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During the 32nd Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) and 50th anniversary celebration in Baltimore, Maryland (USA), the Belgian minister in charge of Economy and Administrative Simplification, Mr. Vincent Van Quickenborne, was proud to announce Belgium's return to Antarctica through the achievement of the Princess Elisabeth Research Station. Special congratulations were given to Alain Hubert, Founding President of the International Polar Foundation (IPF) and Director of the Princess Elisabeth Station Antarctica project, "whose energy and determination transformed this project into reality."

In collaboration with the International Polar Foundation, STIB / MIVB (Société des transports intercommunaux de Bruxelles / Maatschappij voor Intercommunaal Vervoer van Brussel) inaugurated a new Metro station in Brussels on Monday, March 23rd. This new underground station, baptised "Belgica", is a tribute to Belgian exploration in Antarctica and a reminder of the dangers of climate change.

Class Zero Emission (CZE), a pedagogical workshop initiated by the International Polar Foundation (IPF) covering the themes of the Polar Regions and climate change, was officially inaugurated on 25 March 2009 at the IPF in Brussels.

On February 25th, an international delegation of scientists was present at the World Meteorological Organization (WWMO) in Geneva, Switzerland, to celebrate the 4th International Polar Year (IPY) and the important milestone it has set in our understanding of the Earth's system. The WMO, who sponsored the IPY along with the International Council for Science, released its preliminary report "The State of Polar Research".

The inauguration of the Princess Elisabeth Station on February 15th was a success and a dream come true. In the opening ceremony preceding the official inauguration, Alain Hubert reminded everyone that the International Polar Year had been the drive for Belgium's initiative to return to Antarctica in the name of science.

The renowned Belgian comic strip Suske en Wiske / Bob et Bobette has chosen to collaborate with the International Polar Foundation for their new album. The story brings Suske en Wiske / Bob et Bobette to Antarctica where they will pursue their adventures at the Princess Elisabeth Station.

The pursuit of science in Antarctica has always been a human andlogistical challenge. Not many fields of research are as dependent on acombination of environmental conditions, human ingenuity, andlogistics. There is no easy way to get to Antarctica, and ice - whichdefines the continent - remains its strongest rampart.

The 14 "First In" members of BELARE 2008-09 arrived in Utsteinen, Antarctica, safe and sound. Following a stop-over at the Russian polar station Novo, they reached the Princess Elisabeth research station on November 11th, in the late afternoon.

The fourteenth edition of the Flemish Science Teachers' Conference was held on November 15th in Gent. Sandra Vanhove, Science Education Manager at the International Polar Foundation, attended the event to raise interest about the IPF's education projects amongst the teachers of Belgium's Flanders Region.

The Russian ice-class cargo ship Ivan Papanin, carrying on board the Princess Elisabeth station's inside systems, left the port of Antwerp on November 14th at 1 pm, local time. After a first stop in Cape Town in about three weeks' time, the ship will reach Antarctica a short while before Christmas time.