Anu Gopinath, a faculty member at the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS), has been selected by the University Grants Commission (UGC) to develop and teach an online course on Arctic studies.

Professor Gopinath, leading the Department of Aquatic Environment Management at KUFOS, was chosen for the project after a competitive selection process that reviewed 92 proposals from educational institutions nationwide.

The three successful proposals were submitted by scientists BS Balaji from JNU, Jitendra Kumar Pattanaik from Punjab Central University, and P Sakthivel from Dr Ambedkar Law University, TN.

KUFOS has announced that Gopinath's courses will be available on the SWAYAM portal, with a focus on India's Arctic policy. The UGC and the Ministry of Earth Sciences have joined forces to create an initiative aimed at informing universities, institutions, and colleges about the opportunities for Arctic or polar studies.

After India introduced its Arctic Policy titled 'India and the Arctic: Building a Partnership for Sustainable Development' on March 17, 2022, the decision to create materials for online courses on Arctic/Polar studies was made.

This policy is expected to assist the country in getting ready for and tackling challenges such as climate change on a comprehensive level.

The statement emphasized the importance of engaging various stakeholders, such as academia, the research community, business, and industry, in the implementation of India's Arctic policy.

UGC put out a request for proposals to develop Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) for both undergraduate and postgraduate levels in response to the requirement.

KUFOS responded to the call by submitting a proposal titled "Understanding the Arctic: Climate and the Need for Environmental Protection" prepared by Gopinath.

Having been a part of India’s Arctic expeditions in 2014, 2016, and 2017, the professor has a special opportunity to bring her unique insights and experience to the course she will be designing and teaching.