It's thesis defense season again at the University Centre of the Westfjords. The first defense starts on Friday April 24th. During this defense season 6 students will defend their theses in the coming weeks with many interesting topics. The defenses are open to the public and people are also invited to join through zoom. The links can be found in the table below.

Una Lilja, a second-year master’s student at the University Centre of the Westfjords (UW) in Coastal and Marine Management, is researching how education systems prepare people to make decisions that support a healthy ocean. Her supervisor is Dr Catherine Chambers, UW’s new Director, who began her role on April 1 this year. Her research focuses on ocean literacy, understanding the relationship between people and the ocean, and its role in shaping awareness of environmental issues, sustainability, and the responsible use of marine resources. The concept has gained increasing attention in recent years and is especially relevant in coastal communities, where the ocean is part of everyday life. Una will explore how teachers use the ocean and coastal environments in their teaching, and how ocean literacy is integrated across subjects at all levels of education. She invites teachers to take part in a short survey, which takes around 2–5 minutes to complete and will be open for a limited time. Participants are also encouraged to share the survey with other teachers in their networks. The survey, which is in Icelandic, can be accessed here: Könnun um haflæsi á Íslandi - Háskólasetur Vestfjarða

We are excited to launch COLAB: Coastal Laboratories Connecting People and Nature, an international initiative funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Prosperous Future programme. COLAB brings together partners in Iceland, Poland, and Lithuania to co-develop practical methods for empowering coastal communities to build resilient local economies based on coastal natural and bio-based resources. The project focuses on sustainable resource use, community knowledge, and nature-positive practices that strengthen both ecosystems and livelihoods.

The University Centre of the Westfjords will be closed over part of the Easter holidays. The building will be closed on Good Friday, April 3, and Saturday, April 4. The entrance from Suðurgata will be locked, and key cards will not be active during that time. In case of emergency, please call 844 3148.