M2 Arctic Studies

This unit introduces an array of scientific instruments and models used in polar sciences. Different passive and active remote sensor techniques will be presented along with associated studies and relevant physical processes, all connected to key scientific questions. A focus is put on the lidar instrument (ground based and spaceborne) for the study of aerosols and clouds in polar regions. Spaceborne spectrometers used for monitoring the atmospheric chemical composition are introduced as valuable resources for students engaged in scientific works. Regional atmospheric models applied to studies on aerosol and clouds are introduced through case studies of specific polar events and campaigns.

This seminar focuses on the history of exploration of the Arctic and the representation of the circumpolar Arctic in travel literature and cultural productions. Though the course is largely dedicated to Anglophone texts, we will also consider material in translation. Travel writing studies have developed spectacularly in the past decades and travelogues have received increased critical attention from a variety of fields including history and ethno-history, literary and cultural studies, as well as postcolonial studies. Within the context of the latter, the decisive role of Indigenous guides, interpreters, helpers and assistants is increasingly commented upon as part of an effort to decolonize Arctic Humanities and to acknowledge Indigenous knowledge and achievement. Students will be asked to give an oral presentation in class of some twenty minutes duration on a travelogue they will have chosen from the list provided.

This module aims to provide a better understanding of certain phenomena specific to polar regions, such as the polar vortex and ozone depletion. Lectures will cover the use of satellite constellations for climate analysis and statistical analyses applied to long-term studies. Practical exercises involving the analysis of data from observations and models will be conducted, focusing on the evolution of the Arctic climate in winter.

This course provides an overview of current issues in Arctic Geography both in human and physical geography. The Arctic has been receiving increasingly intense media attention in the past decades, no doubt due to the high impact of climate change in the region, on average four times higher than elsewhere in the world, and the prospect of new opportunities of development as well as geopolitical challenges. To understand and analyse current political, economic and socio-cultural debates in and about the Arctic, it is indispensable to base oneself on solid geographical knowledge about the region. Experts from different fields will intervene in this seminar for which students are expected to prepare a presentation on a contemporary or historical challenge in an Arctic region, discussed by drawing on geographical sources, be they maps, criticism, interviews, blogs etc.

This course for foreign students is designed to be an introduction to French language, oral and written, as well as a panorama of French society and culture (classical, pop, modern, regional and multi-ethnic), both past and modern.  In the classroom context, using  an original interactive pedagogical approach, students experience presentation of objects, food tasting, interviews and songs, screening of still pictures, videos, movies), etc.

This unit is dedicated to a better understanding of the technical side of instruments, basics in instrumental physics for measurements and general observational methodologies. Field visits (depending on yearly availability) of various monitoring stations are organized around Paris. Instrumental capabilities are presented on site along with praticals allowing for database handling, data processing and a deeper analysis of the measurement uncertainties, especially in large data pool or time series. A focus is put on atmospheric lidars, meteorological soundings and air quality platforms.

A Circumpolar approach: this course analyses classic and current Arctic anthropology and the remarkable contribution of indigenous peoples to Arctic exploration whose traditional knowledge and viewpoints are now taken into account in research projects. This circumpolar approach, based on case studies in Greenland, Canada, Alaska, Siberia and Fennoscandia, covers impacts of climate change, pollution and new maritime routes; traditional lifestyles and sustainable development; indigenous governance issues; education; identity; ritual and religious phenomena; cultural and linguistic transmission and revitalization; adoption of new digital technologies, etc.
This includes specific lectures developed in collaboration with Siberian and Scandinavian native reindeer herders about environmental and societal topics.

This course examines the geopolitical impacts of climate change in the Arctic in terms of shipping, natural resources exploitation, continental shelf claims and government policies. The complex stakes involved requires a multidisciplinary approach. Key issues will be addressed through the interactions between different fields such as legal affairs (maritime law), economy (traditional, global, sustainable), politics (sovereignty) and diplomacy (Arctic organisations, international institutions).

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the fundamental mechanisms governing the Earth's climate system at global and regional scales. Students will learn about interactions between the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and cryosphere, analysing how energy balance and heat transport shape our environment. A main portion of the curriculum is dedicated to the Arctic region, serving as a critical case study for climate sensitivity especially around the so-called arctic amplification and arctic’s role as early warning system of global warming.

This course is composed of several courses related to Climate Change and to Arctic weather in general. Severe events such as polar lows and wind blasts in relation to climate change will be presented. The teachers will introduce the Arctic climate and offer them a more detailed understanding of the work furnished by UVSQ's weather station. Comparison with other poles in the solar system will be presented, as well as the statistical analysis needed to study climate changes. The Arctic observed by satellites will complete this series of lectures. Group work will exploit weather archive data obtained from the ground and from space.

This circumpolar comparative overview of the main human issues of the Arctic today focuses on the relationship between Arctic peoples and their environment. It provides knowledge about geography, history, economy, politics and culture of these northernmost people of the world including indigenous and non-native communities as well as Arctic states. A presentation of classic movies and film archives of the Arctic conclude the programme of this course.

Students will attend a series of guest lectures and talks. They will write a report on one of the presentations.

In the second semester, students do an internship in a company, institution, organisation of their choice (in France or elsewhere). The minimum duration varies between the Humanities and natural sciences. Research internships in one of the laboratories of Paris-Saclay or other research organisations are possible. At the end of the internship, students write an internship report which will be defended during a viva.

This interactive course provides the student with new methodologies for management of writing and projects’ conception tasks. It uses an American method of ‘writing group’ to help the students to organise their writings and thoughts (thesis, dissertations, internship report, oral presentation with Power Point, project proposal, mind mapping), to search and reference scientific literature, to analyse scientific papers, to build theoretical discussions and to plan  projects.