seu entusiasmo...muitas vezes basta entrar em contacto com a Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS, www.arcticportal.org/apecs). Foi também um grande prazer Khadijah!

(Khadijah Abdul Rahman-Sinclair with students in United Nations TUNZA meeting in Norway)

The Polar regions are many times seen as a land of ice and for being far, far away. By talking to Khadijah Abdul Rahman-Sinclair it was possible to realizar how well Malaysia is a great example for the polar community and how well informed they can be in rleation to what is happennig. To promote the Polar Oceans day of the International Polar Year, the University Information & Technology MARA, (UiTM) organised a Forum called ‘International Polar Year - I’m involved, are YOU?’. This Forum was providing a platform for students to understand the effects of climate change on the Polar Regions that is affecting people living in this part of the world. About 200 students from UiTM Association of Environmental Law and the Science Association attended. The students had have the opportunity to obtain ideas on how to be more active in polar regions subjects, including getting familiar with the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), to get connected into discussions with me as a scientist in the field and to do their part in taking positive actions, in order to save the Polar Regions and the environment at large.

Here is the message from Khadijah:
Dearest, Dearest Jose,

Thanks a million!!! Especially for taking the Malaysian flag to the Antarctic and talking to us on Polar Oceans Day.

The students gave the topic/questions which I read out to you. My talk on my IPY involvement went very well. Many students never heard of IPY though knew about climate change. This talk gave them the link to connect the ideas, knowledge and what they can do... to go to the next level, to understand the polar regions more. 236 students from the Law Faculty, and the forum was organised by the members of Enviro Law Association.

All the best down there... you are really really down under!

From warm Malaysia...

Khadijah





Thank you Khadijah! All the best from Antarctica. It was a true pleasure talking to you!!!