The third week of April of 2018, I had the honor to participate in the 6th 'Palaeo-Arctic Spatial and Temporal Gateways' (PAST Gateways) Conference hosted by Durham University (one the oldest educational institution in Europe). The event focused on the theme of Arctic palaeo-environmental change beyond instrumental records, and particularly on: Growth and decay of Arctic Ice Sheets, Arctic sea-ice and ocean changes, Non-glaciated Arctic environments including permafrost, and Holocene Arctic paleo-environmental change. The conference icebreaker took place in the magnificent Great Hall of Durham Castle (UNESCO Heritage site and a primary scene in the Harry Potter movies). My attendance to this conference gave me the opportunity to share my ongoing research with world class climate scientists. I was the only undergraduate among seasoned scientists and PhD students. The OSCAR program gave me the opportunity to move one step closer to become a part of the next generation of Arctic scientists.
