Hello! I’m Tessa Bell, the current University of Edinburgh member of the Scottish Arctic Network steering group. I’ve worked at the University since 2013, and I’ve been part of the Scottish Arctic Network since 2022.

Our Arctic research spans all three of the University of Edinburgh’s colleges, and from my role as Senior Partnerships Advisor in Edinburgh Global I have the pleasure of coordinating some of the University’s Arctic efforts. This includes convening the Edinburgh Arctic Research Network and supporting our membership of both the University of the Arctic and the Scottish Arctic Network.

Here in Edinburgh, we bring our community together through an annual gathering of the network, alongside an active mailing list for sharing Arctic news and opportunities. Since 2022 I have managed an Arctic Connections Fund project exploring north2north mobility, and I led Edinburgh’s successful bid to host Arctic Science Summit Week 2024, working closely with the International Arctic Science Committee and the British Antarctic Survey.

Edinburgh is home to some truly outstanding Arctic researchers. As a community, we cover an extraordinary breadth of disciplines connected to the Arctic, both directly and indirectly, and it’s precisely that breadth and depth that we can bring together to maximise our collective impact for the Arctic community and Arctic research.

I really enjoying being the between Edinburgh’s Arctic Research Network and the wider Scottish Arctic Network, it’s a wonderfully collaborative community. 

I’m not an Arctic researcher myself (though if there’s ever space on a research trip, do let me know!), but I firmly believe the Arctic is something we should all care about. Scotland’s Arctic research community is expansive, and by working together across institutions and disciplines we can make a real and lasting difference.