With changes in ice conditions throughout the Arctic, and increased global interest in shipping through northern sea routes, new research is needed to develop new models to provide improved information about ice break-up and drift for northern communities and to support safe, low-impact shipping. Improved models for predicting the break-up and drift of sea ice on local scales are valuable for helping ensure safety during traditional activities (e.g. travel over ice, hunting, and fishing), as well as supporting shipping in ice-prone waters. An area of particular importance is improve understanding of the deterioration process of sea ice cover that ultimately leads to break-up, as this is a period of potentially higher risk for on-ice activities and early season shipping activities. This work is important in establishing links between deteriorating ice conditions and risk-assessment models developed for other areas such as Eastern Canada, as well as Arctic regions in Russia and Europe. To foster international research collaboration in this area, the Canadian Embassy in Moscow, Global Affairs Canada (GAC), Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) and Polar Knowledge Canada (CHARS) are working together with collaborators at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (PGSPPU) to support a research exchange visit by PhD student Artem Nesterov (from PGSPPU) to conduct field work with Dr. Rocky Taylor and to help expand and develop new models of ice break-up and drift processes.