Report on IAMAS Activity since 2015 and the IAPSO-IAMAS-IAGA Scientific Assembly--Good Hope for Earth Sciences

Three associations of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics （IUGG）--International Association for the Physical Sciences of the Oceans （IAPSO）, International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences （IA- MAS） and International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy （IAGA）--held their joint Scientific Assembly over 27 August-1 September in Cape Town, South Africa. This was the first full IAMAS assembly to be held in Africa （Figs. 1 ＆ 2）.

Characteristics of Science and Scientific Activities： Considerations about What Is and What Is Not Scientific

The paper deals with non-traditional but highly needed issues： to formulate criteria of a scientific activity. It is really unbelievable that in the period of information and scientific society such criteria do not exist and there are no fixed rules for assessment of scientific activities. However, in many fields of science, e.g., in reviews of scientific works or papers, reviewers are asked to assess whether or not the submitted work or text is scientific. Naturally, this decision is not objective even if done by leading scientific individuals. Scientists may possess rather different individual criteria, and especially in doctoral studies, but not only there, it is desirable to make the review more objective. A doctoral thesis should be accepted only in case it brings some scientific achievement. Keeping in mind how difficult it can be to formalize and evaluate science, the authors try to propose attributes of scientific activities and to formulate some basic recommendations how to assess scientific work. Of course, the paper does not intend to formulate any generally imperative rules, but rather to start a broader discussion of these topics.

Influence of the Agreement on Enhancing International Arctic Scientific Cooperation on the approach of non-Arctic states to Arctic scientific activities

As the third legally-binding instrument of the Arctic Council, the Agreement on Enhancing International Arctic Scientific Cooperation was signed in May 2017 and entered into force on 23 May 2018. The Agreement not only reduces obstacles to the international scientific cooperation and promotes the movement of people and equipment across borders for the effective and efficient development of Arctic scientific knowledge, but also provides an improved international Arctic legal environment for conducting Arctic scientific cooperation based on UNCLOS and institutional arrangements. However, the observer states, the NGOs and IGOs, as well as Permanent Participants are rarely mentioned in this Agreement. This article chooses one group, non-Arctic states, as a case in point in order to critically discuss the influence of this new Arctic scientific cooperation agreement. It argues that the non-Arctic states are left behind at the original legal situation and trapped in an inferior status in Arctic science. Under these circumstances, this article suggests that non-Arctic states, especially those with competitive research abilities, should appeal for amendment of the Agreement to allow wider access to research areas and data sharing, especially when cooperating with the eight-member states of the Arctic Council. Also, non-Arctic states should take the Agreement as the reference when signing bilateral agreements with Arctic states so as to safeguard their interests when conducting Arctic scientific activities. Moreover, the active participation in other fora as well as various bilateral scientific projects can assist non-Arctic states to strengthen the relations with the Arctic states and build trust in the Arctic Council.

Scientific Frontier on Human Activities and Ecosystem Changes

'Scientific Frontier on Human Activities and Ecosystem Changes' compiled by the innovation team 'Human Activities and Ecosystem Change',one of International Partnership Programs of Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS),was published by Higher Education Press