INSTITUTO ANTARTICO ARGENTINO
55th Anniversary of its foundation
The Instituto Antártico Argentino (IAA) was created on April 17, 1951, making true one of the fundamental pillars dreamed by colonel Hernán Pujato for enhancing and extending the Argentine presence in the Antarctic. At that time the IAA became the first scientific organization exclusively devoted to Antarctic matters and it preceded the Antarctic Treaty signature as well as the creation of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR).
At the occasion of the 55th anniversary of its creation, a commemorative ceremony was held at the Dirección Nacional del Antártico - Instituto Antártico Argentino. The ceremony was attended by the maximum authorities of the Organism, the Argentina Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Armed Forces, as well as by special guests.
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Image of the commemorative medal "55th Anniversary - Instituto Antártico Argentino"
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During the commemorative act, the Director of the Argentinean Antarctic Institute
directs some words to the people. From left to right: Dr. Sergio Marenssi (IAA Director),
Dr. Mariano Memolli (DNA Director), Dr. Carlos Rinaldi (IAA former-director),
CN (RE) Manuel Federicci (Expert Ice Navigator), CN Raul Benmuyal (SHN Head),
Gral. (RE) Jorge Leal (DNA former-director)
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During the event, authorities, representatives and special guests share along with
the personnel of the Instituto their impressions in a relaxed climate of Antarctic fellowship
Speech of the Instituto Antártico Argentino’s director in occasion of the Anniversary:
The Instituto Antártico Argentino (IAA) was created on April 17, 1951 by the PEN (Executive National Power) Decree nº 7338, making true one of the fundamental pillars dreamed by colonel Hernán Pujato for enhancing and extending the Argentine presence in the Antarctic. At that time the IAA became the first scientific organization exclusively devoted to Antarctic matters, and it preceded the Antarctic Treaty signature as well as the creation of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR).
The IAA´s creation marked the beginning of a transcendent step of the Argentinean polar activity and it signaled the way to several nations and international Antarctic organizations. Today the IAA is a well-known and respected Institution world-wide in the Antarctic research for its history and achievements. Over several years the IAA worked without pause for achieving its initial goals. In the 80´s decade the institution arrived at the acme, when a number of scientific projects and research lines were initiated, some of which, due to their relevance, are still current. Then, years of decline came.
At present, the Instituto Antártico Argentino is devoted to recover its capacities lost through years of lack of investment as well in facilities as in human resources. We must afford a delicate problem because an urgency is evident and this lack is palpable daily. That is why the solution depends on rational management, priorization of research areas and a gradual but incessant recovery of budgets and scientific and technical personnel. This solution must be supported with a great effort through the endorsement of results obtained with available resources, the willingness for training young people in Antarctic matters, the capacity for achieving upper academic degrees or personnel training, and the spreading of tasks we are carrying out. Fortunately the whole IAA has answered to this challenge. Researchers are making an effort to adapt themselves to new conditions for submitting research projects whose scientific quality is to be reviewed by the Secretariat of Science and Technique of the Argentina Republic (SECyT) and to introduce young fellows in Antarctic matters to the Argentine Commission of Scientific Research (CONICET). It is not a minor detail that two new Phd. are included in our staff and that SCAR has agreed a fellowship to an Argentinean scientist who is part of our projects.
Concerning international cooperation in scientific matters we can also point out a new way that can speed up the recovery of the institutional protagonism. We have signed recently a new agreement with Germany on the joint utilization of Dallmann laboratory, an annex facility to Jubany station. This agreement allows the possibility of scientific cooperation and also of improving the station’s equipment. Canada has got a strong interest in starting an Antarctic activity together with Argentina and a background in the Artic as well as an important economical capacity and a high research level. We are cooperating with Canada through an IPY research and difusion programme performed all this year-round on board the sail-boat SEDNA IV at Melchior station and where we have two winterers. In addition IAA researchers have obtained economical support given by Canada in order to carry out a cooperation project with Sea Sciences Institute (ISMER) and to set up a joint laboratory at Esperanza station. Spain has provided funds for LABEL expansion and meetings have been held with Italian scientists who would provide a new building for joint research performed at Jubany base and a new equipment for seismological net expansion at San Martín station.
We all know what globalization is and that Internet and mass media are natural channels to reach our community and all the world. That is why we have endorsed important mass media initiatives about Antarctic matters and through our scientific staff. Such initiatives have attracted the interest of our citizens. At the same time our web site is intended to be a consultation site both on scientific matters and general diffusion.
Our new initiative for recovering the IAA has been welcomed by the maximum authorities of our Ministry, as it is showed by the presence of our Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Defence during the ceremony for the Antarctic Day last February and the promise from the Minister that more funds will be provided for supporting the scientific activities and the endorsement to the application of Argentina for hosting the SCAR meeting in 2010.
The Instituto Antártico Argentino celebrates its 55 years facing the challenge of the International Polar Year by participating and/or coordinating over twenty international research projects, the new SCAR structure, the searching of scientific data for enhancing the Argentina position in CCAMLR and other international forums and the Global Change question.
The Argentina Republic is an “Antarctic” nation and the Instituto Antártico Argentino is the national organization responsible of conducting and co-ordinating the Argentinean scientific activities in this continent. Our aim is always to support, through the knowledge, the sovereignty claims maintained by our nation on the Antarctic sector and to contribute from science and the technological development in the Antarctic to the development of our country to the well-being of the whole Nation.
Dr. Sergio A. Marenssi
Director
Instituto Antártico Argentino
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