Richmond Hill, Canada (1 January 2026) — The United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) has joined Polytechnique Montréal and leading global partners as a core institutional partner and co-chairholder of the newly launched International Science Diplomacy Research Chair for Arctic and Space Cooperation. This Quebec-based initiative is the first of its kind, bringing together scientific, engineering, legal, and policy expertise to support peaceful, sustainable, and knowledge-based cooperation in two of the planet’s most sensitive frontiers: the Far North and outer space.
The new Chair, led by Prof. Pooneh Maghoul—Professor at Polytechnique Montréal and UNU-INWEH’s Sustainable Infrastructure in Cold Regions Lead— and will serve as a global hub for research and diplomacy across extreme environments in partnership with Université Paris-Saclay in, and Science Diplomacy Center inc. in the USA. Its work spans sustainable development in the Arctic and northern regions to responsible exploration and long-term stewardship of outer space. Priority areas include climate-driven permafrost change, northern infrastructure resilience, energy transition pathways, environmental protection of Earth-space systems, and emerging governance frameworks for resource use.
"The northern regions and outer space face many shared challenges that must be addressed peacefully and collaboratively to shape our collective future, including sustainability, sovereignty and state jurisdiction, and international cooperation," says Professor Maghoul. "This International Chair brings together science, diplomacy, and technology to meet the needs of our communities, particularly Indigenous communities, and to promote equitable and sustainable development in the North."
UNU-INWEH’s contribution will center on science-policy translation, global governance, and capacity development. As part of this collaboration, UNU-INWEH will lead the science-policy translation and capacity-building dimensions of the Chair, through the international co-chairholder, Dr. Miriam Aczel, Sustainability Transition and Justice Researcher at UNU-INWEH.
"This Chair opens exciting new possibilities for connecting scientific knowledge with the urgent needs of marginalized communities,” says Dr. Aczel. “At UNU-INWEH, we are committed to turning evidence into action and to training the next generation of researchers and policy leaders who can drive cooperation, resilience, and justice in some of the world’s most challenging environments.”
The Chair brings together a broad, multidisciplinary national and international network, including other UNU-INWEH researchers Prof. Saleem Ali (Critical Minerals and Inclusive Energy Transition Lead) and Prof. Javad Mottaghi (Global Media Academy Lead), contributing to their respective areas of expertise. Together, these efforts strengthen the Chair’s focus on inclusive diplomacy, community centered development, and ethical innovation in fragile environments.
The International Science Diplomacy Research Chair for Arctic and Space Cooperation positions partners to address shared challenges such as climate change, critical mineral pressures, sovereignty, and the long-term sustainability of extreme environments. It also provides a platform for training the next generation of engineers, researchers, and policy leaders who can work across borders and disciplines to advance solutions grounded in scientific evidence and community priorities.
"We are delighted to be a core member of this Chair with the ambition to bring science into the heart of international cooperation and strengthen peace, resilience, and sustainable development together with our partners in Québec, Canada, France, and the United States. By linking Arctic and space cooperation with Indigenous leadership and sustainable innovation, this Chair will advance peaceful, science-driven collaboration across these challenging settings and fragile frontiers, in line with our core mission," says the Director of UNU-INWEH, Professor Kaveh Madani.
Montreal Polytechnique announcement: A Quebec first: Creation of a scientific diplomacy chair specializing in Far North and outer space issues | Carrefour de l'actualité
Website: International Science Diplomacy Research Chair for Arctic and Space Cooperation |