First Malayali at Earth's apex: CUSAT’s Dr Bijoy Nandan reaches 90° North

At the very top of the world lies an endless, blinding sheet of white ice stretching out in every direction, where temperatures drop well below freezing. Standing at this extraordinary geographic coordinate - 90° North - a Malayali has etched his name in history.

Dr S Bijoy Nandan, Dean of Marine Sciences at the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), has become the first person from Kerala to set foot on the Geographic North Pole.

His high-stakes scientific journey embarked from the Russian port city of Murmansk aboard the '50 Let Pobedy' (50 Years of Victory), a formidable nuclear-powered icebreaker engineered to crush through thick polar ice caps. 

The expedition was part of the international “Icebreaker of Knowledge” programme organised by Rosatom, bringing together premier scientists and researchers from across the globe.

Dr Nandan also holds the distinction of being the first Indian expert invited to join this prestigious international research voyage.

During the expedition, Dr Nandan shared key research insights on critical global issues, including polar climate change, marine biodiversity, benthic organisms and the potential of blue carbon ecosystems.