The University of Lapland has received a substantial donation as part of its fundraising campaign from the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. The donation is one of the largest single donations of the current campaign, and is targeted towards Arctic education and research.
Prince Albert has promoted environmental protection and climate change research for over a decade through the foundation that he established in 2006. The foundation places special emphasis on sustainable development and supports innovative and ethical solutions related to climate change, biodiversity and water resources.
For several years now the foundation has provided support to the environment and people of the North through education and research projects on reindeer husbandry and science communication on Arctic environmental change, just to give a few examples. The foundation also has a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UArctic. The work related to the MoU is coordinated by the UArctic International Secretariat which is located at and hosted by the University of Lapland. HSH Prince Albert has also participated in several UArctic events.
“The donation to the University of Lapland is a clear sign of Prince Albert’s commitment to Arctic research and education. It also emphasises the important role of the University of Lapland in coordinating Arctic higher education cooperation,” said Lars Kullerud, President of UArctic.
“The aim of the University of Lapland is to raise funds especially for Arctic research and education. The donation from HSH Prince Albert II supports us in reaching this goal,” added Mauri Ylä-Kotola, Rector of the University of Lapland.