The conference included two days of intensive plenary sessions and workshops devoted to history of Arctic exploration. More than 300 participants discussed historical, scientific, and political aspects of the development in the Arctic region.
Anton Vasilyev, Ambassador-at-large (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation) and the representative of the Russian Federation in the Arctic Council opened the plenary session. In his speech on international cooperation in the Arctic and Russian approach, Mr. Vasilyev stressed that situation in the Arctic is “positive, stable and predictable” and noted that development in the Arctic region is based on mutual understanding and good will of all Arctic states.

Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for International Cooperation in the Arctic and Antarctic, legendary Russian polar explorer Arthur Chilingarov opened the second plenary session of the conference.

The conference attracted scientists, researchers and museum workers from Norway, Germany, Great Britain, USA and Russia. As a result, new project ideas on Arctic development have emerged. Participants in the conference also gave open lectures to NArFU students. Kari Aga Myklebost, Senior Research fellow from the University of Tromso, introduced the topic on the Norway’s first legation in Russia and Dr. Berger Frank Josef from Historical Museum in Frankfurt am Main gave lecture on the discovery of Emperor Franz Josef's Land.

During the conference the delegation from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, US had also several meetings with the representatives of NArFU institutes to discuss ways of cooperation between NArFU and the University of North Carolina.

NArFU’s Rector Elena V. Kudryashova mentioned that next conference, which will be held at NArFU, will focus on space technologies exploration in the research of the Arctic region. The conference has fulfilled its main task – to sum up the history of exploration in the Russian part of the Arctic.